Flexible optical waveguide film with 45-degree micromirror couplers for hybrid E/O integration or parallel optical interconnection

Abstract

Short-range optical interconnection is more emphasizing in high performance systems. Multimode waveguide array is considered as a major interconnection medium due to the relatively easy packaging with devices. The multimode fiber array conjunction with VCSEL and Pin photodiode array is widely used in board to board and/or system to system interconnection. We demonstrate a flexible optical waveguide film which was composed of VCSEL, photodiode array, multimode waveguide array and 45 degree micro mirror couplers. The flexible waveguide film has many potentials such as it can be integrated with typical rigid electronic board and free from geometrical constraint. The waveguide film with 45° mirror was fabricated on a flexible transparent substrate using soft molding technique and then thin film VCSEL and photo-detector array are integrated. Master structure of the waveguide, which has multimode waveguide array and 45° mirror structure was fabricated using conventional lithography and microtome technique.