Si AND SiGe BIPOLAR ICs FOR 10 TO 40 Gb/s OPTICAL-FIBER TDM LINKS

Abstract

This paper gives an overview on very-high-speed ICs for optical-fiber systems with restriction to Si-based technologies. As a main aim, the circuit and system designer shall get an impression what operating speeds have already been achieved and, moreover, get a feeling for potential limitations. It is shown that all ICs in 10 Gb/s TDM systems can be fabricated in Si-bipolar production technologies, while for the speed-critical ICs in 20 Gb/s systems, present SiGe laboratory technologies are required if the circuit specifications, apart from the data rate, must remain unchanged. With uncritical circuits like time-division multiplexer (MUX) and demultiplexer (DEMUX), record data rates of 60 Gb/s systems were achieved with a SiGe laboratory technology, using an adequate mounting and measuring technique. Recent measuring results even showed that all ICs in a 40 Gb/s TDM system (i.e., also the speed-critical ones) can be realized in advanced SiGe technologies. However, compared to ICs in 10 and 20 Gb/s systems, some circuit specifications must be relaxed. This is possible by the use of optical amplifiers and improved opto-electronic components as well as by system modifications, which further make possible the elimination of some of the speed-critical circuits. It should be noted that all the experimental results presented are measured on mounted chips, using conventional wire bonding, and that most of the circuits have been used in experimental TDM links.