18 January 2011

Germany’s HiTrans project develops 40G VCSEL components, says VI Systems

As part of the HiTrans research consortium funded and managed by the Berlin-based bank IBB, VI Systems GmbH of Berlin, Germany (a fabless spin-off of the Technical University of Berlin and the A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute in St Petersburg, Russia that provides laser and photo-detector chips and modules) has reported completion of a project to develop ultra-high-speed vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL)-based optical transmitters and PIN photodetector (PD) receivers for up to 40Gb/s short-reach data transmission. Product samples are now available.

The consortium also involved Europe’s leading GaAs epiwafer foundry, a foundry for silicon-germanium-based BiCMOS integrated circuits, a high-volume manufacturing partner with expertise in flip-chip and wire bonding process steps, and the German technical universities of Berlin (TUB) and Dresden (TUD).

In the project, VI Systems coordinated and led efforts to develop serial 40Gb/s fiber-coupled small-form-factor TO-can receiver and transmitter modules including several related electro-optic components. In particular, the project developed and prototyped driver ICs for current or electro-optically modulated lasers, as well as limiting transimpedance amplifier ICs for the PDs. High-frequency (40GHz) transmitter and receiver packaging (with a TO-can form factor) based on the proprietary integrated-packaging approach of VI Systems for flip-chip and wirebond sub-assemblies was also completed.

Using the latest high-frequency test equipment and microwave and optical characterization techniques, data transmission at ultra-high data bit rates was characterized. Using the electro-optical subassemblies and fiber-coupled modules that were developed, the project partners demonstrated error-free data bit transmission over multimode fiber at 40Gb/s.

The power consumption of the receiver and transmitter modules (including driver and amplifier ICs) is below 150mW, allowing integration into standard commercial SFP (small-form-factor pluggable) transceivers. The small size (less than 6mm x 6mm) and low power consumption of the new prototype modules also allows integration into QSFP (quad small-form-factor pluggable) transceivers with serializer/de-serializer (SerDes) ICs, with expected total power consumption for the module below 3W. The production of both single- and multi-mode fiber versions of the QSFP transceiver is possible.

Together with the follow-on involvement of an industrial partner, the project should enable scalable mass production at a low cost, says VI Systems. Active optical cable (AOC) applications and IEEE 802.3bg standard extensions towards low-cost, low-power applications can be targeted for follow-on product exploitation, the firm adds.

VI Systems is exhibiting at Photonics West 2011 in San Francisco, CA, USA (25–27 January) in booth #5217.

Tags: VI Systems VCSEL

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