CMOS avalanche electroluminescence applications : microdisplay and high speed data communication

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Authors

Goosen, Marius Eugene
Du Plessis, Monuko
Venter, Petrus Johannes
Bogalecki, Alfons Willi
Alberts, A.C. (Antonie)
Rademeyer, Pieter

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Publisher

South African Institute of Electrical Engineers

Abstract

All-CMOS silicon light sources, although not the choice semiconductor process for light generation, offer the possibility of large scale manufacturing, integration with digital and driver electronics as well as a wide operating temperature range. These advantages do however come at a cost of reduced efficiency, but offer significant cost advantages inherent when using a standard CMOS technology. This paper presents two applications of standard CMOS integrated light sources. A fully functional microdisplay utilising avalanche electroluminescence for visible light generation and implemented in a completely standard 0.35 μm CMOS technology is presented. The microdisplay has an operating temperature range of -50 to 125 °C, which cannot be achieved by competing microdisplay technologies. Utilising the same silicon light sources, a 10 Mb/s optical communication link is established operating at a BER of less than 10-12. The data communication link presented in this paper constitutes the fastest all-silicon data communication link achieved thus far.

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Keywords

Optical interconnect, Silicon light emission, Silicon photonics

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Goosen, ME, Du Plessis, M, Venter, PJ, Bogalecki, AW, Alberts, AC & Redemeyer, P 2012, 'CMOS avalanche electroluminescence applications : microdisplay and high speed data communication', SAIEE Africa Research Journal, vol. 103, no. 1, pp. 24-28.