Packaging of 100GHz High Power Photodiodes

ABSTRACT: In this proposed effort, Freedom Photonics is teaming up with University of Virginia to package high-speed, high power photodiodes. The Phase I effort will establish the technical and commercial foundation for the development of packaged high power 100GHz photodiodes. The Phase I effort will define the requirements, evaluation of key technical challenges, design of submounts and packages to support the program and critical hardware demonstrations and characterization aimed at establishing feasibility of the approach. BENEFIT: High speed, high power capacity linear photodiodes are expected to find application in a number of analog RF applications such as Fiber Optic Antenna Link (FOAL) Systems with antenna Remoting, RF over fiber systems, instrumentation, generation of low phase noise microwave waveforms, and radar. There is a market need for photodiodes that are simultaneously high speed 70-100GHz and can handle high photocurrent levels on the order of amps. Additionally, these applications include next generation satellite communications, airplane avionic systems, Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and other robotic platforms, missile internal communications and shipboard communications.