Application of the Inversion Channel Technology for Electro-Optical Interconnects for Wide Temperature Ranges

The Inversion Channel Technology is proposed as a solution for the electro-optic interfaces used in space based operations that must operate over a wide temperature range. This technology enables monolithic integration of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, vertical cavity resonant detectors and high performance n-channel field effect transistors to implement optoelectronic circuits. The capability to integrate all of these devices is unique to the Inversion Channel Technology and can provide cost effective reliable electro-optic interfaces. The temperature insensitivity of the vertical cavity surface emitting lasers has been established in the literature, but within the Inversion Channel Technology this is also coupled with the temperature insensitivity of the electronics due to the large noise margins realized in this technology. The Phase I work will involve the basic design of simple electro-optic interfaces including electrical interfacing with silicon based electronics and fiber links between electro- optic modules. The expected benefits for NASA include high performance, low weight electro-optic interconnects for space based operations over wide temperature ranges.