Globally, data traffic has grown exponentially, and electronic data connections within or between chips have become increasingly bottlenecks. However, optical communication has become a new alternative to electronic communication, but optical data connections require good nano-light sources, and such resources are scarce.
Now, scientists at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have invented a nano-LED source that is 1000 times more efficient than comparable products and controls data rates of up to gigabits per second. Scientists published the study online in the journal Nature Communications.
challenge
As wires approach their efficiency limits, optical connections such as fiberglass are increasingly replacing wires as new data communication standards. In longer distance communications, almost all data communications are optical. The same is true for computer systems and chips. The growth of data traffic is exponential, but communication is still electronic, so this is increasingly becoming a bottleneck restricting data communication.
Because most of the energy consumed by the chip comes from these connections ("signal connections"), many scientists around the world are working on the development of optical (photonic) internal connections. The most important part of the optical solution is the light source that converts the data into an optical signal, which must be small enough to fit the micro-structure requirements of the chip.
At the same time, the output capacity and efficiency must also be good. Especially efficiency, this one is very challenging. Because of the small light source of power Danawatt or microwatt, so far, the efficiency is very insufficient.
Lower light loss
Researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology have developed a light-emitting diode (LED) measuring a few hundred nanometers in size, integrating an optical path (waveguide) capable of transmitting optical signals. This nano-scale LED is 1000 times more efficient than its current best-in-class products. At the same time, the researchers made special progress in the coupling quality between the light source and the waveguide, resulting in less loss of light and more light entering the waveguide.
The efficiency of this new nano-LED is currently between 0.01% and 1%, but researchers hope to quickly increase this data with new production methods.
Indium phosphide film
Another key feature of this new type of nano-LED is its ability to be integrated into a silicon substrate on a layer of indium phosphide film. Silicon is the basic material for chip manufacturing, but it is not suitable for light sources, but indium phosphide is more suitable. Furthermore, tests have shown that this new material can quickly convert electrical signals into optical signals with controllable data rates of several gigabits per second.
feasibility
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology believe that their nano-LEDs are a viable solution that will address the growing demand for data communication in chips.
However, they are also cautious about the prospects. The development has not yet reached the standard for industrial production, and the mass production technology still needs further development.
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