25Gb/s 1V-driving CMOS ring modulator with integrated thermal tuning

We report a high-speed ring modulator that fits many of the ideal qualities for optical interconnect in future exascale supercomputers. The device was fabricated in a 130nm SOI CMOS process, with 7.5 mu m ring radius. Its high-speed section, employing PN junction that works at carrier-depletion mode, enables 25Gb/s modulation and an extinction ratio >5dB with only 1V peak-to-peak driving. Its thermal tuning section allows the device to work in broad wavelength range, with a tuning efficiency of 0.19nm/mW. Based on microwave characterization and circuit modeling, the modulation energy is estimated similar to 7fJ/bit. The whole device fits in a compact 400 mu m(2) footprint. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America