EP-4735932-A2 - FIBER-OPTIC BUNDLES FOR PARALLEL OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS

Abstract

A connector assembly for a fiber-optic bundle may provide for a ninety degree bend in the fiber-optic bundle. The connector assembly may be used in a microLED-based optical interconnect. The microLED-based optical interconnect may provide for data and/or clock communication from an array of microLEDs to an array of photodetectors, with a fiber-optic bundle providing an optical transmission medium coupling light between the microLEDs and the photodetectors. Fiber elements of the fiber-optic bundle may be bound together about ends of the fiber elements, but loose in an area of the bend.

Inventors

• ROURKE, Howard
• KALMAN, ROBERT
• TSELIKOV, ALEXANDER
• PEZESHKI, BARDIA
• MIN, SUNGHWAN

Assignees

• Avicenatech, Corp.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240701

Claims (12)

1. 1. A microLED-based communication system, comprising: an array of microLEDs; an array of photodetectors; and an optical-fiber bundle including a plurality of fiber elements, with first end faces of the fiber elements positioned to receive light generated by the array of microLEDs, and with a second end face of the fiber elements positioned to provide light to the array of photodetectors, the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another, with the optical-fiber bundle having a 90 degree away from the end faces of the fiber elements, the fiber elements not fixed in position relative to one another within the 90 degree bend.
2. 2. The microLED-based communication system of claim 1, further comprising a connector housing a portion of the optical-fiber bundle about the first end faces of the fiber elements, with the optical-fiber bundle having a 90 degree bend within the connector.
3. 3. The microLED-based communication system of claim 2, wherein the connector includes at least one alignment pin proximate to the first end faces of the fiber elements.
4. 4. The microLED-based communication system of claim 2, further comprising a ferrule, the ferrule configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another.
5. 5. The microLED-based communication system of claim 4, wherein the ferrule is within the housing.
6. 6. The microLED-based communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a ferrule, the ferrule configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another.
7. 7. The microLED-bascd communication system of claim 1, further comprising a portion of an assembly fixture, the portion of the assembly fixture configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another.
8. 8. The microLED-based communication system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the assembly fixture comprises a circumferential wall.
9. 9. The microLED-based communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first end faces of the fiber elements are fixed in position relative to one another by adhesive.
10. 10. The microLED-based communication system of claim 1, further comprising a frame, the frame configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another.
11. 11. The microLED-based communication system of claim 10, wherein the frame includes a circumferential wall, with the circumferential wall configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another.
12. 12. The microLED-based communication system of claim 10, wherein the frame includes a circumferential wall and interior walls extending between different sides of the circumferential wall, with the circumferential wall and the interior walls configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another.

Description

FIBER-OPTIC BUNDLES FOR PARALLEL OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The desire for high-performance computing and networking is ubiquitous and seemingly ever-present. Prominent applications include data center servers, high-performance computing clusters, artificial neural networks, and network switches. [0002] For decades, dramatic integrated circuit (IC) performance and cost improvements were driven by shrinking transistor dimensions combined with increasing die sizes, summarized in the famous Moore’s Law. Transistor counts in the billions have allowed consolidation onto a single system-on-a-chip (SoC) of functionality that was previously fragmented across multiple ICs. However, the benefits of further transistor shrinks are decreasing dramatically as decreasing marginal performance benefits combine with decreased yields and increased per transistor costs. Independent of these limitations, a single IC can only contain so much functionality, and that functionality is constrained because the IC’s process cannot be simultaneously optimized for different functionality, for example logic requires a different process than memory and high speed VO. In fact, there are significant benefits to “de-integrating” SoCs into smaller “chiplets,” including: (1) the process for each chiplet can be optimized to its function; (2) chiplets are well- suited to reuse in multiple designs; and (3) chiplets are less expensive to design. [0003] Chiplets have higher yield because they are smaller with fewer devices. However, a major drawback to chiplets compared to SoCs is that use of chiplets generally requires far more chip-to-chip connections. Compared to the on-chip connections between functional blocks in SoCs, chip-to-chip connections are typically much less dense and require far more power (for example normalized as energy per bit). BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0004] Some aspects provide a microLED-based communication system, comprising: an array of microLEDs; an array of photodetectors; and an optical-fiber bundle including a plurality of fiber elements, with first end faces of the fiber elements positioned to receive light generated by the array of microLEDs, and with a second end face of the fiber elements positioned to provide light to the array of photodetectors, the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another, with the optical-fiber bundle having a 90 degree away from the end faces of the fiber elements, the fiber elements not fixed in position relative to one another within the 90 degree bend. Some aspects further comprise a connector housing a portion of the optical-fiber bundle about the first end faces of the fiber elements, with the optical-fiber bundle having a 90 degree bend within the connector. In some aspects the connector includes at least one alignment pin proximate to the first end faces of the fiber elements. Some aspects further comprise a ferrule, the ferrule configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another. In some aspects the ferrule is within the housing. Some aspects further comprise a ferrule, the ferrule configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another. Some aspects further comprise a portion of an assembly fixture, the portion of the assembly fixture configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another. In some aspects the portion of the assembly fixture comprises a circumferential wall. In some aspects the first end faces of the fiber elements are fixed in position relative to one another by adhesive. Some aspects further comprise a frame, the frame configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another. In some aspects the frame includes a circumferential wall, with the circumferential wall configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another. In some aspects the frame includes a circumferential wall and interior walls extending between different sides of the circumferential wall, with the circumferential wall and the interior walls configured to maintain the first end faces of the fiber elements fixed in position relative to one another. [0005] These and other aspects of the invention are more thoroughly comprehended upon review of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0006] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication channel of a parallel optical interconnect. [0007] FIG. 2 illustrates an example optical coupling between a microLED array and a photodetector array, in accordance with aspects of the invention. [0008] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of an embodiment of a fiber bundle, in accordance with aspects of the invention. [0009] FIG. 4 illustrates an example fiber bundle with packing segments about ends of the fiberoptic bundle, in accordance w