The Challenge in Packaging Microelectronics and Optoelectronics

The bandwidths needed for military tactical aircraft mission systems mandate the use of fiber optic interconnects. Without these optical interconnects system capability would be degraded due to the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) burden of electrical interconnects versus optical interconnects. However, along with the many benefits of

fiber optic based communication (bandwidth, weight, EMI immunity, scalability, protocol independence, etc.) come unique microelectronics and optoelectronics packaging challenges. Connecting the optical chips that perform the electrical‐to‐optical (laserdiodes) and optical‐to‐electrical (photodiodes) conversion to the system require unique design considerations. Additionally, these designs depend on materials and process steps that address the optical coupling requirements that are beyond what is necessary for electrical designs. This paper will describe a military qualified multimode multi‐channel optical transceiver design that has been fielded in military tactical mission systems and how the design compares and contrasts to non‐optical microelectronics designs.