High Performance CMOS modulator drivers for silicon photonics mach-zehnder modulator

Abstract

The modulator driver is a crucial electrical module within the optical transceiver. All the data to be conveyed optically must pass through this device, which typically requires it to operate at the highest operation speed of any electrical modules among the whole communication system. In addition, due to the weakness of the electro-optical effects of these high-speed modulators, the driver must produce relatively large voltage swing, which not only exceeds the nominal breakdown voltage of these ultra-deep-submicron CMOS technologies, but also leads to the concerns about the power efficiency and thermal reliability. To address all these challenges, this work commenced from the design and implementation of a new driver circuit at 40nm CMOS technology. Silicon proven results demonstrated this new circuit could operate properly up to 40Gb/s. Thanks to the experience and knowledge base of the Silicon Photonics team that author is embedded into, a holistic solution has been proposed as a synergistic design approach between the CMOS driver and the depletion type Si MZM. The proposed solution has been illustrated from circuit-level design to real chip tape-out at 28nm process node, which not only features with the outstanding power efficiency (1.6 pJ/bit) and operation speed(40Gb/s), but also enabled the compact integration among optical and electrical component. In addition, target on the thermal reliability issue, a CMOS driver circuit has

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