Merging traditional VLSI with photonics

Abstract

This tutorial paper looks at the possibilities for integrated photonic VLSI systems. It examines the need for "disruptive" technologies to solve the very problems that feature size scaling has introduced in traditional VLSI electronics and the potential for photonics and hybridized systems to solve these problems. It also considers the various challenges involved in constructing a photonic VLSI system as well as the potential pitfalls and disadvantages of this approach. The paper concludes with a discussion of these challenges and benefits by showing steps toward realizing such a system and how addressing problems in computer architecture with an innovative photonics approach can lead to benefits in system wide performance not previously seen with existing approaches.