Numerical Simulation of Optical Through-Silicon Waveguide for 3D Photonic Interconnections

Abstract

Optical interconnections are a promising step for-ward to overcome the intrinsic limitations of electrical inter-connections in integrated circuits. In this work, we present a finite element method (FEM) simulation study of a dielectric waveguide etched through the full thickness of a silicon substrate. In particular, it is investigated the effect of the bridge-to-core size ratio on the first two supported modes. Then, the influence of the waveguide sidewalls tapering angle on the three-dimensional beam propagation is studied. Such optical through-silicon waveguide (OTSW), if nonadiabatically tapered can provide effective mode size conversion and favour the coupling of external light sources to photonic integrated circuits.