Open AccessLow power wide spectrum optical transmitter using avalanche mode LEDs in SOI CMOS technology
Author(s) -
Vishal Agarwal,
Satadal Dutta,
Anne-Johan Annema,
R.J.E. Hueting,
Peter G. Steeneken,
Bram Nauta
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.25.016981
Subject(s) - optoelectronics , materials science , avalanche photodiode , responsivity , light emitting diode , cmos , avalanche diode , single photon avalanche diode , avalanche breakdown , diode , photodiode , transmitter , silicon on insulator , optics , voltage , electrical engineering , breakdown voltage , silicon , detector , photodetector , physics , engineering , channel (broadcasting)
This paper presents a low power monolithically integrated optical transmitter with avalanche mode light emitting diodes in a 140 nm silicon-on-insulator CMOS technology. Avalanche mode LEDs in silicon exhibit wide-spectrum electroluminescence (400 nm < λ < 850 nm), which has a significant overlap with the responsivity of silicon photodiodes. This enables monolithic CMOS integration of optocouplers, for e.g. smart power applications requiring high data rate communication with a large galvanic isolation. To ensure a certain minimum number of photons per data pulse (or per bit), light emitting diode drivers must be robust against process, operating conditions and temperature variations of the light emitting diode. Combined with the avalanche mode light emitting diode's steep current-voltage curve at relatively high breakdown voltages, this conventionally results in high power consumption and significant heating. The presented transmitter circuit is intrinsically robust against these issues, thereby enabling low power operation.