摘要 |
A method and an apparatus providing optical input/output in an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, optical modulators and demodulators, which are coupled to integrated circuit input/output nodes, are disposed on or within the back side semiconductor substrate of a flip chip packaged integrated circuit. Since a flip chip packaged integrated circuit die is utilized, full access to the optical modulators and demodulators is provided from the back side of the integrated circuit die for optical input/output. In one embodiment, a heat sink including a light source and an optical assembly is thermally and optically coupled to the back side of the integrated circuit die. A light beam is directed to the optical modulators and the deflected modulated light beam is routed and directed to the optical demodulators to realize optical input/output. In one embodiment, infrared light may be utilized such that the optical modulators and demodulators are disposed within a silicon semiconductor substrate. Since silicon is partially transparent to infrared light, optical input/output is realized through the back side and through the semiconductor substrate of the flip chip packaged integrated circuit die.
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