2-D free-space optocal backplane using vertical cavity surface-emitting laser

Board-to-board electrical connectivity is a limiting factor for very high bandwidth electronic backplanes. Many physical constraints such as maximum copper trace line density, power consumption of line drivers, transmission line effects and heat dissipation, limit the maximum data throughput achievable for conventional electronic backplanes. On the other hand, photonic backplanes do not have many of the physical limitations that electronic backplanes do. Therefore, by replacing the electronic transceivers in a backplane with optical transmitters and receivers, we can circumvent many of the limitations of conventional electronic backplanes and obtain higher data traffic.This thesis examines the use of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) as transmitters in two-dimensional free-space optical backplanes. The thesis presents design considerations, limitations of present technology and possible improvements in order to make the VCSEL-based free-space backplane system practical and realizable. To show the concept, a working backplane demonstrator (Phase II) was built using VCSEL as transmitter and metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) as receiver inside a conventional electronic backplane chassis. The design, layout and the performance of assembled Phase II system will be presented throughout the chapters as well as possible future improvements