Intel develop Silicon Photonics for future computer

Intel back to make a breakthrough in the field of silicon photonics, with the Avalanche Photodetector (APD)-device based Silicon. The device will be able to press the cost and improve performance compared to conventional optical device technology.

Silicon Photonics is the technology that is being developed to send and receive information between computers and optical with other electronic devices. The technology is intended to meet the needs of bandwidth in the future of computing with the use of data-intensive, such as for the medical and long-distance 3-D virtualization.

Intel developed the APD is a light sensor that is able to provide the sensitivity to detect light and strengthen a weak signal light that is directed to Silicon. APD devices use CMOS Silicon and in the process to increase bandwidth up to 340 GHz.

“The results of our research are another example that Silicon can be used to make optical devices with very high performance,” said the director of the Intel Photonics Technology, Mario Paniccia, as quoted from his writing, Friday (12/11/2008).

The transfer of data very quickly will become a requirement for each computer in the future. Through the APD device to open the possibility for the optical link with the cheaper data rate 40 Gbps or faster.

Besides being used for optical communications, APD-based Silicon also can be applied in other areas such as sensing, imaging, Quantum Cryptography, or biological applications.