Monday, September 18, 2006

UCSB, Intel Develop First Hybrid Silicon Laser

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Intel Corp. announced today that they have created the world's first silicon chip that can produce lasers, using standard silicon manufacturing processes. The researchers said today that the first electrically powered Hybrid Silicon Laser will enable low-cost, high-bandwidth silicon photonics devices. The breakthrough promises to help connect computer chips with photonics, instead of wires, which is expected to make it much easier to transmit high speed data between those chips. The development is based on research conducted by Intel in Santa Barbara. The new chips use Indium Phosphide in standard high-volume silicon manufacturing to provide the capability to create continuous laser beams on a single, hybrid chip. The research was headed by John Powers, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Santa Barbara. The research was funded by the Microelectronics Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Intel Corporation.