Apparatus having an off-substrate optical interconnect and methods of making the same

Abstract

Apparatus having an off-substrate optical interconnect and methods of making the same are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus includes a substrate; a mounting connector mounted to the substrate; an integrated circuit mounted to the mounting connector; an optical transceiver mounted to the mounting connector and coupled to the integrated circuit to export and/or import data from and/or to the integrated circuit; and an optical interconnect coupled to the optical transceiver to export and/or import the data from and/or to the optical transceiver without passing the data through the substrate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A circuit comprising: 
 a substrate;    a mounting connector mounted to the substrate;    an integrated circuit mounted to the mounting connector;    an optical transceiver mounted to the mounting connector and coupled to the integrated circuit to import and/or export data to and/or from the integrated circuit; and    an optical interconnect coupled to the optical transceiver to import and/or export the data to and/or from the optical transceiver without passing the data through the substrate.    
     
     
         2 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the optical interconnect comprises: 
 a connector; and  
 at least one of a waveguide and an optical fiber optically coupling the optical transceiver to the connector.  
 
     
     
         3 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the optical transceiver and the integrated circuit are mounted within a common package.  
     
     
         4 . A circuit as defined in  claim 3  wherein the connector is disposed near an edge of the package.  
     
     
         5 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.  
     
     
         6 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a power line routed through the substrate to deliver power to at least one of the integrated circuit and the optical transceiver.  
     
     
         7 . A circuit as defined in  claim 6  wherein the power line is separated from the optical interconnect to reduce interference between the power carried by the power line and the data transmitted by the optical transceiver.  
     
     
         8 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the optical transceiver is integrated with the integrated circuit.  
     
     
         9 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a second circuit, the second circuit being separate from the substrate and comprising a second optical transceiver coupled to the optical interconnect.  
     
     
         10 . A circuit as defined in  claim 9  wherein the optical interconnect comprises a connector, at least one of a first waveguide array and a first optical fiber ribbon optically couples the optical transceiver to the connector, and the second optical transceiver is coupled to the connector by at least one of a second fiber ribbon and a second waveguide array.  
     
     
         11 . A circuit as defined in  claim 9  wherein the second circuit comprises an integrated circuit disposed on a second substrate.  
     
     
         12 . A circuit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the integrated circuit comprises at least one of a microprocessor and a flip chip.  
     
     
         13 . A method of constructing a circuit comprising: 
 mounting an integrated circuit and an optical transceiver on a mounting connector mounted on a substrate, the optical transceiver being coupled to the integrated circuit to export and/or import data to and/or from the integrated circuit; and    coupling the optical transceiver to an optical interconnect structured to carry data to and/or from the optical transceiver without passing the data through the substrate.    
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein the optical interconnect comprises: 
 a connector; and  
 at least one of a waveguide and an optical fiber optically coupling the optical transceiver to the connector.  
 
     
     
         15 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein mounting the integrated circuit and the optical transceiver on the mounting connector comprises mounting the integrated circuit and the optical transceiver within a common package.  
     
     
         16 . A method as defined in  claim 15  wherein the optical interconnect comprises a connector disposed near an edge of the package.  
     
     
         17 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.  
     
     
         18 . A method as defined in  claim 13  further comprising routing a power line through the substrate to deliver power to at least one of the integrated circuit and the optical transceiver.  
     
     
         19 . A method as defined in  claim 18  wherein the power line is separated from the optical interconnect to reduce interference between the power carried by the power line and the data carried by the optical interconnect.  
     
     
         20 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein the optical transceiver is integrated with the integrated circuit.  
     
     
         21 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein the substrate comprises a first substrate, the optical transceiver comprises a first optical transceiver, and the optical interconnect comprises a first optical interconnect, and further comprising: 
 mounting at least one of a second optical transceiver on a second mounting connector mounted on a second substrate separate from the first substrate;  
 coupling the second optical transceiver to a second optical interconnect structured to carry the data to and/or from the second optical transceiver without passing through the second substrate; and  
 coupling the first and second optical interconnects.  
 
     
     
         22 . A circuit comprising: 
 a substrate;    a mounting connector mounted to the, substrate;    an integrated circuit mounted to the mounting connector;    an optical transceiver mounted to the mounting connector and coupled to the integrated circuit to import and/or export data to and/or from the integrated circuit;    an optical interconnect coupled to the optical transceiver to import and/or export the data to and/or from the optical transceiver without passing the data through the substrate; and    a pluggable connector coupled to the optical interconnect.    
     
     
         23 . A circuit as defined in  claim 22  wherein the optical interconnect further comprises at least one of a waveguide and an optical fiber optically coupling the optical transceiver to the pluggable connector.