Optically augmented 3-D computer: System technology and architecture

In order to achieve high performance parallel computing in terms of bandwidth versus power consumption and volume, denser and faster means of implementing interconnections while minimizing power and crosstalk are required. Global interconnections can be implemented using free-space interconnect technology and can be coupled to 3-D electronic processing stacks such as those developed at Hughes Research Laboratories or Irvine Sensors Corp. to obtain an optoelectronic 3-D computer with increased throughputs for routing or sorting operations. To this end, the 3-D optoelectronic architecture needs to be designed for optimal performance, light transmitters and receivers need to be integrated with the 3-D VLSI stacks to allow optical inputs and outputs, and free-space optical interconnect elements need to be assembled with the modified 3-D stacks. In this paper, the concepts of the technology and architecture of the optically augmented 3-D computer are evaluated.