25.8 Gb/s Submillimeter Optical Data Link Module for Smart Catheters

Journal article (2022)

Authors

J. Li Electronic Components, Technology and Materials - EEMCS
Chenhui Li Eindhoven University of Technology
Vincent A. Henneken Philips Research
Marcus Louwerse Philips Innovation Services
Jeannet Van Rens Philips Research
Paul Dijkstra Philips Innovation Services
Oded Raz Eindhoven University of Technology
R. Dekker Electronic Components, Technology and Materials - EEMCS , Philips Research
Research Group
Electronic Components, Technology and Materials (EEMCS) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2022 J. Li, Chenhui Li, Vincent Henneken, Marcus Louwerse, Jeannet Van Rens, Paul Dijkstra, Oded Raz, R. Dekker
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1109/JLT.2021.3137981
Microfabrication Silicon Optical fibers Microassembly Flex-to-Rigid Optical device fabrication Optical transmitters Catheters Contacts Optical interconnections Smart catheters Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers
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Published Date

2022

Language

English

Faculty

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Department

Microelectronics

Research Group

Electronic Components, Technology and Materials

Abstract

The digitization of smart catheters will dramatically increase the demand for reliable and high data transmission in the distal tips. Optical fiber is a good candidate to provide high-speed data transmission. However, the extremely small size of the smart catheter tip, with less than a few millimeters in diameter, hampers the integration of optical fiber connections in the catheter tip. Our work presents a stand-alone optical data link module (ODLM) with a dimension of 240 μm × 280 μm × 420 μm for use in a 1 mm diameter intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) smart catheter. The fabrication of the ODLM is based on the Flex-to-Rigid (F2R) integration technology. In the ODLM, the flexible interconnects reroute the electrical contacts of the flip-chipped vertical-cavity sur-face-emitting laser (VCSEL) to the side of the device. This design enables the ODLM to be mounted on a flex-PCB and fit into a 200-300 μm gap in the IVUS catheter tip. An optical fiber that runs parallel to the catheter shaft is self-aligned to a commercially available VCSEL by inserting it into the through-silicon hole (TSH) of the ODLM. Clear eye diagrams prove the stand-alone ODLM can transmit 25.8 Gb/s, 231-1 Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) when driven through a high-speed bias-tee. The BER test indicates that error-free operation can be achieved at an optical output of around -4 dBm.