Optical ready substrates

Abstract

An article of manufacture comprising an optical-ready substrate made of a first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer on top of the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer on top of the insulating layer, wherein the second semiconductor layer has a top surface and is laterally divided into two regions including a first region and a second region, the top surface of the first region being of a quality that is sufficient to permit microelectronic circuitry to be formed therein and the second region including an optical signal distribution circuit formed therein, the optical signal distribution circuit made up of interconnected semiconductor photonic elements and designed to provide signals to the microelectronic circuit to be fabricated in the first region of the second semiconductor layer.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . An article of manufacture comprising: 
 a first semiconductor chip including an optical signal communication circuit formed in the topside thereof, said optical signal communication circuit made up of interconnected semiconductor photonic elements; and    a second semiconductor chip including a microelectronic circuit formed in the topside thereof, said first chip mounted on top of said second chip so that the topsides thereof are opposite each other and arranged so that the optical signal communication circuit delivers signals to and/or receives signals from the microelectronic circuit when operating.    
   
   
       12 . The article of manufacture of  claim 11  wherein the first semiconductor chip comprises a first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer on top of the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer on top of the insulating layer, wherein the second semiconductor layer has a top surface with said optical signal communication circuit formed therein, said optical signal communication circuit made up of interconnected semiconductor photonic elements.  
   
   
       13 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12  wherein the semiconductor photonic elements of the optical signal communication circuit include optical waveguides and output elements coupled to the optical waveguides for delivering signals carried by the waveguides to the microelectronic circuitry.  
   
   
       14 . The article of manufacture of  claim 13  wherein said output elements are optical detectors which convert optical signals to electrical signals.  
   
   
       15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 11  wherein the optical signal communication circuit is an optical clock signal distribution network.  
   
   
       16 . A method comprising: 
 by using a first set of semiconductor fabrication processes, fabricating an optical-ready substrate comprising a first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer on top of the first semiconductor layer, and a semiconductor material on top of the insulating layer, wherein the second semiconductor material has a top surface and is laterally divided into two regions including a first region and a second region, the top surface of the first region being of a quality that is sufficient to permit microelectronic circuitry to be formed therein and said second region including an optical signal communication circuit formed therein, said optical signal communication circuit made up of interconnected semiconductor photonic elements interconnected by an optical waveguide for carrying an optical signal, said optical distribution circuit designed to provide signals to or received signals from the microelectronic circuit to be fabricated in the first region of the second semiconductor layer; and    sending the optical-ready substrate to a purchaser that will subsequently fabricate said microelectronic circuitry in the first region of the semiconductor material of the optical-ready substrate by using a second set of semiconductor fabrication processes.    
   
   
       17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 13  wherein at least the topside of the first semiconductor chip comprises silicon.  
   
   
       18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein the optical waveguides include a core made of a material selected from the group consisting of silica and silicon oxynitride.  
   
   
       19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 18  wherein the core comprises silica.  
   
   
       20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19  wherein the silica of the core is doped with GeO 2 .  
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17  wherein the optical waveguide includes a cladding material surrounding the core.  
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 21  wherein the cladding material comprises silica.  
   
   
       23 . A method of producing an optical ready substrate on which microelectronic circuitry can later be fabricated, said method comprising: 
 by using a first set of semiconductor processes, fabricating an optical ready semiconductor substrate; and    sending the optical ready substrate to a purchaser that will subsequently fabricate microelectronic circuitry thereon by using a second set of semiconductor processes.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the fabricating comprises: 
 providing a carrier substrate made at least in part of a first semiconductor material and having a front side and a backside,    by using the first set of semiconductor fabrication processes, fabricating optical signal communication circuitry on the front side of the carrier substrate, said optical signal communication circuitry made up of interconnected semiconductor photonic elements and designed to provide signals to or receive signals from the microelectronic circuitry to be fabricated thereon at a later time; and    creating a top surface above the optical signal circuitry that is of sufficient quality to permit the microelectronic circuitry to be fabricated thereon using a second set of semiconductor fabrication processes.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein fabricating the optical signal circuitry comprises fabricating an optical clock signal distribution network.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the step of creating involves fabricating an SOI structure.  
   
   
       27 . An article of manufacture comprising an optical ready substrate made at least in part of a first semiconductor material and having a front side and a backside, said front side having a top surface into which fabrication of microelectronic circuitry has not yet begun and being of sufficient quality to permit microelectronic circuitry to be fabricated therein at a later time by using semiconductor fabrication processing techniques, said optical ready substrate including a first layer region on the front side of the substrate and an optical signal communication circuit fabricated in the substrate beneath the first layer, said optical signal communication circuit made up of interconnected semiconductor photonic elements and designed to communicate signals for the microelectronic circuitry to be fabricated therein at a later time.