Comparison of approaches to 850 nm 2-D VCSEL arrays

There is a wide variety of reasons why future high-performance datacom links are believed to rely on two-dimensional VCSEL arrays suitable for direct flip-chip hybridization. Some typical are as follows: highest interconnect density, high-frequency operation, self alignment for precise mounting, productivity at high number of channels per chip. In this paper the latest approaches to flip-chip VCSELs are presented. In particular we will assess the properties of transparent substrate VCSEL arrays which are soldered light-emitting side up as well as VCSEL arrays which are soldered light-emitting side down, e.g., onto a CMOS driver chip. The VCSEL arrays are designed for bottom- or top-emission at 850 nm emission wavelength and modulation speeds up to 10 Gbps per channel.