Optical-electrical printed wiring board for high-speed computing applications

Optical-electrical printed wiring boards were fabricated featuring mechanical transfer (MT)-compatible interconnections for out-of-plane optical signal routing with an average optical link loss of 10.7 dB. Commercially available components were integrated into an optical layer for out-of-plane optical routing, including light turning devices that feature spherical micro lens arrays, a total internal reflection mirror, and alignment slots compatible with standard MT connectors. The feasibility of the optical-electrical printed wiring board is discussed in detail to demonstrate its compatibility with common printed circuit board manufacturing processes. The optical-electrical printed wiring board prototypes survived thermal cycling (-40°C to 85°C) and humidity exposure (95% humidity) showing an overall degradation of <3 dB of optical performance. Operational failure (>18 dB) occurred after environmental aging life testing at 110°C for 216 h.