Infineon announces availability of 1310-nm VCSEL diode and iSFP transceiver module
March 28, 2003--Infineon Technologies AG recently announced the availability of a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) diode with a 1310-nm wavelength, the first such diode to be produced by a supplier that can manufacture it in high volumes, say company representatives. Infineon demonstrated the new VCSEL diode operating in an intelligent small-form-factor-pluggable (iSFP) transceiver module at OFC this week.
Unlike the commonly used distributed feedback (DFB) and Fabry-Perot (FP) laser diodes, which emit light from the edge, VCSELs emit light from the surface, which greatly simplifies packaging and results in a significant cost-saving advantage, explains the company. While VCSELs with an 850-nm wavelength have come to dominate short-reach datacom applications of up to 300 m, Infineon's 1310-nm VCSEL allows for transmission distances of up to 10 km.
Infineon's VCSEL diode features a high-quality optical beam that provides easy and cost-effective assembly and singlemode coupling, which is further supported by the nature of vertical emission and allows performance tests and selection to be made at an early stage of production. The spectral line width and side-mode suppression performance of the 1310-nm singlemode VCSEL are equivalent to or better than a DFB laser, says the company. It has very low threshold and operating currents, which allow its use in low-power consuming applications, and its heat dissipation is less than that of a conventional edge-emitting laser.
To package the 1310-nm VCSEL, Infineon uses an approach based on a standardized packaging technology, Thin Shrink Small Outline Package (TSSOP), widely used in the semiconductor industry. Included with devices delivered to the customer will be an LC coupling unit and a flex-board electrical connection.
The 1310-nm VCSEL diode was demonstrated at OFC operating in an iSFP transceiver module at 2.5 Gbits/sec. Infineon's iSFP transceiver modules provide a Digital Diagnostics Monitoring Interface that allows real-time access to such operating parameters as laser bias current, transmitted optical power, received optical power, internal transceiver temperature, and supply voltage. They also feature internal calibration of measurements over operating temperature, as well as built-in alarm and warning threshold sensors that allow the user to determine when a particular value is outside of its operating range.
"We are very pleased to be the first manufacturer to demonstrate a 1310-nm VCSEL integrated into a smart, or intelligent, transceiver module," asserts Ayad Abul-Ella, director of Infineon's Optical Modules Business Unit. "In the past three years, prices for transceivers have dropped significantly, and the use of our new VCSEL diode will help maintain that movement."
Samples of the 1310 nm VCSEL diode are available now, with volume production planned for later in the year. Volume production of final-standard-compliant iSFP modules with 1310 nm VCELs is planned for the second half of 2003, subsequent to the diode moving into production.