Compact receivers and smart-pixel chips for optical interconnects and signal processing

A continuous-time shift-invariant cellular neural network (CNN) with hardware annealing capability, digitally programmable synaptic weights, and optical inputs/outputs has been developed. This electro-optical neurocomputing processor has great potential in solving many important scientific problems in signal processing and optimization. Advanced packaging for the proposed optoelectronic neurocomputing system is a thin-film silicon- substrate multichip module with flip-chip connection technologies. This paper presents two functional chips designed for the proposed electro-optical neurocomputing processor: a monolithic GaAs 2-D array of optical receivers, and a VLSI CMOS 2-D array of smart pixels based on the annealed CNN. Due to the multichip module integration of these chips in the same silicon substrate, a complete optoelectronics neurocomputing system can be realized in a very compact hardware.