US Patent 9507086 Optical I/O system using planar light-wave integrated circuit

Photonic components are placed on the processor package to bring the optical signal close to the processor die. The processor package includes a substrate to which the processor die is coupled, and which allows the processor die to connect to a printed circuit board. The processor package also includes transceiver logic, electrical-optical conversion circuits, and an optical coupler. The electrical-optical conversion circuits can include laser(s), modulator(s), and photodetector(s) to transmit and receive and optical signal. The coupler interfaces to a fiber that extends off the processor package. Multiple fibers can be brought to the processor package allowing for a scalable high-speed, high-bandwidth interconnection to the processor.