Compact coupling and packaging concepts for flexible and stretchable polymer optical interconnects

We present the design and fabrication of a complete optical interconnection scheme including the optoelectronic package, containing driving Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and read-out photodiodes (PDs), the coupling concept of the fiber or waveguide interconnect and the fabrication technology of the waveguide structures itself. Both the optoelectronic package and the waveguide part are fabricated using polymer materials resulting in a potentially low-cost, flexible interconnection scheme.