3D Photonic Interconnects in Glass for Advanced Packaging
Development of dense, low-loss, three-dimensional optical interconnects in glass substrates for package-level communication in AI and high-performance-computing systems.
Overview
This is my primary Ph.D. research at The Pennsylvania State University. The project investigates glass-based photonic interconnects for advanced semiconductor packaging, with an emphasis on scalable package-level optical communication, three-dimensional routing, and heterogeneous integration.
Research Scope
The work spans multiple levels of the photonic interconnect platform:
- Optical waveguide and coupling design
- Femtosecond-laser direct writing of buried glass waveguides
- Cleanroom fabrication and process development
- Optical mode, propagation-loss, and coupling characterization
- Dense and multi-depth waveguide routing
- Optical link-budget and system-level analysis
- Integration concepts for chip-to-chip and package-level optical communication
Tools & Methods
Fabrication & characterization: femtosecond-laser micromachining, photolithography, wet/dry etching, microscopy, profilometry, ellipsometry, SEM, and optical coupling measurements.
Modeling & simulation: Ansys Lumerical (FDTD, MODE, INTERCONNECT), COMSOL Multiphysics, and electromagnetic/system-level analysis.
Selected Publication
Md. R. H. Mojumder, Z. Guo, N. Li, and M. Swaminathan, “Photonic Interconnects in Glass Core for AI Data Center Applications,” 2026 IEEE 76th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), pp. 856–861.