NSF Award
9760323
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes a development effort to show the feasibility of an integrated Opto-Electronic Computer Aided Design (OECAD) package incorporating the below elements. Such an integrated package will support the goals of both the government and commercial high-speed communications industries by allowing substantially accelerated development of advanced optoelectronic components. Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools have played a critical role in the spectacular advancements over the last three decades in the area of microelectronics. CAD tools for optical circuit design are in a far less advanced state than their microelectronic counterparts. Optical circuits and networks have shown exceptional promise for providing rapid, secure and precise delivery of information. However, optoelectronics has not yet reached its potential, due in part to a lack of significant development and simulation tools. With the expected growth of optoelectronic (OE) components including transmitters, receivers and amplifiers and at 22% annually, efficient, accurate and inexpensive CAD of OE circuits is required. The U.S. competitiveness in these endeavors hinges on swift implementation by an American company. High-performance, user-friendly software will be critical to success. This award is supported by the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
