17 Gb/s VCSEL driver using double-pulse asymmetric emphasis technique in 90-nm CMOS for optical interconnection

This paper describes the design and experimental results of a 17 Gb/s vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) driver using a double-pulse asymmetric emphasis technique. In this technique, the first pulse compensates for the parasitic capacitances and the second pulse compensates for the ringing, which enables a good eye opening even when the data rate increases. A test chip fabricated using a 90-nm CMOS technology generates a clearly open optical eye at a data rate of 17 Gb/s, which is approximately twice the VCSEL bandwidth.