40 Gb/s high-power modulator driver IC for lightwave communication systems

A monolithic integrated modulator driver with a data decision function for high-speed optical fiber links is presented. The integrated circuit (IC) was manufactured in a 0.2- mu m gate length AlGaAs/InGaAs high electron mobility transistor technology with an fT of 68 GHz. The modulator driver IC features differential configuration and operates up to 40 Gb/s with a clock phase margin of 210 degrees and an output voltage swing of 2.9 Vp-p at each output. The maximum slew rate of the output signal is 200 mV/ps. The power dissipation of the circuit is 1.6 W using a single supply voltage of -5 V.