Actually, here is the article I was talking about...
IBM wants to use silicon for optical interconnects
By Willem de Moor , Tuesday, February 5, 2013 16:38 , comments: 21 , views: 7,267 • Feedback
Together with an electronics supplier IBM has developed a material that can replace copper. Motherboards in May be, which makes optical interconnects possible. No longer with electrons but with photons connected with the new material would
To make ever faster circuits and faster communication manufacturers look for ways to replace photons electrons. Which are much faster than electrons, but the integration of optical elements in electronic circuits has always been a thorny issue. However, IBM has put an important step towards the use of optical interconnects instead of koperinterconnects for PCBs. Together supplier Dow Corning Electronics, The company demonstrated a material that is able to guide light and can serve as optical printing jobs' for PCBs.
The material for the so-called wave guides, or light guides, is composed of a polymer with silicone, not to be confused with the silicon chips. The silicone waveguides are flexible and resistant to high temperatures, up to about 85 degrees Celsius. The angles at which the material can conduct light are about 1 mm in size, with the light scattering would be very low. According to Eric Peeters, vice president of Dow Corning Electronics, the material in the short term can replace koperinterconnects.
The optical interconnects must not only be able to transport large amounts of data but are also more efficient than electrical connections. Especially in supercomputers and data centers would optical interconnects traditional electronic connections must be replaced. The material of IBM and Dow Corning Electronics would also be suitable to be processed in PCBs and can withstand the heat generated by soldering.
