• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.561-567
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• 2017

This paper presents a 4-channel common-cathode VCSEL driver array operating up to 6.25 Gb/s per channel for the applications of HDMI 2.0 active optical cables. The proposed VCSEL driver consists of an input buffer, a modified Cherry-Hooper amplifier as a pre-driver, and a main driver with pre-emphasis to drive a common-cathode VCSEL diode at high-speed full switching operations. Particularly, the input buffer merges a linear equalizer not only to broaden the bandwidth, but to reduce power consumption simultaneously. Measured results of the proposed 4-channel VCSEL driver array implemented in a $0.13-{\mu}m$ CMOS process demonstrate wide and clean eye-diagrams for up to 6.25-Gb/s operation speed with the bias current 2.0 mA and the modulation currents of $3.1mA_{PP}$. Chip core occupies the area of $0.15{\times}0.1{\mu}m^2$ and dissipate 22.8 mW per channel.