A comparison of electrical and optical clock networks in nanometer technologies

A study of the limitations of global electrical clock distribution networks in nanometer technologies is presented. Contrary to previously reported results, it is shown that skew and jitter grow to unacceptable levels, even with unscaled interconnect. While there are challenges to be solved, it is shown that optical clock networks may offer superior performance at lower power levels. A hybrid network reduces laser power requirements without sacrificing performance

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