Chip assembly configuration with densely packed optical interconnects

A chip assembly configuration includes a substrate with an integrated circuit on one side and a conversion mechanism on the other side. The integrated circuit and the conversion mechanism are electrically coupled by a short electrical transmission line through the substrate. Moreover, the conversion mechanism converts signals between an electrical and an optical domain, thereby allowing high-speed communication between the integrated circuit and other components and devices using optical communication (for example, in an optical fiber or an optical waveguide).