Silicon-based high speed optical wiring board

An optical wire board which utilizes a silicon substrate as the base for both the optical subassembly and the electrical RF transmitting circuit. An optical fiber is preferably passively aligned to the active optical device mounted on the optical subassembly using a V-groove etched into the silicon (and may include a lens or other optical element positioned between the fiber and the active device). An integrated circuit for coupling the active optical device to external contacts is preferably flip-chip mounted to the silicon substrate upon pads disposed on precisely defined edges around a cavity etched beneath the circuit, the inclusion of the cavity beneath the electrical circuit functioning to minimize the dielectric loading effect of the silicon substrate on the integrated circuit.