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Integration of III-V light sources for silicon photonics applications

Laurenius, Louise LU (2016) PHYM01 20161
Solid State Physics
Department of Physics
Abstract
During the last decades, there have been tremendous improvements in Silicon-based transistor technologies such as operational speed increase as well as size and cost reduction. However, the bandwidth in modern processors is significantly limited by the data transfer in the metallic interconnects. Inspired by the long-range telecommunication technologies, the industry is developing the field of integrated optics to transfer data in the pursuit to reach higher bandwidths. A promising approach is using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible with silicon photonics platform. In order to outperform the conventional metallic interconnections, there is a great need for electro-optical components. Up to date, a highly efficient... (More)
During the last decades, there have been tremendous improvements in Silicon-based transistor technologies such as operational speed increase as well as size and cost reduction. However, the bandwidth in modern processors is significantly limited by the data transfer in the metallic interconnects. Inspired by the long-range telecommunication technologies, the industry is developing the field of integrated optics to transfer data in the pursuit to reach higher bandwidths. A promising approach is using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible with silicon photonics platform. In order to outperform the conventional metallic interconnections, there is a great need for electro-optical components. Up to date, a highly efficient on-chip light source integrated on silicon is missing to complete the full optical link.

This thesis aims to design and fabricate a lateral current injection laser integrated on silicon. Optical simulations were conducted to define the parameter space for which a low lasing threshold could be achieved. Prior to the laser fabrication, the passive components of the laser including access waveguides, grating couplers and Bragg reflectors, were separately fabricated and evaluated to ensure their performance. A gain material based on an epitaxially grown multiquantum well stack with an emission peak at 1288nm was successfully integrated on a silicon oxide layer on a silicon substrate. The laser designs were patterned by a wet etch process and the effect of surface preparation prior to the contact regrowth was studied in detail. These results have contributed to a solid establishment of the initial processing steps for the realization of LCI lasers integrated on IBM's silicon chips in the near future. (Less)
Popular Abstract
Chips based on a silicon photonics platform are believed to have both the potential to reach higher bandwidths as well as the possibility to operate at lower power than conventional electronic chips. In a photonic chip, data is transferred via photons instead of electrons. In order to create a full optical link on a chip, a highly efficient on-chip laser light source is needed. This work presents an attempt to design and fabricate such a laser.
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author
Laurenius, Louise LU
supervisor
organization
course
PHYM01 20161
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
III-V integration, multiquantum well lasers, lateral current injection, silicon photonics
language
English
id
8876184
date added to LUP
2016-06-10 16:30:09
date last changed
2017-12-31 04:19:32
@misc{8876184,
  abstract     = {{During the last decades, there have been tremendous improvements in Silicon-based transistor technologies such as operational speed increase as well as size and cost reduction. However, the bandwidth in modern processors is significantly limited by the data transfer in the metallic interconnects. Inspired by the long-range telecommunication technologies, the industry is developing the field of integrated optics to transfer data in the pursuit to reach higher bandwidths. A promising approach is using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible with silicon photonics platform. In order to outperform the conventional metallic interconnections, there is a great need for electro-optical components. Up to date, a highly efficient on-chip light source integrated on silicon is missing to complete the full optical link.

This thesis aims to design and fabricate a lateral current injection laser integrated on silicon. Optical simulations were conducted to define the parameter space for which a low lasing threshold could be achieved. Prior to the laser fabrication, the passive components of the laser including access waveguides, grating couplers and Bragg reflectors, were separately fabricated and evaluated to ensure their performance. A gain material based on an epitaxially grown multiquantum well stack with an emission peak at 1288nm was successfully integrated on a silicon oxide layer on a silicon substrate. The laser designs were patterned by a wet etch process and the effect of surface preparation prior to the contact regrowth was studied in detail. These results have contributed to a solid establishment of the initial processing steps for the realization of LCI lasers integrated on IBM's silicon chips in the near future.}},
  author       = {{Laurenius, Louise}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Integration of III-V light sources for silicon photonics applications}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}