Tensile strained semiconductor photon emission and detection devices and integrated photonics system
AssigneeAcorn Semi, LLC
InventorsPaul A. Clifton, Andreas Goebel, R. Stockton Gaines
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Abstract
Tensile strained germanium is provided that can be sufficiently strained to provide a nearly direct band gap material or a direct band gap material. Compressively stressed or tensile stressed stressor materials in contact with germanium regions induce uniaxial or biaxial tensile strain in the germanium regions. Stressor materials may include silicon nitride or silicon germanium. The resulting strained germanium structure can be used to emit or detect photons including, for example, generating photons within a resonant cavity to provide a laser.
Claims15
A method of processing a semiconductor formation that includes a layer of germanium disposed over a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- forming a silicon nitride mask over the layer of germanium layer, and defining openings in the mask;
- etching areas of the layer of germanium exposed by the openings in the mask to form corresponding recesses in the germanium layer;
- filling the recesses with epitaxial silicon germanium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.