Co-manufacturing of silicon-on-insulator waveguides and silicon nitride waveguides for hybrid photonic integrated circuits
AssigneeGenXComm, Inc.
InventorsBrian Mattis, Taran Huffman, Bryan Woo, Thien-An Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of co-manufacturing silicon waveguides, SiN waveguides, and semiconductor structures in a photonic integrated circuit. A silicon waveguide structure can be formed using a suitable process, after which it is buried in a cladding. The cladding is polished, and a silicon nitride layer is disposed to define a silicon nitride waveguide. The silicon nitride waveguide is buried in a cladding, and annealed. Thereafter, cladding above the silicon waveguide structure can be trenched through, and low-temperature operations can be performed to or with an exposed surface of the silicon waveguide structure.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a hybrid photonic system, the method comprising:
- receiving a starting substrate comprising a layer of silicon formed on an insulating layer;
- forming a silicon structure from the layer of silicon, the silicon structure defining:
- a silicon waveguide;
- and
- a top surface;
- burying the silicon structure in a first oxide layer;
- forming a silicon nitride (“SiN”) layer on the first oxide layer;
- defining a SiN waveguide from the SiN layer;
- burying the SiN waveguide in a second oxide layer;
- trenching through at least the first oxide layer to expose the top surface of the silicon structure;
- implanting the top surface with an implant;
- activating the implant;
- disposing a third oxide layer over at least the top surface;
- defining a via through the third oxide layer;
- and
- conductively coupling through the via to the top surface of the silicon structure.
A method of manufacturing a hybrid photonic system, the method comprising:
- defining a silicon structure on an insulator layer, the silicon structure defining:
- a first silicon waveguide;
- and
- a second silicon waveguide;
- burying the silicon structure in a first oxide layer;
- annealing the first oxide layer;
- forming a silicon nitride (“SiN”) layer on the first oxide layer, the SiN layer defining:
- an etch stop layer above the first silicon waveguide;
- and
- a SiN waveguide above the second silicon waveguide;
- burying the SiN layer in a second oxide layer;
- annealing the second oxide layer;
- disposing a lithographic mask over the second silicon waveguide and the SiN waveguide;
- selectively etching the annealed first and second oxide layers to expose the etch stop layer;
- removing the etch stop layer;
- trenching through a portion of the first oxide layer below the etch stop layer to expose a top surface of the silicon structure adjacent to the first silicon waveguide;
- and
- performing a temperature-sensitive operation with the top surface of the silicon structure.
A method of manufacturing a hybrid photonic system, the method comprising:
- forming a silicon structure defining a silicon waveguide;
- disposing a first oxide layer around the silicon waveguide;
- annealing the first oxide layer to define a first cladding;
- polishing the first cladding to define a planar surface;
- forming a silicon nitride (“SiN”) layer on the planar surface above the silicon waveguide, separated from the silicon waveguide by a thickness of the first cladding, the SiN layer defining, at least in part, an etch stop region and a SiN waveguide;
- disposing a second oxide layer over the etch stop region, the SiN waveguide, and the silicon waveguide;
- annealing the second oxide layer to define a second cladding;
- selectively etching the second cladding to expose the etch stop region;
- removing the etch stop region;
- trenching through a portion of the first cladding to expose a top surface of the silicon structure adjacent to the silicon waveguide;
- and
- defining a semiconductor circuit into the top surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.