Overvoltage protection components in an optoelectronic circuit on soi

An overvoltage protection component comprising:

• a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer;
• an optical waveguide core in said SOI layer;
• and
• a plurality of semiconductor regions in said SOI layer and adjacent said optical waveguide core;
• said optical waveguide core and said plurality of semiconductor regions defining alternating regions of at least one of different conductivity types and dopant concentration levels.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a photodiode;
• and
• an overvoltage protection component coupled to said photodiode and comprising
• a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer,
• an optical waveguide core in said SOI layer, and
• a plurality of semiconductor regions in said SOI layer and adjacent said optical waveguide core,
• said optical waveguide core and said plurality of semiconductor regions defining alternating regions of at least one of different conductivity types and dopant concentration levels;
• said photodiode contacting with and being above said optical waveguide core.

A method for making an overvoltage protection component comprising:

• forming a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer;
• forming an optical waveguide core in the SOI layer;
• and
• forming a plurality of semiconductor regions in the SOI layer and adjacent the optical waveguide core;
• the optical waveguide core and the plurality of semiconductor regions defining alternating regions of at least one of different conductivity types and dopant concentration levels.