Tensile strained semiconductor photon emission and detection devices and integrated photonics system
AssigneeAcorn Semi, LLC
InventorsPaul A. Clifton, Andreas Goebel, R. Stockton Gaines
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims63
A system in which first circuitry is coupled to spaced apart second circuitry via an optical path, the system comprising a first device which outputs data as electrical output signals to an array of optical emitters, each of the optical emitters having optical output signals modulated with first output signals of driver circuitry that are coupled into a corresponding array of waveguides in which each waveguide of the array of waveguides is in a common optical plane as its corresponding optical emitter, the common optical plane being separated from an underlying substrate by a buried insulating layer, the corresponding array of waveguides providing the optical output signals to a corresponding array of detectors, and the array of detectors providing second output signals to driver circuits which provide a retrieved signal to an electrical bus that distributes signals in the spaced apart second circuitry.
A method of communicating data between spaced apart first circuitry and second circuitry via an optical path, the method comprising:
- at the first circuitry, coupling an electrical signal into a first optical device that includes a first semiconductor region configured to generate a responsive optical signal;
- transmitting the responsive optical signal through a waveguide;
- and
- at the second circuitry, coupling the responsive optical signal from the waveguide into a second optical device that includes a second semiconductor region,
- wherein the waveguide and active regions of the first optical device and the second optical device are self-aligned to one another.
A system in which first circuitry is coupled to spaced apart second circuitry via a plurality of optical paths, the system comprising a first device which outputs data as a set of parallel electrical output signals to an array of optical emitters, each of the optical emitters including an instance of a semiconductor structure that is configured to generate an optical signal responsive to an input electrical signal, and to transmit the optical signal into a respective waveguide that is optically coupled to a corresponding photodetector, each corresponding photodetector including an instance of a semiconductor structure that is configured to generate an output electrical signal responsive to an input optical signal, and to provide the output electrical signal to a driver circuit that provides a retrieved signal to an electrical bus that distributes signals in the spaced apart second circuitry, wherein active regions of the optical emitters, each respective waveguide, and active regions of each respective photodetector are self-aligned to one another within a common semiconductor arrangement.
An optical system comprising an emitter, a waveguide, and a detector, each formed on a common semiconductor substrate, wherein:
- each of the emitter and the detector are made from substantially a same group IV semiconductor material that is strained locally and selectively such that the group IV semiconductor material becomes optically active with a band structure that corresponds to a band structure of a direct gap semiconductor within a gain medium of the emitter and the detector, respectively,
- the waveguide is defined, in part, by a low dielectric constant material, and
- the waveguide and active regions of the emitter and the detector are self-aligned to one another.
A system in which first circuitry within a processor is coupled to second circuitry in a spaced apart or remote portion of the processor via an optical plane, the system comprising:
- an array of light emitting devices, a corresponding array of waveguides, and a corresponding array of photodetectors, each respective light emitting device, waveguide, and photodetector being within the optical plane,
- wherein the first circuitry includes driver circuitry that encodes a set of data as parallel electrical output signals, each of the parallel electrical output signals of the driver circuitry modulating an optical output signal of a corresponding one of the light emitting devices, each modulated optical output signal of a light emitting device of the array of light emitting devices being coupled into a respective one the corresponding array of waveguides in the optical plane and each modulated optical output signal of each light emitting device of the array of light emitting devices being transmitted in parallel in the optical plane through the array of waveguides to a respective one of the corresponding array of photodetectors, respective electrical outputs of each of the array of photodetectors being provided to the second circuitry, the second circuitry including driver circuitry that provides retrieved signals from the respective electrical outputs of each of the array of photodetectors to an electrical bus that distributes the retrieved signals within the remote portion of the processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.