Current-assisted photonic demodulator including doped modulation and collection regions arranged vertically and located in a compressive zone
AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
InventorsAbdelkader ALIANE, Hacile KAYA
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Abstract
A current-assisted photonic demodulator, including a detection portion produced based on germanium, containing at least two doped modulation regions and at least one doped collection region, surrounded by a peripheral lateral portion generating in the detection portion horizontal tensile and vertical compressive mechanical stress. The doped collection region(s) are disposed according to a vertical arrangement in relation to the doped modulation regions.
Claims15
A current-assisted photonic demodulator configured to detect light radiation of interest, including:
- a detection portion, having a first face and a second face opposite one another and parallel with a main plane, and including a central incident light radiation detection zone,
- made of a first crystalline semiconductor material based on germanium,
- including doped regions, of which:
- at least two p-doped modulation regions, intended to generate and modulate a drift current in the detection portion;
- at least one n-doped collection region, intended to collect the minority charge carriers photogenerated during the absorption of the light radiation of interest;
- a dielectric passivation layer, produced based on an electrically insulating material, and covering the first face;
- electrodes located at the first face and passing through the dielectric passivation layer, of which modulation electrodes in electrical contact with the doped modulation regions;
- and at least one collection electrode in electrical contact with at least the doped collection region;
- a peripheral lateral portion, surrounding the detection portion in the main plane,
- produced based on a second material having a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the first material, the detection portion then having tensile mechanical stress in the main plane and compressive mechanical stress in a vertical axis orthogonal to the main plane;
- wherein said doped regions are disposed according to a vertical arrangement such that:
- at least one upper region, doped according to a first type of conductivity, is flush with the first face and is located in the vicinity of the central zone;
- at least two lower regions, doped according to the second type of conductivity opposite the first type, are located at a distance along the vertical axis from the upper doped region.
A method for manufacturing a photonic demodulator according to any one of the preceding claims, including the following steps:
- producing, by epitaxy from a support layer, a first layer based on doped germanium;
- producing lower doped regions by localised etching of the first layer based on doped germanium;
- producing by epitaxy a main layer based on non-intentionally doped germanium, on or in contact with the lower doped regions;
- producing a trench through the main layer surrounding the detection portion;
- producing the peripheral lateral portion in the trench, at a temperature greater than ambient temperature, such that, after returning to ambient temperature, the detection portion is tensile in the main plane and compressive along the vertical axis;
- producing one or more upper regions in the detection portion;
- depositing a dielectric passivation layer on the detection portion;
- producing modulation electrodes and collection electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.