Integrated waveguide and FET detector
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsLuis Figueroa, Charles W. Slayman, Huan-Wun Yen
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Abstract
A GaAs FET structure with a high electric field region, or active region, contacted by source, gate and drain electrodes is provided which can be used for high speed optical detection or for microwave oscillator optical injection locking. The device provides for efficient coupling of incident optical radiation into the active region, employing confinement and waveguiding regions lying in the plane of the device and adapted to guide incident optical radiation to the active region. GaAs photoconductors are also provided by eliminating the gate electrode.
Claims23
A monolithic integrated optical photodetector comprising:
- (a) a substrate of semi-insulating III-V semiconductor material;
- (b) a confinement region of mixed III-V semiconductor material on at least a portion of said substrate;
- (c) a waveguiding region of mixed III-V semiconductor material supported on said confinement region and adapted to receive and guide incident optical radiation;
- and
- (d) at least one detector supported on at least a portion of said waveguiding region and adapted to receive guided optical radiation, said detector including an active region of III-V semiconductor material supported on said waveguiding region and a pair of electrodes contacting said active region.
A process for fabricating a monolithic integrated optical photodetector on a substrate of semi-insulating III-V semiconductor material comprising:
- (a) forming a confinement region of mixed III-V semiconductor material on at least a portion of said substrate;
- (b) forming a transverse waveguiding region of mixed III-V semiconductor material on said confinement region;
- (c) forming a lateral waveguiding region in said transverse waveguiding region;
- and
- (d) forming at least one detector associated with said waveguiding region by a process including
- (i) forming an active region of III-IV semiconductor material on at least a portion of said optical waveguide, and
- (ii) forming a pair of electrodes in contact with said active region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.