Zinc oxide diodes for optical interconnections
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsLeonard Forbes, Kie Y. Ahn
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Abstract
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for zinc oxide diodes for optical interconnections. One system includes a ZnO emitter confined within a circular geometry in an oxide layer on a silicon substrate. An optical waveguide is formed in the oxide layer and has an input coupled to the ZnO emitter. A detector is coupled to an output of the optical waveguide.
Claims23
A method for forming an optical signal interconnect system, comprising:
- forming a light emitting diode in an undoped oxide layer on a silicon substrate, wherein forming the diode includes;
- forming an circular opening in the undoped oxide layer;
- depositing an amorphous buffer layer of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) on the silicon substrate within the circular opening;
- growing single crystalline ZnO on the buffer layer with p-type doping and then n-type doping;
- and
- providing a conductive contact to the n-type doping on the undoped oxide layer such that the conductive contact defines a circular opening.
An optical signal interconnect system, comprising:
- an optical waveguide formed in an oxide layer on a silicon substrate;
- a single crystalline ZnO emitter confined within a circular geometry in the oxide layer, grown in the circular geometry using a hybrid beam deposition (HBD) process with p-type doping and then n-type doping over an amorphous buffer layer of ZnO in contact with the silicon substrate, and coupled to an input of the optical waveguide;
- and
- a detector coupled to an output of the optical waveguide.
An optical signal interconnect system, comprising:
- a single crystalline ZnO emitter confined within a circular geometry in an oxide layer on a silicon substrate, grown in the circular geometry using a hybrid beam deposition (HBD) process with p-type doping and then n-type doping over an amorphous buffer layer of ZnO in contact with the silicon substrate;
- an optical waveguide formed in the oxide layer and having an input coupled to the ZnO emitter;
- a detector coupled to an output of the optical waveguide;
- and
- wherein the ZnO emitter emits a wavelength having a photon energy which is less than a bandgap energy of the optical waveguide but larger than a bandgap energy of the detector.
A method for operating an optical signal interconnect system, comprising:
- operating a single crystalline ZnO emitter confined within a circular geometry in an oxide layer on a silicon substrate grown in the circular geometry using a hybrid beam deposition (HBD) process with p-type doping and then n-type doping over an amorphous buffer layer of ZnO in contact with the silicon substrate to emit optical signals;
- and
- using a silicon photodiode receiver to receive optical signals having a wavelength between 500 and 375 nanometers (nm).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.