Ring resonator with integrated photodetector for power monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11237333-B2
Application number	US-202016831734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2020
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A ring resonator device includes a passive optical cavity having a circuitous configuration into which is built a photodetector device. The photodetector device includes a first implant region formed within the passive optical cavity that includes a first type of implanted doping material. The photodetector device includes a second implant region formed within the passive optical cavity that includes a second type of implanted doping material, where the second type of implanted doping material is different than the first type of implanted doping material. The photodetector device includes an intrinsic absorption region present within the passive optical cavity between the first implant region and the second implant region. A first electrical contact is electrically connected to the first implant region and to a detecting circuit. A second electrical contact is electrically connected to the second implant region and to the detecting circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ring resonator device having a built-in photodetector device, comprising:
a passive optical cavity having a circuitous configuration;
a first implant region formed within an inner radial portion of the passive optical cavity, the first implant region having a first type of doping material implanted into the passive optical cavity;
a second implant region formed within the inner radial portion of the passive optical cavity, the second implant region having a second type of doping material implanted into the passive optical cavity, the second type of doping material being different than the first type of doping material;
an intrinsic absorption region present within an outer radial portion of the passive optical cavity between the first implant region and the second implant region;
a first electrical contact electrically connected to the first implant region, the first electrical contact electrically connected to a detecting circuit; and
a second electrical contact electrically connected to the second implant region, the second electrical contact electrically connected to the detecting circuit.

2. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the passive optical cavity has a substantially annular shape.

3. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a horizontal cross-section of an outer wall of the passive optical cavity has either a circular shape or an oval shape.

4. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a horizontal cross-section of an outer wall of the passive optical cavity has a circular shape having a radius within a range extending from about 2 micrometers to about 50 micrometers.

5. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the passive optical cavity is formed of one or more of crystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silica, glass, silicon nitride, and III-V semiconductor material.

6. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a cladding material surrounding the passive optical cavity, the cladding material and the passive optical cavity having different indexes of optical refraction.

7. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the cladding material is formed of one or more of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and air.

8. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the passive optical cavity has a substantially uniform vertical thickness within a range extending from about 30 nanometers to about 300 nanometers.

9. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the passive optical cavity has a substantially uniform radial width within an range extending from about 300 nanometers to about 3 micrometers.

10. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first type of doping material is a p-type doping material and the second type of doping material is an n-type doping material, or wherein the first type of doping material is the n-type doping material and the second type of doping material is the p-type doping material.

11. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the p-type doping material is one or more of boron, gallium, and indium implanted at a concentration within a range extending from about 1E17 atoms/cm 3 to about 1E19 atoms/cm 3 .

12. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the n-type doping material is one or more of phosphorous, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, or lithium implanted at a concentration within a range extending from about 1E17 atoms/cm 3 to about 1E19 atoms/cm 3 .

13. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are positioned over an inner wall of the passive optical cavity.

14. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first implant region, the second implant region, and the intrinsic absorption collectively form a PIN diode, and wherein the detecting circuit is configured to reverse-bias the PIN diode so as to produce a charge collection field within the intrinsic absorption region.

15. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ring resonator device is positioned next to an optical waveguide such that light traveling through the optical waveguide will evanescently couple into the passive optical cavity.

16. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide is linear-shaped.

17. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide is curved so as to curve around a portion of the passive optical cavity.

18. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide is configured such that only a fundamental optical mode of light couples into the passive optical cavity.

19. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide is formed of one or more of monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, glass, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, germanium oxide, and silica.

20. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide has a substantially constant vertical thickness within a range extending from about 30 nanometers to about 300 nanometers.

21. The ring resonator device having the built-in photodetector device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide has a substantially constant width within a range extending from about 250 nanometers to about 1 micrometer.

22. A photodetector system, comprising:
a ring resonator device including a built-in photodetector device, the ring resonator device including a passive optical cavity, the built-in photodetector device including a first implant region formed within an inner radial portion of the passive optical cavity, the first implant region having a first type of doping material implanted into the passive optical cavity, the built-in photodetector device including a second implant region formed within the inner radial portion of the passive optical cavity, the second implant region having a second type of doping material implanted into the passive optical cavity, the second type of doping material being different than the first type of doping material, the built-in photodetector device including an intrinsic absorption region present within an outer radial portion of the passive optical cavity between the first implant region and the second implant region, the built-in photodetector device including a first electrical contact electrically connected to the first implant region and a second electrical contact electrically connected to the second implant region; and
a detecting circuit electrically connected to the first electrical contact and the second electri

Assignees

• Ayar Labs Inc

Inventors

• Bhargava Pavan
• Fini john
• Van Orden Derek
• Sun Chen
• Wade Mark

Classifications

• H10F77/413

  directly associated or integrated with the devices, e.g. back reflectors (directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells H10F77/42) · CPC title

• H10F30/223

  the potential barrier being a PIN barrier · CPC title

• G02B6/29338

  Loop resonators · CPC title

• G02B6/12007

  forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer · CPC title

• G01J2001/446

  Photodiode · CPC title