Semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016018596-A1
Application number	US-201514867184-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A semiconductor device for use in an optical application and a method for fabricating the device. The device includes: an optically passive aspect that is operable in a substantially optically passive mode; and an optically active material having a material that is operable in a substantially optically active mode, wherein the optically passive aspect is patterned to include a photonic structure with a predefined structure, and the optically active material is formed in the predefined structure so as to be substantially self-aligned in a lateral plane with the optically passive aspect.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor device for use in an optical application, the method comprising:
providing an optically passive aspect that is operable in a substantially optically passive mode; providing an optically active material having a material that is operable in a substantially optically active mode; wherein the optically passive aspect is patterned to include a photonic structure with a predefined structure; and wherein the optically active material is formed in the predefined structure so as to be substantially self-aligned in a lateral plane with the optically passive aspect.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active material is substantially selectively formed in the predefined structure.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active material is formed relative to the optically passive aspect so as to exceed an area of the predefined structure.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein excess optically active material is removed so that the optically active material is provided in the predefined structure.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the excess optically active material is removed by wet-chemical etching or chemical mechanical polishing.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a structural characteristic of the predefined structure is chosen to facilitate the optically active material to be substantially self-aligned with respect to the optically passive aspect.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a circular grating of alternating layers of two materials, one of the materials having a lower refractive index than the other of the two materials, the predefined structure being located within a defect in the circular grating.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined structure is provided in a given location of the optically passive aspect.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active material is operable to perform light generation, amplification, detection, modulation, or a combination thereof.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active material comprises at least one of: a III-V material system, a II-VI material system, a silicon nanoparticle, a silicon quantum dot, germanium and heterostructures thereof comprising at least one of: gallium arsenide, gallium antimonide, gallium nitride, indium phosphide, indium aluminium arsenide, indium arsenic phosphide, indium gallium phosphide, gallium phosphide, indium gallium arsenide, indium gallium arsenic phosphide, and an organic material system.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active material comprises a crystalline, polycrystalline, or amorphous material.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically passive aspect comprises a multilayer structure provided on a seed layer.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically passive aspect comprises at least one of: silicon, a III-V compound semiconductor, germanium, gallium arsenide, gallium antimonide, gallium nitride, indium phosphide, indium aluminium arsenide, indium arsenic phosphide, indium gallium phosphide, gallium phosphide, indium gallium arsenide, indium gallium arsenic phosphide, aluminium oxide, tantalum pent-oxide, hafnium dioxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxi-nitride.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically passive aspect comprises an optical waveguide and an optical cavity.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser implemented by way of alternating layers of the optically active material.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein an emission region of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is positioned relative to the optically passive aspect such that light generated by the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser is coupled substantially in at least one of: a vertical plane relative to a surface of the optically passive aspect and laterally in an in-plane direction of the optically passive aspect.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the optically passive aspect in a longitudinal plane is smaller than a corresponding cross-section of the predefined structure, thereby facilitating light generated by the optically active material to be substantially coupled to the optically passive aspect.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the optically passive aspect comprises a tapered region between the smaller cross-section and the predefined structure.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the optically passive aspect in a longitudinal plane is substantially of the same size as the corresponding cross-section of the predefined structure.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the optically passive aspect comprises a wire waveguide.

21 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
providing a one-dimensional photonic crystal cavity in which periodic holes are formed in an in-plane direction of the photonic structure and in a region thereof where light generated by the optically active material is substantially coupled to the optically passive aspect.

22 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
providing a two-dimensional photonic crystal cavity in which periodic holes are formed in two in-plane directions of the photonic structure.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , further comprising:
providing a photonic crystal waveguide configured to couple the light generated by the optically active material to a desired location.

24 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the periodic holes are substantially of the same-size.

25 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein a hole-size of at least some of the periodic holes is tapered to progressively increase to a given size in a direction away from the predefined structure.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Czornomaz Lukas
• Hofrichter Jens
• Richter Mirja
• Riel Heike

Classifications

• H10H20/01

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/1225 Primary

  comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices · CPC title

• G02B2006/12197

  Grinding; Polishing · CPC title

• G02B6/124

  Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings · CPC title