Methods of forming three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor systems including photoactive devices and semiconductor-on-insulator substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9293448-B2
Application number	US-201414474503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor systems include a photoactive device operationally coupled with a current/voltage converter on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate. An optical interconnect is operatively coupled to the photoactive device. A semiconductor device is bonded over the SeOI substrate, and an electrical pathway extends between the current/voltage converter and the semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate. Methods of forming such systems include forming a photoactive device on an SeOI substrate, and operatively coupling a waveguide with the photoactive device. A current/voltage converter may be formed over the SeOI substrate, and the photoactive device and the current/voltage converter may be operatively coupled with one another. A semiconductor device may be bonded over the SeOI substrate and operatively coupled with the current/voltage converter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system, comprising:
a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate comprising:
a layer of semiconductor material; and
a layer of electrically insulating material disposed adjacent a major surface of the layer of semiconductor material;

at least one photoactive device formed on the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate; and
at least one optical interconnect comprising a portion of the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate, the at least one optical interconnect operatively coupled to the at least one photoactive device;
at least one current/voltage converter formed over the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate;
at least one electrical pathway extending between the at least one photoactive device and the at least one current/voltage converter;
at least one semiconductor device directly bonded over the SeOI substrate by a direct bonding process, wherein the at least one semiconductor device and the at least one photoactive device are disposed on opposing sides of the layer of electrically insulating material of the SeOI substrate; and
at least one electrical pathway extending between the at least one current/voltage converter and the at least one semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate.

2. A three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system, comprising:
a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate comprising:
a layer of semiconductor material; and
a layer of electrically insulating material disposed adjacent a major surface of the layer of semiconductor material;

at least one photoactive device formed on the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate; and
at least one optical interconnect comprising a portion of the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate, the at least one optical interconnect operatively coupled to the at least one photoactive device;
at least one current/voltage converter formed over the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate;
at least one electrical pathway extending between the at least one photoactive device and the at least one current/voltage converter;
at least one semiconductor device directly bonded over the SeOI substrate by a direct bonding process, wherein the at least one photoactive device and the at least one semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate are disposed on a common side of the layer of electrically insulating material of the SeOI substrate; and
at least one electrical pathway extending between the at least one current/voltage converter and the at least one semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate.

3. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one current/voltage converter is disposed on the common side of the layer of electrically insulating material of the SeOI substrate.

4. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one photoactive device and the at least one current/voltage converter are disposed on a common side of the layer of electrically insulating material of the SeOI substrate.

5. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one photoactive device comprises a photodetector configured to generate electrical current responsive to impingement of electromagnetic radiation on the photodetector.

6. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one optical interconnect is configured to convey electromagnetic radiation to the photodetector.

7. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one current/voltage converter comprises a transimpedance amplifier.

8. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one photoactive device comprises a photoemitter configured to generate an electromagnetic radiation signal responsive to an electrical signal input.

9. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one optical interconnect is configured to convey electromagnetic radiation emitted by the photoemitter.

10. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 8 , wherein the photoemitter comprises a germanium-on-silicon emitter.

11. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate comprises an electronic signal processor.

12. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate comprises a plurality of semiconductor devices bonded over the SeOI substrate.

13. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 12 , wherein at least one semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices bonded over the SeOI substrate comprises an electronic memory device.

14. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semiconductor device bonded over the SeOI substrate comprises a plurality of semiconductor devices bonded over the SeOI substrate.

15. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 14 , wherein at least one semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices bonded over the SeOI substrate comprises an additional photoactive device.

16. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 15 , wherein the additional photoactive device is operatively coupled with the at least one photoactive device formed on the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate.

17. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of optical interconnects configured to convey electromagnetic radiation between the additional photoactive device and the at least one photoactive device formed on the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate, the plurality of optical interconnects comprising the at least one waveguide comprising the portion of the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate.

18. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of optical interconnects comprises at least one through wafer optical interconnect.

19. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 16 , wherein the additional photoactive device comprises a photoemitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation, and the at least one photoactive device formed on the layer of semiconductor material of the SeOI substrate comprises a photodetector configured to detect emission of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the photoemitter.

20. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 19 , wherein the photoemitter comprises a laser device.

21. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 19 , wherein the photoemitter comprises a germanium-on-silicon emitter device.

22. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system comprises an electromagnetic radiation transmitter configured to output an electromagnetic radiation signal responsive to an electrical signal input.

23. The three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally integrated semiconductor

Assignees

• Soitec Silicon On Insulator

Inventors

• Nguyen Bich-Yen
• Sadaka Mariam

Classifications

• H10W90/00 Primary

  Package configurations · CPC title

• G02B6/12002

  Three-dimensional structures · CPC title

• G02B6/12004

  Combinations of two or more optical elements · CPC title

• H10D88/00

  Three-dimensional [3D] integrated devices · CPC title

• H10D86/201

  the substrates comprising an insulating layer on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI (H10D86/40 take precedence) · CPC title