Method for fabricating a semiconductor device for use in an optical application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823414-B2
Application number	US-201615178913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jan 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

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;
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; and
wherein the optically active material is formed relative to the optically passive aspect so as to exceed an area of the predefined structure.

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 excess optically active material is removed so that the optically active material is provided in the predefined structure.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the excess optically active material is removed by wet-chemical etching or chemical mechanical polishing.

5. 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.

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

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

8. 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.

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

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

11. 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.

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

13. 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.

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

15. 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; and
providing a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser implemented by way of alternating layers of the optically active material;
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.

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 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.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising providing a photonic crystal waveguide configured to couple the light generated by the optically active material to a desired location.

19. 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;
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; and
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.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the optically passive aspect comprises a tapered region between the smaller cross-section and the predefined structure.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising 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 as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the periodic holes are substantially of the same-size.

23. The method as claimed in 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.

24. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device for use in an optical application 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; and
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;
wherein the optically passive aspect is patterned to include a photonic structure with a predefined structure; and
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Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01S5/105

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01S5/183

  having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL] · CPC title

• G02B6/1225 Primary

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

• G02B6/42

  Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements · CPC title

• G02B2006/12197

  Grinding; Polishing · CPC title