III/V-on-bulk-Si technology for commercially viable photonics-integrated VLSI

Abstract

We have demonstrated a complete set of on-chip Si-photonic components using our III/V-on-bulk-silicon (Si) technology. Our bulk-Si-based technology shows unrivaled CMOS compatibility and much improved thermal dissipation, leading to superior performance over the III/V-on-SOI technology at a fraction of cost. The components demonstrated on the bulk-Si platform include single & tunable wavelength laser diodes, semiconductor optical amplifiers, Ge & III/V photodiodes, modulators, waveguides, and couplers. Fabrication of Si-photonics components are all carried out on the same bulk wafers that will host CMOS ICs, and all the fabricated components show robust performance in experimental characterizations. Using these bulk-Si components, a solid-state beam scanner for the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system is currently under development. The III/V-on-bulk-Si technology will open a new path for silicon photonics to share and enjoy the colossal infrastructure and remarkable commercial success of the CMOS technology in coming years.