36 Gb/s operation of a BiCMOS driver and InP EAM using foundry platforms

We demonstrate a clear eye-diagram at 36 Gb/s of a BiCMOS driver directly wire-bonded to an InP electro-absorption modulator (EAM) both fabricated through foundry platforms. The driver is fabricated in a 0.25 μm SiGe:C BiCMOS technology and delivers a maximum of 2 Vp-p amplitude when single-ended. The driver is DC-coupled to the modulator, simplifying the electronic-photonic assembly. The EAM operates in the L-band at 1590 nm, with a DC bias set at –1.6 V for on-off keying non-return to zero modulation. We measure the operation from 10 to 40 Gb/s, recording the dynamic extinction ratio from 5 to 3 dB, respectively. The use of foundry platforms does not require any fabrication process change and offers a wide spectrum of high-performance photonic-electronic integrated circuits.