III-V on Silicon Photonics for CMOS-Embedded On-Chip Light Sources
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Author / Producer
Date
2018
Publication Type
Doctoral Thesis
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yes
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Abstract
Data-rich applications, such as cloud computing, video streaming and social media fuel a growing demand for high-performance data centers. Their performance is based on interconnected server nodes and thus a high-throughput and low-latency network is crucial for their operation. To support the network, cost-efficient optical transceivers have become the technology of choice, since they provide the required bandwidth density, distance and power efficiency. However, optical transceivers require many components such as lasers, photodetectors, optical modulators and electrical circuits to be assembled. This assembly represents a substantial fraction of the total transceiver cost. Hence, a monolithic integration of these components is a well-known way to reduce this cost. Today, all building blocks of an optical transceiver can be fabricated in the monolithic Silicon Photonics platform – except the laser. Integrating III-V materials, required for building on-chip lasers on silicon is therefore key for further cost reduction. In this thesis, an integration technology is developed to embed III-V based light sources in a CMOS Silicon Photonics platform. This technology allows lasers, photonic components and electronic circuits to be fabricated on the same chip. With such tight integration, compact and cost-efficient optical transceivers can be realized, both key for future high-speed and high-volume optical interconnects.
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published
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Volume
8
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
ETH Zurich
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Software
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Subject
Silicon Photonics; III-V; Semiconductor Lasers; CMOS
Organisational unit
03974 - Leuthold, Juerg / Leuthold, Juerg