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Polysilicon micro-heaters for resonance tuning in CMOS photonics
Optics Letters
|March 1, 2022
Summary
Researchers developed a new polysilicon micro-heater platform for tuning integrated photonic resonators. This CMOS-compatible device offers efficient, high-speed wavelength tuning for active silicon photonics without process modifications.
Area of Science:
- Integrated photonics
- Silicon photonics
- Micro-heaters
Background:
- Tuning resonance wavelength is critical for integrated photonic devices.
- Existing methods may require complex fabrication or lack efficiency.
- Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) foundry processes are standard in microelectronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel device platform for tuning the resonance wavelength of integrated photonic resonators.
- To utilize polysilicon-based micro-heaters compatible with CMOS foundry processes.
- To enable ultrafast active photonic devices like modulators.
Main Methods:
- Developed a miniaturized polysilicon micro-heater placed directly on the active silicon layer.
- Utilized a pedestal for optical and electrical isolation.
- Integrated the micro-heater into standard CMOS foundry processes without modifications.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a tuning efficiency of 0.25 nm/mW (42 GHz/mW) for a 5-µm-radius microdisk resonator.
- Achieved a loaded quality factor (Q) > 35,000.
- Reported an average switching time of 60 µs for the polysilicon heater.
Conclusions:
- The proposed compact heater architecture enables efficient and high-speed wavelength tuning.
- The device is compatible with standard CMOS foundry processes, facilitating widespread adoption.
- This platform supports the development of advanced active silicon photonic devices.
