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High-Performance Waveguide-Integrated Ge/Si Avalanche Photodetector with Lateral Multiplication Region
Daoqun Liu1,2, Peng Zhang1, Bo Tang1
1Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
Micromachines
|May 28, 2022
Summary
A new silicon photonics avalanche photodetector (APD) simplifies design for energy-efficient optical communication. This waveguide-integrated device achieves high speed and responsivity at low operating voltage, overcoming previous complexities.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Semiconductor Devices
- Optical Communications
Background:
- Waveguide-integrated Germanium/Silicon Avalanche Photodetectors (APDs) are crucial for energy-efficient optical communication.
- Existing Separate Absorption, Charge, and Multiplication (SACM) schemes present complex and time-consuming charge layer designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a simplified waveguide-integrated Germanium/Silicon APD using a Separate Absorption and Multiplication (SAM) configuration.
- To demonstrate a device with reduced design complexity, low operating voltage, and high speed.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of the APD using a standard Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) process on an 8-inch silicon photonics platform.
- Utilizing a lateral multiplication region to eliminate the need for a complex charge layer.
Main Results:
- Achieved a low breakdown voltage of 12 V.
- Demonstrated high responsivity of 15.1 A/W at 1550 nm with a multiplication gain of 18.1.
- Measured an opto-electrical bandwidth of 20.7 GHz at 10.6 V.
Conclusions:
- The proposed SAM-configured waveguide-integrated Ge/Si APD offers high-speed performance at low voltage, simplifying design.
- This device holds significant potential for developing highly energy-efficient silicon optical communication systems and interconnections.
