Method and Apparatus for High Speed Silicon Optical Modulation Using PN Diode
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- an optical waveguide having a rib region and a slab region, the optical waveguide further having first and second doped semiconductor regions of opposite doping types, the first and second regions adjoining each other at a junction, the junction extending in two different directions along two peripheral sides of the waveguide in the rib region of the waveguide;
a first higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the first higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the first doped region of the optical waveguide, the first higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide; and
a second higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the second higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the second doped region of the optical waveguide, the second higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for high speed silicon optical modulation is described using a PN diode. In one example, an optical waveguide has adjoining first and second doped semiconductor regions. The first and second regions have opposite doping types and the first doped region extends in two perpendicular directions through the waveguide.
78 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an optical waveguide having a rib region and a slab region, the optical waveguide further having first and second doped semiconductor regions of opposite doping types, the first and second regions adjoining each other at a junction, the junction extending in two different directions along two peripheral sides of the waveguide in the rib region of the waveguide; a first higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the first higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the first doped region of the optical waveguide, the first higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide; and a second higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the second higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the second doped region of the optical waveguide, the second higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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projecting an optical beam through an optical waveguide having a rib region and a slab region, the optical waveguide further having first and second doped semiconductor regions of opposite doping types, the first and second regions adjoining each other at a junction, the junction extending in two different directions along two peripheral sides of the waveguide in the rib region of the waveguide; driving the first and second doped semiconductor regions through a first higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the first higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the first doped region of the optical waveguide, the first higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide and a second higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the second higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the second doped region of the optical waveguide, the second higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide to modulate the phase of the optical beam through the waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A system, comprising:
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an optical transmitter to generate an optical beam; an optical receiver optically coupled to receive the optical beam; an optical device optically coupled between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver, the optical device including an optical phase modulator optically coupled to an optical fiber to modulate a phase of the optical beam, the optical phase modulator including; an optical waveguide having a rib region and a slab region, the optical waveguide further having adjoining first and second doped semiconductor regions, the first and second regions having opposite doping types, the first doped region extending in two different directions along two peripheral sides of the waveguide in the rib region of the waveguide to form a carrier depletion zone through the optical waveguide; a first higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the first higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the first doped region of the optical waveguide, the first higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide; a second higher doped semiconductor region outside an optical path of the optical waveguide, an inner portion of the second higher doped region adjoining and coupled to the second doped region of the optical waveguide, the second higher doped region having a higher doping concentration than a doping concentration within the optical path of the optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification