METHOD OF FORMING FLEXIBLE AND TUNABLE SEMICONDUCTOR PHOTONIC CIRCUITS

• US 20140234995A1
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Original Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Inventors: Li, Mo, Chen, Yu
• Application Number:
  US14/182,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20140234995A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/22
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12061 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12138 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/025 in an optical waveguide structure G02F1/017, G02F1/2257 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7806 involving the separation of the active layers from a substrate

Abstract

Methods to physically transfer highly integrated silicon photonic devices from high-quality, crystalline semiconductors on to flexible plastic substrates by a transfer-and-bond fabrication method. With this method, photonic circuits including interferometers and resonators can be transferred onto flexible plastic substrates with preserved optical functionalities and performance.

Claims

1. A method of making a flexible semiconductor photonic circuit, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor photonic circuit on an insulator layer;

removing a portion of the insulator from below the semiconductor photonic circuit while maintaining some insulator below the semiconductor photonic circuit;

applying a flexible layer onto the undercut semiconductor photonic circuit to bond the flexible layer to the circuit; and

separating the non-adhesive flexible layer with the semiconductor photonic circuit bonded thereon from the insulator layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of removing a portion of the insulator comprises etching.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible layer is a plastic layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyester or epoxy.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible layer is a PDMS film.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulator layer comprises a buried oxide layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor photonic circuit is a silicon photonic circuit.

8. A method of making a flexible semiconductor photonic circuit, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor photonic circuit on an insulator layer, the circuit having an exposed upper surface area and an interface area with the insulator layer;

removing a portion of the insulator to reduce the interface area to be less than the upper surface area;

bonding a flexible layer onto the upper surface area; and

separating the flexible layer with the semiconductor photonic circuit bonded thereon from the insulator layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of removing comprises removing at least 0.05 micrometer of insulator from each dimension of the interface area.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of removing comprises removing at least 0.1 micrometer of insulator from each dimension of the interface area

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of removing comprises removing at least 50% of insulator from the interface area.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of removing comprises removing at least 75% of insulator from the interface area.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of removing comprises removing at least 90% of insulator from the interface area.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of removing comprises etching.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the flexible layer is a plastic layer.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the flexible layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyester or epoxy.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flexible layer is a PDMS film.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the insulator layer comprises a buried oxide layer.