Optoelectronic integrated circuit

• US 9,082,637 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OPEL Solar, Inc. (POET Technologies Inc.), University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Original Assignee: OPEL Solar, Inc. (POET Technologies Inc.), University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Inventors: Taylor, Geoff W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG T
• Application Number:
  US13/921,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20140050242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 372/43.01, 372/46.015, 372/50.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0259 Microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/144 Devices controlled by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0665 the shape of the body defining a nanostructure nanotechnology per se B82B
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0688 characterised by the particular shape of a junction between semiconductor regions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/122 Single quantum well structures single heterojunctions, couples of materials H01L29/165, H01L29/205, H01L29/225, H01L29/267
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/127 Quantum box structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/155 Comprising only semiconductor materials H01L29/154 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66977 Quantum effect devices, e.g. using quantum reflection, diffraction or interference effects, i.e. Bragg- or Aharonov-Bohm effects
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7786 with direct single heterostructure, i.e. with wide bandgap layer formed on top of active layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MIS-like HEMT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035218 the quantum structure being quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035236 Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/005 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/06 within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06203 Transistor-type lasers H01S5/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18358 containing spacer layers to adjust the phase of the light wave in the cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/309 : doping of barrier layers that confine charge carriers in the laser structure, e.g. the barriers in a quantum well structure barriers in quantum wells per se H01S5/3407
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34 : comprising quantum well or superlattice structures, e.g. single quantum well [SQW] lasers, multiple quantum well [MQW] lasers or graded index separate confinement heterostructure [GRINSCH] lasers H01S5/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3412 : quantum box or quantum dash

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a substrate supporting a plurality of layers that include at least one modulation doped quantum well (QW) structure offset from a quantum dot in quantum well (QD-in-QW) structure. The modulation doped QW structure includes a charge sheet spaced from at least one QW by a spacer layer. The QD-in-QW structure has QDs embedded in one or more QWs. The QD-in-QW structure can include at least one template/emission substructure pair separated by a barrier layer, the template substructure having smaller size QDs than the emission substructure. A plurality of QD-in-QW structures can be provided to support the processing (emission, absorption, amplification) of electromagnetic radiation of different characteristic wavelengths (such as optical wavelengths in range from 1300 nm to 1550 nm). The device can realize an integrated circuit including a wide variety of devices that process electromagnetic radiation at a characteristic wavelength(s) supported by the QDs of the QD-in-QW structure(s). Other semiconductor devices are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a resonator positioned adjacent a waveguide structure;

the resonator including a closed loop waveguide that is configured to support closed-loop propagation of electromagnetic radiation that is emitted or absorbed by the resonator; and

the waveguide structure being spaced from the closed loop waveguide of the resonator to provide for evanescent-wave coupling therebetween;

wherein the closed loop waveguide has a plurality of straight sections that are coupled together by bend sections;

wherein the waveguide structure includes a plurality of sections extending between an input and an output; and

wherein one section of the waveguide structure is spaced from and extends parallel to one straight section of the closed loop waveguide of the resonator to provide for evanescent-wave coupling therebetween.

2. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein:

an ion implant is formed in a gap region between the one straight section of the waveguide structure and the one straight section of the closed loop waveguide, wherein the ion implant provides for lateral confinement of light within the waveguide structure and within the closed loop waveguide and provides a shift in band gap that limits charge transfer across the band gap.

3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein:

the resonator and the waveguide structure are integrally formed from a plurality of semiconductor layers on a substrate, the plurality of semiconductor layers including at least one modulation doped quantum well structure that has a charge sheet spaced from at least one quantum well by a spacer layer.

4. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the waveguide structure includes control electrodes that are supplied with electrical signals that control charge density in the modulation doped quantum well structure of the waveguide structure in order to change the refractive index of the waveguide structure and modulate the evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure.

5. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of layers further comprise a quantum dot in quantum well structure that has a plurality of quantum dots (QDs) embedded in at least one quantum well, and

the resonator is configured to a desired function selected from emission and absorption of electromagnetic radiation at a characteristic wavelength supported by the QDs of the quantum dot in quantum well structure.

6. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heater transistor device integrally formed with and adjacent the resonator, wherein the heater transistor is configured to heat the resonator in order to tune characteristic wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted or absorbed by the resonator.

7. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one additional closed loop waveguide that is selectively coupled to the closed loop waveguide of the resonator by evanescent coupling in order to in order to tune characteristic wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted or absorbed by the resonator.

8. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the resonator is configured as an electrically-controlled in plane laser that generates a continuous-wave signal that propagates in the closed loop waveguide of the resonator.

9. A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein:

the waveguide structure includes control electrodes that are supplied with time-varying electrical signals that control charge density in the modulation doped quantum well structure of the waveguide structure in order to change the refractive index of the waveguide structure and modulate the evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure such that waveguide structure outputs a time-varying signal derived from the continuous-wave signal that propagates in the closed loop waveguide of the resonator.

10. A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein:

the waveguide structure includes control electrodes that are supplied with DC electrical signals that control charge density in the modulation doped quantum well structure of the waveguide structure in order to control the refractive index of the waveguide structure and the evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure such that waveguide structure outputs a continuous-wave signal derived from the continuous-wave signal that propagates in the closed loop waveguide of the resonator.

11. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the resonator is configured for optical-to-electrical conversion of an input optical signal supplied to the waveguide structure; and

the waveguide structure includes control electrodes that are supplied with electrical signals that control charge density in the modulation doped quantum well structure of the waveguide structure in order to control the refractive index of the waveguide structure such that there is evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure.

12. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the resonator is configured to operate as an modulator that modulates a continuous-wave signal supplied to the input of the waveguide structure in order to produce a modulated signal at the output of the waveguide structure.

13. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the resonator and the waveguide structure comprise a first device pair;

an additional resonator and an additional waveguide structure formed on the substrate comprise a second device pair;

the resonators of the first and second device pairs are coupled to one another by evanescent-wave coupling; and

the device is configured as a switch for selectively transferring an input signal supplied to the input of one of the first and second waveguide structures to the output of one of the first and second waveguide structures.

14. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of layers further comprise a plurality of distributed bragg reflector (DBR) mirror layers formed on the substrate below the at least one modulation doped quantum well structure.

15. A semiconductor device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of dielectric mirror layers formed on the substrate above the layer structure of the resonator and the waveguide structure.

16. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of layers includes an N+ type doped layer, a first plurality of layers that define a p-type modulation doped quantum well interface formed above said N+ type doped layer, a second plurality of layers that define an n-type modulation doped quantum well interface formed above said first plurality of layers, and a P+ type doped layer spaced from said second plurality of layers.

17. A semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the resonator is formed by:

a first terminal which contacts the P+ type doped layer;

N+ type ion implanted regions which contact the n-type modulation doped quantum well interface; and

a second terminal that contacts the N+ type ion implanted regions.

18. A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein:

electrical bias signals are applied to the first and second terminals to induce current flow through the closed loop waveguide of the resonator while both the P+ type ion implanted regions and the N+ type doped layer float relative to the first and second terminals.

19. A semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the resonator is formed by:

P+type ion implanted regions which contact the p-type modulation doped quantum well interface;

a first terminal that contacts the P+ type ion implanted regions; and

a second terminal that contacts the N+ type doped layer.

20. A semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein:

electrical bias signals are applied to the first and second terminals to induce current flow through the closed loop waveguide of the resonator while both the N+ type ion implanted regions and the P+ type doped layer float relative to the first and second terminals.

21. A semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein:

the resonator is configured as an electrically-controlled in plane laser that generates a continuous-wave signal that propagates in the closed loop waveguide of the resonator.

22. A semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein:

the waveguide structure includes first and second control electrodes that are supplied with time-varying electrical signals that control charge density in the n-type modulation doped interface of the waveguide structure in order to change the refractive index of the waveguide structure and modulate the evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure such that waveguide structure outputs a time-varying signal derived from the continuous-wave signal that propagates in the closed loop waveguide of the resonator.

23. A semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein:

the waveguide structure includes first and second control electrodes that are supplied with DC electrical signals that control charge density in the n-type modulation doped quantum well interface of the waveguide structure in order to control the refractive index of the waveguide structure and the evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure such that waveguide structure outputs a continuous-wave signal derived from the continuous-wave signal that propagates in the closed loop waveguide of the resonator.

24. A semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein:

the resonator is configured for optical-to-electrical conversion of an input optical signal supplied to the waveguide structure; and

the waveguide structure includes first and second control electrodes that are supplied with electrical signals that control charge density in the n-type modulation doped quantum well interface of the waveguide structure in order to control the refractive index of the waveguide structure such that there is evanescent-wave coupling between the one section of the closed loop waveguide and the one section of the waveguide structure.

25. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein:

the bend sections are defined by corner sidewalls that provide an refractive index change that confines the electromagnetic radiation within the closed loop waveguide.