Method for making electro-optical device

• US 9,684,194 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pointcloud Inc.
• Original Assignee: University of Southampton
• Inventors: Gardes, Frederic, Thomson, David, Reed, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Reema
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTOPHER, STEVEN M
• Application Number:
  US14/475,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12097 Ridge, rib or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12142 Modulator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12176 Etching
• 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

Abstract

An electro-optic device, comprising a layer of light-carrying material; and a rib, projecting from the layer of light-carrying material, for guiding optical signals propagating through the device. The layer of light-carrying material comprises a first doped region of a first type extending into the rib, and a second doped region of a second, different type extending into the rib such that a pn junction is formed within the rib. The pn junction extends substantially parallel to at least two contiguous faces of the rib, resulting in a more efficient device. In addition, a self-aligned fabrication process can be used in order to simplify the fabrication process and increase reliability and yield.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an electro-optic device, comprising:

on a substrate forming a first structure comprising a first insulating layer, a first layer, a second layer, and a light carrying layer, wherein the light carrying layer is deposited or grown atop the first insulating layer, and the first layer and the second layer are subsequently deposited or grown atop the first insulating layer;

depositing or growing a second insulating layer atop the first structure, and depositing one or more first masks atop the second insulating layer;

doping the first and the second layers through a window created by the one or more first masks;

wherein the first layer is doped with a first dopant and the second layer is doped with a second dopant;

wherein the first dopant and the second dopant are of an opposite type, thus forming a p-n junction between the first layer and the second layer;

etching the first mask, and then depositing or growing a third insulating layer thus thickening the second insulating layer;

etching two portions of the second insulating layer entirely through the second insulating layer and further partially through the first layer, thus creating a first channel and a second channel;

depositing a second mask over the second channel;

doping the first channel, abutting a region formed by the second insulating layer and the second mask, with the first and the second dopants;

wherein the first dopants are directed perpendicular relative to a top plane of the device and wherein the second dopants are directed at a non-zero angle relative to the first dopants;

depositing a third mask in the first channel, and then doping the second channel, abutting a mask formed by the second insulating layer and the third mask, with the second dopants in two cycles, the first cycle comprising the second dopant being directed perpendicular relative to the top plane of the device, and the second cycle comprising the second dopant being directed at an non-zero angle relative to a direction of said first cycle;

depositing a fourth mask in at least the second channel, and increasing a doping concentration of the first layer abutting said portion of the first channel by doping the first channel with an increased concentration of the first dopants through said window created by the fourth mask;

depositing a fifth mask in at least the first channel, and increasing a doping concentration of the second region abutting said portion of the second channel by doping the second channel with an increased concentration of the second dopants through said window created by the fifth mask;

depositing one or more additional insulating layers, and then re-etching the first channel and the second channel;

depositing a first contact layer and a second contact layer into the first and the second channels, respectively;

depositing electrical contacts atop said first and second contact layers;

forming a waveguide rib, said waveguide rib projecting from the light carrying layer, said waveguide rib guiding optical signals propagating through the device;

wherein the light carrying layer, the first and the second contact layers, and the first and the second layers form a light carrying stratum; and

wherein the p-n junction comprises at least three portions of an n-type layer, the first portion of the n-type layer being on a top surface of a p-type layer, a second portion of the n-type layer being connected to the first portion of the n-type layer, the second portion of the n-type layer being disposed on a first side of the p-type layer, the second portion of the n-type layer contacting a first side of the p-type layer, the second portion of the n-type layer extending below the top surface of the p-type layer, and the third portion of the n-type layer being disposed on a second side, opposite the first side, of the p-type layer, the third portion of the n-type layer extending below the top surface of the p-type layer, the third portion of the n-type layer contacting the second side of the p-type layer, the third portion of the n-type layer further extending into the waveguide rib and contacting the first insulating layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the p-type region is converted to an n-type region such that the n-type region extends continuously from the bottom portion of the second channel to a side of the rib.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second dopants are activated by a rapid thermal annealing at 1000°

C.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the p-n junction remains in the same position with respect to the rib due to a self aligned fabrication process, the self aligned fabrication process being modifiable to select a desired position of the p-n junction with respect to the rib.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein some or all of said doping steps are performed at a non-zero, non-perpendicular angle such that the dopants are introduced into the rib at a predetermined position, self aligned to a position of an edge of a waveguide.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising increasing yield by providing a self-aligned rib fabrication process.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first dopant is an n-type dopant selected from phosphorus, antimony, or arsenic.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second dopant is p-type dopant boron.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing electro-optic bandwidth of the electro-optic device above 50 GHz.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first dopant is p-type dopant boron.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second dopant is an n-type dopant selected from phosphorus, antimony, or arsenic.