Si/Si0.85Ge0.15/Si p-i-n waveguide optical intensity modulator

Chandana Fernando; Siegfried Janz; N. Gary Tarr; Richard J. F. Normandin; Jean Paul Noel; Jim S. Wight

doi:10.1117/12.205275

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23 March 1995 Si/Si_0.85Ge_0.15/Si p-i-n waveguide optical intensity modulator

Chandana Fernando, Siegfried Janz, N. Gary Tarr, Richard J. F. Normandin, Jean Paul Noel, Jim S. Wight

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Proceedings Volume 2402, Components for Wavelength Division Multiplexing; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.205275
Event: Photonics West '95, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Design and development of basic optical components are vital for the future development of all optical and optoelectronic circuits. Optical components fabricated on Si are restricted to operation at wavelengths below 1.1 micrometers . However, the incorporation of SiGe in Si devices enables operation to be extended to the communications wavelengths of 1.3 micrometers and 1.5 micrometers . Optical modulation in a Si/Si_0.85Ge_0.15/Si, MBE grown, waveguide p-i-n diode was experimentally investigated at a wavelength of 1.3 micrometers . When the waveguide p-i-n diode is forward biased, the injected free carriers absorb the light propagating in the intrinsic layer thereby giving a strong modulation of the device output intensity. The modulator, grown on a 2 X 10¹⁹ cm^-3 n⁺⁺-Si substrate, consists of a 2.5 micrometers thick, 7 X 10¹⁵ cm^-3 n-Si layer, a 0.1 micrometers thick i-Si_0.85Ge_0.15 guiding layer, a 2 mumm thick, 2.5 X 10¹⁶ cm^-3 p-Si layer and a 0.1 micrometers thick, 2 X 10²⁰ cm^-3 p++)-Si contact layer. Under forward bias the p-i-n diode achieves a carrier density of 5 X 10¹⁸ cm^-3 in the guiding layer of the waveguide. A maximum modulation depth of 66% was obtained for a 2 mm long, 37.5 micrometers wide ridge waveguide at a peak pulse current density of 2700 A/cm².

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Chandana Fernando, Siegfried Janz, N. Gary Tarr, Richard J. F. Normandin, Jean Paul Noel, and Jim S. Wight "Si/Si_0.85Ge_0.15/Si p-i-n waveguide optical intensity modulator", Proc. SPIE 2402, Components for Wavelength Division Multiplexing, (23 March 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.205275

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