Power-efficient thermo-optic phase shifters have been demonstrated using 3 μm thick silicon on insulator (SOI) waveguides fabricated on cavity-SOI wafers. In cavity-SOI the cavities are premade in the SOI wafer which simplifies the processing of the waveguides with thermally insulated heater structures. Measurement results of asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometric TO switches show a 10-fold decrease in required power for α π phase shift in devices fabricated on cavity-SOI when compared to devices fabricated on plain SOI. With the cavities the required heating power for the π phase shift is only 2.1 mW. Numerical simulations support the experimental results.
Single-mode and low-loss operation of optical waveguides is typically limited to a 200-500 nm wide wavelength range. The lower limit is the boundary between single and multi-mode operation, and the upper limit comes from the decreasing confinement of the fundamental mode inside the core, which eventually leads to too large bending radii, waveguide cross-talk and poor integration density. Many interferometric waveguide components, such as grating couplers and multi-mode interference (MMI) couplers, have even narrower wavelength range. This paper demonstrates photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with ultra-broadband operation from 1.2 to 2.4 μm wavelength based on 3 μm thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides. Such thick waveguides maintain ultra-high mode confinement for over 1 μm bandwidth, which supports dense integration with low-loss crossings, Euler bends and total internal reflection (TIR) mirrors. While some parts of the PICs are based on multi-moded strip waveguides, mode filters with rib-waveguides allow to keep the PICs effectively single-moded. The focus of the paper is on passive PICs, although the platform also enables active components. Ultra-broadband test results are provided for long waveguide spirals and waveguide-fiber coupling, as well as for echelle gratings, arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and different types of 2x2 couplers. Low-loss operation is demonstrated with continuous transmission spectra measured from 1.25 μm up to 2.4 μm wavelength, i.e. up to 1.15 μm bandwidth. The measured bandwidths are limited by the available measurement setup, rather than the PIC components themselves. Remaining challenges for ultra-broadband operation, such as anti-reflection coatings, are discussed. Applications for broadband operation in communication, imaging and sensing are also presented.
Based on commonly used dielectric materials in Si processing platforms, multiple-layer anti-reflection stacks were designed and fabricated, with the main goal of highly efficient light coupling for Si waveguides over a wide wavelength range. Initial characterization results indicate that a <-20dB light reflection was successfully achieved over 1310-1550 nm wavelength range over the whole 150mm wafer. The fluctuation of reflection spectra over the whole wafer was observed to be only 1-2 dB, which guarantees the high yield and mass production capabilities for further applications.
We have systematically studied multimode interferometer (MMI) splitters made from multiple tapered sections. The goal is to create a library of robust and low-loss splitters covering all splitting ratios (SR) for our silicon photonics platform based on 3 μm thick waveguides. The starting point is always a non-tapered canonical MMI either with general symmetry (canonical SRs 50:50, 100:0, and reciprocal ratios), with mirror symmetric restricted symmetry (canonical SRs 85:15, 50:50, 100:0, and reciprocal ratios), and with point-symmetric restricted symmetry (canonical SRs 72:28 and 28:72). Splitters of these three types are then divided into one to four subsections of equal length, leading to 12 possible different configurations. In each of these subsections, the width is first linearly tapered either up or down and then tapered back to its starting value ensuring mirror symmetry. For all twelve configurations, we carried out an extensive campaign of numerical simulations. For each given width change, we scanned the splitter length and calculated the power in the fundamental mode at the output as well as its relative phase. We then selected the designs with sufficiently low loss and mapped their SR as a function of either the change in width change or length, therefore creating systematic maps for the design of MMI splitters with any SR. Eventually, we selected and fabricated a subset of designs with SRs ranging from 5:95 to 95:5 in steps of 5% and validated their operation through optical measurements.
This paper presents our recent progress on fast germanium photodetector (PD) development for our 3μm silicon-on - insulator (SOI) platform. We have fabricated a horizontal PIN photodiode, which has a 3dB cutoff frequency of 40GHz and responsivity of 1.0 A/W at -1V bias for operation wavelength of 1.55μm. The high bandwidth indicates that the detector speed is limited by the transit time of the carriers over the i-region rather than the junction capacitance. The electric field in the i-region at -1V is high enough to maintain the carrier drift speed close to the maximum velocity of carriers in the Ge. The device is realized using selectively grown germanium with very low amount of stress induced crystal defects. The detector area and the Si waveguides were patterned with a common hard mask, which enables accurate lateral alignment between them. The n- and p-contacts were directly made on the Ge using Ti/Al metallization. The vertical sidewalls of the detector area were implanted in order to create the horizontal PIN structure. The subsequent dopant diffusion was estimated to secure the i-region and the junctions by controlling the thermal budget, as the two dopants have different diffusion mechanism in Ge. One of the advantages of our micron scale waveguides is that due to the high confinement of the optical mode within the Si waveguide they allow light coupling into a short detector. The junction capacitances are therefore small as the detector area is only 1x9μm. In addition, the electrical output pulse shape is not distorted by the slow diffusion current of electrons and holes as the incoming light do not overlap the doped n- and n-regions.
We demonstrate for the first time flat-top interleavers based on cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) which use only single multimode interferometers (MMIs) as power splitters. Our previous designs were based on 4-stage cascades of MZIs, where we used single MMIs and double MMIs to achieve 85:15 splitting ratio and 31:69 splitting ratio respectively. This time, we propose instead a greatly simplified 2-stage configuration using only single MMIs, including a standard 50:50 MMI, and two tapered MMIs to achieve 71:29 and 92:08 splitting ratios. We have designed the interleaver based on its geometrical representation on the Bloch sphere, then confirmed by efficient 2D simulations of the building blocks and of the whole structure, based on the eigenmode expansion method. We show how important is to take into account the phase relations between the outputs of all MMIs in order to make a working design. We have successfully fabricated devices with different channel spacing on our micron-scale silicon photonics platform, and measurement results confirmed their expected flat-top operation on a broad band. Using only single MMI splitters we can not only greatly outperform the bandwidth achieved by standard directional couplers, but we can also ensure much higher robustness to fabrication errors, also compared to previous demonstrations based on double MMIs. Indeed, when compared to those previous attempts, the new results prove tapered MMIs to be the most robust approach to achieve arbitrary splitting ratios.
This paper explains and demonstrates the unique properties of micron-size silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides. It gives an overview of the silicon photonics research at VTT, as well as latest R&D highlights. The benefits of high mode confinement in rib and strip waveguides are described, reaching from low losses and small footprint to polarization independent operation and ultra-wide wavelength range from 1.2 to over 4 μm. Most of the results are from photonic integrated circuits (PICs) on 3 μm SOI, while a 25 Gbps link with a transceiver on 12 μm SOI is also reported. Wavelength multiplexing and filtering is demonstrated with some breakthrough performance in both echelle gratings and arrayed waveguide gratings. Lowest losses are below 1 dB and lowest cross-talk is below -35 dB. Progress towards monolithically integrated, broadband isolators is described, involving polarization splitters, reciprocal polarization rotators and nonreciprocal Faraday rotation in 3 μm SOI waveguide spirals. Quick update is presented about switches, modulators and Ge photodiodes up to 15 GHz bandwidth. Hybrid integration of lasers, modulators and photodiodes is also reported. The added value of trimmed SOI wafers and cavity-SOI wafers in Si photonics processing is addressed. Latest results also include up-reflecting mirrors with <0.5 dB loss, which support wafer-level testing and packaging.
We show theoretically and experimentally how a flat-top second-order response can be achieved with a self-coupled single add-drop ring resonator based on two couplers with different splitting ratios. The resulting device is a 1x1 filter, reflecting light back in the input waveguide at resonating wavelengths in the passbands, and transmitting light in the output waveguide at all other non-resonating wavelengths. Different implementations of the filter have been designed and fabricated on a micron-scale silicon photonics platform. They are based on compact Euler bends - either U-bends or Lbends - and Multi-Mode Interferometers as splitters for the ring resonators. Different finesse values have been achieved by using either 50:50 MMIs in conjunction with 85:15 MMIs or 85:15 MMIs in conjunction with 95:05 double MMIs. Unlike ordinary lowest order directional couplers, the MMIs couple most of the power in the cross-port which make them particularly suitable for the topology of the self-coupled ring, which would otherwise require a waveguide crossing. Experimental results are presented, showing good agreement with simulations. The proposed devices can find applications as wavelength-selective reflectors for relatively broad-band lasers or used as 2x2 add-drop filters when two exact replicas of the device are placed on the arms of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
Integrated circuits based on micron-scale silicon waveguides have the clear advantage of being tolerant to fabrication errors, thanks to the high mode confinement within the guiding core. Here we show how flat-top interleavers can be achieved on a micron-scale silicon photonics platform based on ring-loaded Mach-Zehnder Interferometers (MZIs), without the need for any thermal tuning. Robust designs are also guaranteed by resorting to Multi-Mode Interferometers (MMIs) as power splitters in both the MZIs and the ring resonators. A trade-off between in-band ripple and roll-off can be achieved by changing the ring splitting ratios. In particular rings with different finesse based on MMIs with 50:50, 72:28, and 85:15 splitting ratios have been designed, fabricated and successfully tested. In-band ripples as low as 0.2 dB and extinction ratios exceeding 15 dB have been measured from the fabricated samples. Repeatability of the performances from chip to chip and wafer to wafer is presented to show the tolerance of the devices to fabrication errors. Even though these particular devices have been designed for TE polarization only, polarization insensitive designs can be also achieved. All designs are based on strip waveguides and compact Euler-bends, leading to footprints in the order of 700x300 μm2, also thanks to an optimized configuration. They can find applications as interleavers as such or as stages in cascades of N interleavers to achieve flat-top 1x2N (de)multiplexers.
Integrated optical probes for detecting backscattered light in, e.g., Raman spectroscopy show desirable characteristics
compared to conventional optical fiber probes, although the latter ones may have better collection efficiency in many
cases. Major advantages of integrated probes include reduced size; reduced background noise due to scattering in the
probe because of reduced propagation length; potential for monolithic integration with filters and spectrometers; very
small collection volume, providing high spatial resolution; and polarization maintenance. We demonstrate that when
scattered light needs to be collected from a thin layer close to the probe surface, integrated probes can have better
collection efficiency than fiber probes do. We modeled a multimode integrated waveguide probe by adapting an
analytical model that had been developed for fiber probes. The model was extended in order to account for arbitrary
waveguide geometries and a low number of discrete waveguide modes compared to the quasi-continuum of modes in a
typical multimode fiber. Using this model we compared the collection efficiencies of integrated and fiber probes for a
thin scattering sample. We found that the integrated probe has a higher collection efficiency for scattering layer thickness
and probe-to-layer distance both smaller than ~100 μm.
Silicon oxynitride (SiON) is a highly attractive material for integrated optics, due to its excellent properties such as high
transparency, adjustable refractive index and good stability. In general, the growth of SiON layers by plasma enhanced
chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is followed by a high temperature annealing step in order to remove hydrogen and
to achieve low propagation losses in the 1.5-μm wavelength window. The high annealing temperature (>1100°C)
required for sufficient hydrogen removal induces, however, side effects like significant inter-layer diffusion and micro-cracks
resulting in deterioration of the device performance.
In this paper compositional and optical properties of as-deposited and annealed boron (B) and phosphorous (P) doped
SiON layers were investigated. The doped layers have been fabricated by introducing PH3 and B2H6 gaseous precursors
into the PECVD process. Hydrogen contents of the samples have been studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)
spectroscopy. Compared to undoped film, a 50% reduction of the hydrogen content was measured in as-deposited P-doped
SiON layers. Further reduction down to the FTIR detection limit was achieved upon annealing at temperatures as
low as 700°C.
Besides hydrogen reduction the reflow properties of B and P doped SiON are also highly relevant for the realization of
low-loss integrated optical circuits. Reactively ion etched channel waveguides have been reflown applying a temperature
of 900°C. Significant reduction of the sidewall roughness has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.