3D photonic integration with light coupling elements

Abstract

Methods for realizing integrated lasers and photonic integrated circuits on complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible silicon (Si) photonic chips, potentially containing integrated electronics, are disclosed. The integration techniques rely on light coupling with integrated light coupling elements such as turning mirrors, lenses, and surface grating couplers. Light is coupled from between two or more substrates using the light coupling elements. The technique can realize integrated lasers on Si where a gain flip chip (the second substrate) is bonded to a Si chip (the first substrate) and light is coupled between a waveguide in the gain flip chip to a Si waveguide by way of a turning mirror or grating coupler in the flip chip and a grating coupler in the Si chip. Integrated lenses and other elements such as spot-size converters can also be incorporated to alter the mode from the gain flip chip to enhance the coupling efficiency to the Si chip. The light coupling integration technique also allows for the integration of other components such as modulators, amplifiers, and photodetectors. These components can be waveguide-based or non-waveguide based, that is to say, surface emitting or illuminating.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 62 / 024,379, filed July 14, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference. technical field [0003] The present invention relates to semiconductor optoelectronic devices, and more particularly to the integration of different optoelectronic devices through optical coupling elements such as turning mirrors, lenses and gratings. Background technique [0004] Silicon (Si) photonics has emerged as an effective photonic integration platform for realizing high-function photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that contain more than one photonic function on a chip. This technology platform enables compact transmitters and receivers for optical communication and sensing applications. Passive components such as but not limited to beam splitters, combiners, arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and echelle gratings can be fabricated in Si with excellent performance an...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Although the wafer bonding method allows efficient implementation of scalability (i.e., increased number of lasers on a Si chip), it requires fabrication of InP and Si materials in the same facility

These are incompatible materials, so significant investment is required to mature the technology

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