Monolithic iii-v-on-silicon opto-electronic phase modulator with a ridge waveguide

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of electro-optical devices. In particular the disclosure provides a monolithic integrated electro-optical phase modulator fabricated by III-V-on-silicon semiconductor processing. The phase modulator comprises a silicon-based n-type substrate base layer, and a III-V n-type ridge waveguide for propagating light, wherein the ridge waveguide protrudes from and extends along the n-type substrate base layer. Further, the phase modulator comprises one or more insulating layers provided on the ridge waveguide, wherein the one or more insulating layers have together a thickness of 1-100 nm, and a silicon-based p-type top cover layer provided on the one or more insulating layers at least above the ridge waveguide.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electro-optic devices, and more particularly to the field of electro-optic modulators. The present disclosure proposes a monolithically integrated electro-optic phase modulator based on a III-V semiconductor-on-silicon process with ridge waveguides. The present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing an electro-optic phase modulator, and a Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising at least one such electro-optic phase modulator. Background technique [0002] Electro-optic modulators are fundamental building blocks in silicon (Si) photonics and are used to modulate light, for example to modulate the phase of light. Conventional silicon-based optical phase modulators use the free-carrier plasmon dispersion effect to achieve phase modulation through carrier density modulation in light-propagating materials. [0003] However, the efficiency of this conventional silicon-based phase modulator is inherently...

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Problems solved by technology

However, in this example, the phase modulator often suffers from performance degradation due to the too low crystal quality of the epitaxially grown III-V semiconductor material

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