Hydrogen loading pretreatment method for improving radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices and chip

Abstract

The application discloses a hydrogen loading pretreatment method for improving the anti-radiation performance of a silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device and a chip, and relates to the technical fields of integrated optoelectronics and radiation hardening. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device comprises a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator and / or a germanium-silicon photodetector. The method comprises the following steps: before the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device enters a radiation environment, hydrogen loading pretreatment is performed on the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device, and hydrogen-related species are introduced into a dielectric layer of the device, a semiconductor / dielectric interface, a PN junction, a Ge / Si interface and a vicinity of a germanium-silicon detection active region. The hydrogen-related species are used for passivating interface defects, dangling bonds and radiation-sensitive defects, and reducing the influence of interface traps, deep level defects and generated recombination centers after radiation. The application can slow down the efficiency reduction and bandwidth degradation of the silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator after radiation, inhibit the dark current growth and response degradation of the germanium-silicon photodetector, improve the reliability of the silicon-based optoelectronic chip in a radiation environment, and is especially suitable for gamma-ray and proton radiation environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of integrated optoelectronic devices and radiation hardening technology, specifically relating to a hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method and chip for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices, which can be used in space communication, satellite internet, spaceborne optical interconnection, radiation environment sensing and high-reliability optoelectronic systems. Background Technology

[0002] Silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices offer advantages such as high integration, low power consumption, low cost, and CMOS process compatibility, making them promising candidates for applications in high-speed optical communication, data center interconnects, coherent communication, microwave photonics, spaceborne optical communication, and space optoelectronic systems. Among these, silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators can be used for high-speed electro-optic modulation, and germanium-silicon photodetectors can be used for on-chip high-speed photoelectric conversion; both are key active devices in silicon-based optoelectronic chips.

[0003] However, in space radiation environments or other high-energy irradiation environments, radiation particles such as gamma rays, protons, electrons, and neutrons interact with semiconductor materials, oxide dielectric layers, interface regions, and active regions in silicon-based optoelectronic devices, introducing fixed charges, interface traps, deep-level defects, displacement damage defects, and generation-recombination centers within the device. These radiation-induced effects alter the internal electric field distribution, carrier transport processes, and recombination mechanisms, leading to device performance degradation.

[0004] For silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators, irradiation may lead to increased defects at the silicon / oxide interface, accumulation of fixed charge on the oxide, alteration of the electric field distribution in the depletion region of the PN junction, and decreased carrier modulation efficiency. This manifests as modulation efficiency degradation, drive voltage drift, reduced electro-optic bandwidth, altered insertion loss, decreased extinction ratio, and deteriorated eye diagram quality. For germanium-silicon photodetectors, irradiation may introduce deep-level defects and generate recombination centers at the Ge / Si interface, in the germanium absorption region, and near the detector junction, resulting in increased dark current, altered responsivity, increased noise, decreased 3 dB bandwidth, and deteriorated high-speed response performance.

[0005] Existing radiation resistance methods mainly include device structure optimization, material shielding, packaging hardening, redundancy design, and system-level compensation. While these methods can improve the radiation tolerance of devices to some extent, they often suffer from problems such as complex processes, increased chip area, higher system costs, or insufficient compatibility with existing silicon photonics processes. Furthermore, these methods struggle to fundamentally eliminate radiation-induced deep-level defects and interface states, and typically involve additional process steps, necessitating improved compatibility with CMOS processes. For silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chips, suppressing the electrical activity of radiation-induced defects through preprocessing without significantly altering the device's main structure would greatly improve the chip's reliability and engineering applicability in space radiation environments.

[0006] Hydrogen-related species can interact with dangling bonds, process residual defects, and some deep-level defects at the semiconductor / dielectric interface, thereby reducing the electrical activity of these defects. Therefore, introducing hydrogen-loaded pretreatment into the pre-irradiation hardening process of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices is expected to improve the performance stability of devices after gamma-ray and proton irradiation through defect passivation and pretreatment of irradiation-sensitive regions. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, this invention provides a hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method and chip for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices. This method pre-treats the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device with hydrogen before it enters an irradiated environment, introducing hydrogen-related species into the dielectric layer, semiconductor / dielectric interface, PN junction region, Ge / Si interface, and / or the vicinity of the germanium-silicon detection active region. These hydrogen-related species can passivate interface dangling bonds, process residual defects, deep-level defects, and potential radiation-sensitive defects, thereby suppressing the scattering effect of defect states on carrier transport after irradiation, reducing the generation rate of recombination centers, and blocking the formation of leakage channels.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices proposed in this invention includes the following steps: First, a silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is provided. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device may include a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, a germanium-silicon photodetector, or a silicon-based optoelectronic chip that simultaneously includes a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator and a germanium-silicon photodetector.

[0009] Secondly, before the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is exposed to an irradiation environment, it undergoes a hydrogen-loaded pretreatment. This pretreatment introduces hydrogen-related species into the dielectric layer, semiconductor / dielectric interface, PN junction region, Ge / Si interface, and / or the vicinity of the germanium-silicon detection active region. These hydrogen-related species passivate interface defects, dangling bonds, process residual defects, and / or irradiation-sensitive defects in the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device, reducing the impact of post-irradiation interface traps, deep-level defects, and generation-recombination centers on device performance, thereby improving the performance stability of the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device after irradiation.

[0010] The hydrogen-related species include one or more of the following: hydrogen atom, hydrogen ion, hydrogen radical, hydrogen molecule, hydrogen compound, deuterium atom, deuterium ion, deuterium radical, deuterium molecule, and deuterium compound.

[0011] The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment may include one or more of the following: hydrogen-containing atmosphere annealing, hydrogen plasma treatment, hydrogen-containing dielectric layer deposition, hydrogen-containing passivation layer deposition, and deuteration treatment. The hydrogen-containing atmosphere annealing may use one or more of the following as the treatment atmosphere: hydrogen, a nitrogen-hydrogen mixture, a hydrogen-argon mixture, or a deuterium-containing atmosphere. The hydrogen-containing dielectric layer may include one or more of the following: silicon hydroxide, hydrogen-containing silicon nitride, hydrogen-containing silicon oxynitride, aluminum hydroxide, and a hydrogen-containing dielectric passivation layer.

[0012] For a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, comprising a silicon waveguide, a PN junction phase-shift region, a traveling-wave electrode, and an oxide cladding, the hydrogen-related species can be distributed at least near the PN junction phase-shift region, near the interface between the silicon waveguide and the oxide cladding, near the sidewalls of the silicon waveguide, near the traveling-wave electrode, and / or in the oxide cladding. This is used to reduce the impact of fixed charges and interface traps after irradiation on the electric field distribution, carrier concentration distribution, and modulation efficiency in the depletion region. Through this hydrogen pretreatment, the electric field distortion in the depletion region, changes in carrier concentration distribution, and degradation of the PN junction modulation efficiency caused by fixed charges and interface traps after irradiation can be mitigated, thereby suppressing modulation efficiency degradation, electro-optic bandwidth degradation, drive voltage drift, and eye diagram quality deterioration.

[0013] For germanium-silicon photodetectors, including the germanium absorption region, silicon waveguide coupling region, PN junction or PIN junction structure, and electrode structure, the hydrogen-related species can be distributed at least near the Ge / Si interface, around the germanium absorption region, near the detector dielectric interface, and / or near the electrode contact region. This is used to reduce the impact of deep-level defects, interface states, and generation-recombination centers on dark current, high-speed response, and noise characteristics after irradiation. Through this hydrogen-loaded pretreatment, the formation of leakage channels, dark current growth, and high-speed response degradation caused by deep-level defects and generation-recombination centers after irradiation can be mitigated, thereby suppressing dark current growth after irradiation, reducing 3 dB bandwidth degradation, and improving the high-speed response stability of the detector.

[0014] The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment can be performed at the wafer level, chip level, pre-packaging stage, or post-packaging stage, to suit different needs. Different manufacturing process nodes can be used. In a preferred embodiment, hydrogen pretreatment is performed before chip packaging to avoid adverse effects of packaging materials on hydrogen diffusion and hydrogen introduction efficiency. In another embodiment, hydrogen pretreatment can be combined with subsequent heat treatment, annealing, inert atmosphere preservation, vacuum preservation, or packaging to regulate the distribution and stability of hydrogen-related species within the device.

[0015] Specifically, after the hydrogen-loaded pretreatment, the performance stability includes the stability of one or more performance parameters of the silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, such as modulation efficiency, electro-optic bandwidth, driving voltage, insertion loss, extinction ratio, S-parameters, and eye diagram quality; and the stability of one or more performance parameters of the germanium-silicon photodetector, such as dark current, responsivity, 3dB bandwidth, S-parameters, noise characteristics, and high-speed response characteristics.

[0016] The irradiation environment includes gamma-ray total ionizing dose irradiation environment, proton irradiation environment, and electron irradiation environment. Neutron irradiation environment or a combination thereof. The proton irradiation environment is a broad-spectrum proton irradiation environment designed for space applications.

[0017] This invention also provides a silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip is prepared using the above-described hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method and includes a hydrogen-loaded pretreated silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator and / or a hydrogen-loaded pretreated germanium-silicon photodetector. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip can be used in space communication, satellite internet, spaceborne optical interconnects, radiation environment sensing, or high-reliability optoelectronic systems.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this invention are: 1. This invention passivates interface defects, dangling bonds, and process residual defects in silicon-based optoelectronic devices by pre-treating with hydrogen before irradiation, thereby reducing the electrical activity of interface traps, deep-level defects, and generation-recombination centers after irradiation.

[0019] 2. This invention can mitigate the decrease in modulation efficiency, degradation of electro-optic bandwidth, drift of driving voltage, and deterioration of high-speed modulation performance of silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators after irradiation, thereby improving the working stability of the modulator under radiation environment.

[0020] 3. This invention can suppress the growth of dark current and degradation of high-speed response in germanium-silicon photodetectors after irradiation, reduce noise increase and 3 dB bandwidth decrease, and improve the reliability of the detector in a radiation environment.

[0021] 4. This invention does not require significant changes to the main structure of silicon-based optoelectronic devices and can be introduced into existing silicon photonics fabrication processes as a wafer-level, chip-level, or pre-packaging pretreatment process, exhibiting good process compatibility and engineering application potential. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hydrogen-loaded pretreatment and irradiation application process for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the passivation effect of radiation-induced defects and hydrogen-related species in the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device of the present invention; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram comparing the bandwidth retention rate of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices before and after hydrogen-loaded pretreatment according to the present invention.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1: Dielectric layer; 2: Semiconductor layer; 3: Active region; 4: Irradiated particles or rays; 5: Semiconductor / dielectric interface; 6: Radiation-induced defects; 7: Hydrogen-related species; 8: Defects after passivation.

[0024] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate the technical principles, processing flow and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the specific structural form, size ratio, material thickness, doping distribution, irradiation conditions or performance values ​​of the device. Figure 2 The Ge region is used as an example of active region 3 in the illustration, but the present invention is not limited to germanium-silicon photodetectors; in other embodiments, active region 3 may also be the PN junction phase shift region in a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, the active modulation region of a silicon waveguide, or other radiation-sensitive active regions. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Without departing from the technical concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make appropriate adjustments to the processing methods, device structures, material systems, and testing conditions, and all such adjustments should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1: Hydrogen Pretreatment Method for Silicon-based Integrated Optoelectronic Devices like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method to improve the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device can be a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, a germanium-silicon photodetector, or a silicon-based optoelectronic chip that simultaneously integrates a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator and a germanium-silicon photodetector.

[0027] Before the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is exposed to irradiation, it is placed in a hydrogen-loaded processing environment for hydrogen pretreatment. This hydrogen pretreatment introduces hydrogen-related species into the dielectric layer, semiconductor / dielectric interface, PN junction region, Ge / Si interface, and / or the vicinity of the germanium-silicon detection active region of the device. These hydrogen-related species may include one or more of the following: hydrogen atoms, hydrogen ions, hydrogen radicals, hydrogen molecules, hydrogen compounds, deuterium atoms, deuterium ions, deuterium radicals, and deuterium compounds.

[0028] The hydrogen pretreatment can be achieved through one or more of the following methods: hydrogen-containing atmosphere annealing, hydrogen plasma treatment, hydrogen-containing dielectric layer deposition, hydrogen-containing passivation layer deposition, and deuteration treatment. Taking hydrogen-containing atmosphere annealing as an example, the treatment atmosphere can include hydrogen, a nitrogen-hydrogen mixture, a hydrogen-argon mixture, a deuterium-containing atmosphere, or other atmospheres that can provide hydrogen-related species. The protective gas can be nitrogen, argon, or other gases that do not adversely affect the device.

[0029] Through the above-mentioned hydrogen pretreatment, hydrogen-related species can enter the irradiation-sensitive region of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices and passivate interface defects, dangling bonds, process residual defects and potential irradiation-sensitive defects, thereby reducing the impact of interface traps, deep-level defects and generation-recombination centers formed during or after subsequent irradiation on device performance.

[0030] As a specific embodiment of hydrogen-loaded pretreatment, the hydrogen loading treatment can be carried out in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere or a deuterium-containing atmosphere, with a treatment temperature ranging from 20°C to 150°C, a treatment pressure ranging from 0.5 MPa to 10 MPa, and a treatment time ranging from 6 h to 96 h. Preferably, the treatment temperature is 40°C to 100°C, the treatment pressure is 2 MPa to 6 MPa, and the treatment time is 24 h to 72 h. More preferably, the hydrogen loading treatment is carried out at 60°C and 4 MPa for 48 h to introduce hydrogen-related species into the target region of the device. Those skilled in the art can optimize and adjust the treatment temperature, pressure, and time according to the actual thickness, structural dimensions, material system, and required hydrogen loading depth of the device.

[0031] Example 2: Irradiation-induced defects and hydrogen passivation like Figure 2 As shown, a silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device may include a dielectric layer 1, a semiconductor layer 2, and an active region 3. The dielectric layer 1 may be silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or other dielectric cladding; the semiconductor layer 2 may be a silicon device layer, a silicon waveguide layer, or other semiconductor functional layer; and the active region 3 may be the Ge absorption region or Ge / Si heterojunction region in a germanium-silicon photodetector, or the PN junction phase-shifting region in a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator.

[0032] When irradiated particles or rays 4 are incident on the inside of the device, radiation-induced defects 6 may be introduced at the semiconductor / dielectric interface 5, near the active region 3, and at the interface between the active region 3 and the semiconductor layer 2. The radiation-induced defects 6 may include one or more of the following: oxide fixed charge, interface traps, dangling bonds, deep level defects, displacement damage defects, and generation-recombination centers.

[0033] Hydrogen-related species 7 introduced through hydrogen pretreatment can enter the aforementioned irradiation-sensitive region under heat treatment, diffusion, plasma treatment, or subsequent processes, and bond or passivate with radiation-induced defects 6 to form passivated defects 8. The electrical activity of passivated defects 8 is reduced, thus weakening their influence on carrier transport, depletion region electric field distribution, leakage channel formation, and generation-recombination processes, thereby improving the performance stability of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices after irradiation.

[0034] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the active region 3 is illustrated using the Ge region as an example. For a germanium-silicon photodetector, the active region 3 can correspond to the Ge absorption region or the Ge / Si interface region; for a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, the active region 3 can correspond to the PN junction phase shift region, the silicon waveguide sidewall interface, or the region near the silicon / dielectric interface. Therefore, Figure 2 The structure shown should not be interpreted as limited to germanium-silicon photodetectors, but rather as an illustration of the common mechanism of passivation of irradiation-sensitive regions and hydrogen-related species in silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices.

[0035] Example 3: Hydrogen-loaded radiation-resistant treatment of silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators In this embodiment, the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator. The silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator may include an input optical waveguide, a beam splitter structure, a PN junction phase-shift region, a beam combiner structure, a traveling wave electrode, and a dielectric cladding. Irradiation may introduce fixed charges, interface traps, and defect states into the silicon / dielectric interface, waveguide sidewalls, the region near the PN junction, and the dielectric cladding, thereby altering the electric field distribution and carrier concentration distribution in the depletion region of the PN junction phase-shift region.

[0036] After hydrogen pretreatment of the silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, hydrogen-related species can enter the vicinity of the PN junction phase shift region, the silicon / dielectric interface, the waveguide sidewalls, and / or the dielectric cladding, passivating dangling bonds, interface states, and process residual defects. This treatment reduces the impact of post-irradiation interface traps and fixed charges on the modulator's electro-optic response, thereby mitigating modulation efficiency degradation, electro-optic bandwidth degradation, drive voltage drift, insertion loss variation, extinction ratio decrease, and eye diagram quality deterioration.

[0037] Example 4: Hydrogen-loaded radiation-resistant treatment for germanium-silicon photodetectors In this embodiment, the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is a germanium-silicon photodetector. The germanium-silicon photodetector may include a silicon waveguide coupling region, a Ge absorption region, a PN junction or PIN junction structure, an electrode contact region, and a dielectric cladding. Irradiation may introduce deep-level defects, interface states, and generation-recombination centers at the Ge / Si interface, Ge absorption region, near the junction region, and near the dielectric interface, thereby leading to increased dark current, increased noise, and degraded high-speed response.

[0038] After hydrogen pretreatment, hydrogen-related species can enter the Ge / Si interface, the area around the Ge absorption region, the vicinity of the detector dielectric interface, and / or the vicinity of the electrode contact region, passivating interface defects, dangling bonds, and deep-level defects. This treatment can suppress the formation of leakage channels after irradiation, slow down the growth of dark current, and reduce the impact of generation-recombination centers on the high-speed response of the detector, thereby improving the response stability and reliability of the germanium-silicon photodetector after irradiation.

[0039] Example 5: Overall hydrogen loading treatment of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chips In this embodiment, the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is a silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip that includes multiple active devices. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip may simultaneously include a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, a germanium-silicon photodetector, a passive waveguide, a coupler, a beam splitter, a beam combiner, and an electrode structure.

[0040] Before the chip is exposed to irradiation, the entire chip undergoes hydrogen pretreatment, distributing hydrogen-related species across multiple irradiation-sensitive regions, including the silicon / dielectric interface, PN junction phase shift region, Ge / Si interface, vicinity of the germanium absorption region, and within the dielectric cladding. This holistic treatment method does not require altering the main structure of each device individually and can be incorporated into silicon-based optoelectronic chip fabrication processes as wafer-level, chip-level, pre-packaging, or post-packaging processes.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, hydrogen pretreatment is performed before chip packaging to avoid adverse effects of the packaging material on hydrogen diffusion and introduction efficiency, thereby improving the efficiency of hydrogen-related species diffusion into the device interior and into irradiation-sensitive areas. In another embodiment, hydrogen pretreatment can also be performed after packaging, or combined with subsequent heat preservation, annealing, inert atmosphere preservation, vacuum preservation, or packaging processes to regulate the distribution and stability of hydrogen-related species within the device.

[0042] Example 6: Performance Evaluation and Effect Description after Irradiation like Figure 3 As shown, this invention can use the normalized bandwidth retention rate to illustratively evaluate the high-speed performance stability of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices before and after hydrogen-loaded pretreatment. In the figure, the horizontal axis 0 represents the initial state of the device before irradiation, and 1 represents the preset total dose or total flux. Figure 3 The curves in the figure are used to illustrate the trend of hydrogen pretreatment in inhibiting the degradation of high-speed performance after irradiation, and do not represent any limitation on specific irradiation dose, particle flux, bandwidth value, degradation ratio or device performance parameters.

[0043] For silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators, the impact of hydrogen pretreatment on the modulator's radiation resistance can be evaluated by testing parameters such as electro-optic bandwidth, S-parameters, modulation efficiency, driving voltage, insertion loss, extinction ratio, and eye diagram quality before and after irradiation. For germanium-silicon photodetectors, the impact of hydrogen pretreatment on the detector's radiation resistance can be evaluated by testing parameters such as dark current, responsivity, 3 dB bandwidth, S-parameters, noise characteristics, and high-speed response waveform before and after irradiation.

[0044] In an exemplary verification, untreated and hydrogen-pretreated silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices were compared under the same irradiation conditions. The results showed that under multi-energy proton irradiation, hydrogen pretreatment simultaneously improved the radiation resistance of both silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators and germanium-silicon integrated photodetectors. For silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators, the modulation efficiency, electro-optic bandwidth, and eye diagram quality of the untreated device significantly degraded with increasing dose, while the hydrogen-treated device exhibited better performance retention in the low to moderate dose range: at doses not exceeding 3.16 kGy, its modulation efficiency increased to approximately 1.4 times its initial value, and maintained approximately 97% and 40% of its initial value at 7.9 kGy and 15.8 kGy, respectively; its 3 dB electro-optic bandwidth increased to approximately 110% of its initial value at 1.58 kGy, and still maintained approximately 94.45% at 3.16 kGy, significantly better than the 85.8% and 70.6% of the untreated device at the same dose. For germanium-silicon integrated photodetectors, at a maximum cumulative silicon deposition dose of 1580 krad, the 3 dB bandwidth of the untreated device decreased from 44.52 GHz to 32.09 GHz, and the dark current increased to 8.67 times that before irradiation. In contrast, the hydrogen-pretreated device maintained a bandwidth of approximately 35 GHz, and the dark current increased only to 1.9 times that before irradiation. These results demonstrate that hydrogen pretreatment can effectively delay modulator performance degradation and suppress detector leakage current growth by passivating or electrically deactivating irradiation-induced defects, thereby improving the reliability of silicon-based optoelectronic devices under space proton irradiation. These results fully demonstrate that hydrogen-pretreated silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulators exhibit higher electro-optic bandwidth retention and smaller electro-optic response degradation after irradiation; hydrogen-pretreated germanium-silicon photodetectors exhibit a lower dark current growth trend and a higher 3 dB bandwidth retention after irradiation. Therefore, hydrogen-loaded pretreatment can reduce the impact of radiation-induced defects on the performance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices and improve the high-speed response stability and operational reliability of the devices after irradiation.

[0045] It should be noted that the above exemplary verification is only used to illustrate the effect of hydrogen pretreatment on the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices, and is not intended to limit specific device structures, radiation source types, radiation doses, test conditions, or the extent of performance improvement.

Claims

1. A method for hydrogen-loaded pretreatment to improve the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is provided, the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device comprising a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator and / or a germanium-silicon photodetector; Before the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device enters the irradiation environment, the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device is subjected to hydrogen-loaded pretreatment, so that hydrogen-related species are introduced into the dielectric layer, semiconductor / dielectric interface, PN junction area, Ge / Si interface and / or germanium-silicon detection active region of the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device. The hydrogen-related species are used to passivate interface defects, dangling bonds, process residual defects and / or irradiation-sensitive defects in the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device, so as to reduce the impact of interface traps, deep level defects and generation-recombination centers on device performance after irradiation, thereby improving the performance stability of the silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device after irradiation.

2. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment includes one or more of the following: hydrogen atmosphere annealing, hydrogen plasma treatment, hydrogen dielectric layer deposition, hydrogen passivation layer deposition, and deuteration treatment.

3. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hydrogen-containing atmosphere annealing uses one or more of the following as the processing atmosphere: hydrogen, nitrogen-hydrogen mixture, hydrogen-argon mixture, or deuterium-containing atmosphere.

4. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hydrogen-containing dielectric layer includes one or more of the following: silicon hydroxide, hydrogen-containing silicon nitride, hydrogen-containing silicon oxynitride, aluminum hydroxide, and hydrogen-containing dielectric passivation layer.

5. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment is performed at the wafer level, chip level, pre-packaging stage, or post-packaging stage.

6. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen-related species include one or more of the following: hydrogen atom, hydrogen ion, hydrogen radical, hydrogen molecule, hydrogen compound, deuterium atom, deuterium ion, deuterium radical, deuterium molecule, and deuterium compound.

7. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator includes a silicon waveguide, a PN junction phase shift region, a traveling wave electrode, and an oxide cladding. The hydrogen-related species are distributed at least near the PN junction phase shift region, near the interface between the silicon waveguide and the oxide cladding, near the sidewalls of the silicon waveguide, near the traveling wave electrode, and / or in the oxide cladding.

8. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The germanium-silicon photodetector includes a germanium absorption region, a silicon waveguide coupling region, a PN junction or PIN junction structure, and an electrode structure. The hydrogen-related species are at least distributed around the Ge / Si interface, the germanium absorption region, the detector medium interface, and / or the electrode contact region.

9. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The performance stability includes the stability of one or more performance parameters of the silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator, such as modulation efficiency, electro-optic bandwidth, driving voltage, insertion loss, extinction ratio, S-parameters, and eye diagram quality.

10. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The performance stability includes the stability of one or more performance parameters of the germanium-silicon photodetector, including dark current, responsivity, 3 dB bandwidth, S-parameters, noise characteristics, and high-speed response characteristics.

11. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The irradiation environment includes gamma-ray total ionization dose irradiation environment, proton irradiation environment, electron irradiation environment, neutron irradiation environment, or a combination thereof.

12. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic device undergoes heat preservation, annealing, inert atmosphere preservation, vacuum preservation, or encapsulation after hydrogen pretreatment to regulate the distribution and stability of hydrogen-related species within the device.

13. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen pretreatment is used to reduce the electric field distortion in the depletion region, the change in carrier concentration distribution, and the degradation of PN junction modulation efficiency caused by fixed charges and interface traps in the silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator after irradiation.

14. The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment method for improving the radiation resistance of silicon-based integrated optoelectronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydrogen-loaded pretreatment is used to reduce deep-level defects and leakage channels, dark current growth, and high-speed response degradation caused by the generation and recombination centers in the irradiated germanium-silicon photodetector.

15. A silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip, characterized in that: The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip is prepared by the method described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip according to claim 15, characterized in that: The silicon-based integrated optoelectronic chip includes a hydrogen-pretreated silicon-based Mach-Zehnder modulator and / or a hydrogen-pretreated germanium-silicon photodetector.

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