Optoelectronic Device Waveguide Ridge Contact Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In photonic applications, achieving a high density of gain chips with low electrical resistance is challenging due to increased resistance when lasers are placed in close proximity, as there is less metal on the electrical contacts.
Innovation Solution
The optoelectronic device features a plurality of waveguide ridges with upper and lower contacts, where the lower contacts are between pairs of waveguide ridges and electrically connected to the semiconductor bed, and upper contacts are connected to the waveguide ridges' upper surfaces, with insulating layers to reduce resistance and facilitate higher component density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If lasers are placed in close proximity to achieve high density, then component density is improved, but electrical resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical contact structure is segmented into two distinct parts: upper contacts that connect to the waveguide ridge and lower contacts that connect to the semiconductor bed. This segmentation allows each contact to be optimized independently - the lower contacts can be made wider to reduce resistance while the upper contacts maintain proper alignment with the waveguide, thus resolving the contradiction between high density and low resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The contact structure extends in the vertical dimension with lower contacts positioned between waveguide ridges and connecting to the semiconductor bed, while upper contacts connect to the waveguide ridge upper surfaces. This three-dimensional contact arrangement allows for increased contact area and reduced resistance without increasing the lateral footprint, enabling higher component density
Data Source
AI summary
An optoelectronic device. The optoelectronic device comprising: a plurality of waveguide ridges provided in an array, each waveguide ridge extending away from a semiconductor bed; a plurality of upper contacts, each electrically connected to an upper surface of a respective waveguide ridge, said upper surface being located distal from the semiconductor bed; and a plurality of lower contacts, each located between a respective pair of waveguide ridges and electrically connected to the semiconductor bed.