Schottky Optic Modulator Ridge Slab Structure

The patent transitions from a conventional planar contact geometry to a vertical contact geometry by forming the intrinsic semiconductor region as a protruding structure extending upward from the substrate. This dimensional change allows the electrode to contact the intrinsic region from the top surface, creating a direct vertical contact path that significantly increases the effective contact area and reduces carrier transport distance, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining sufficient intrinsic region volume and achieving fast carrier supply/discharge

The patent extracts and eliminates the doping regions from the conventional P-I-N diode structure, retaining only the intrinsic semiconductor region in direct contact with the electrode. This extraction of the doping regions removes the source of minority carriers that would otherwise require long times to recombine, thereby dramatically reducing the minority carrier lifetime and enabling fast switching speeds while preserving the essential optic modulator function through the remaining intrinsic region

The patent merges the electrode formation process with the intrinsic semiconductor region formation process by directly forming the electrode material on top of the intrinsic region in a single integrated structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate contact holes, metallization layers, and interconnect structures that would otherwise be required, thereby increasing the effective contact area and carrier supply speed while avoiding additional structural complexity