Semiconductor Device Integrating Optical and Electrical Elements on Single Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing semiconductor devices with integrated optical and electrical elements are costly due to the assembly of separate semiconductor chips, leading to high manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device is fabricated with a substrate having distinct regions for optical and electrical elements, where the optical element is formed in one region with a stack of a semiconductor substrate, insulating layers, and semiconductor layers, and the electrical element is formed in another region with a similar stack, allowing for both elements to be integrated on a single substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If optical elements and electrical elements are formed on separate semiconductor chips and then assembled, then the device can be manufactured using conventional processes, but the manufacturing cost increases due to assembly costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the formation of optical elements and electrical elements onto a single semiconductor substrate. The substrate includes a first region with an optical element and a second region with an electrical element, both formed through integrated processing steps on the same substrate rather than assembling separate chips. This eliminates assembly costs while maintaining manufacturing compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The semiconductor substrate serves multiple functions by accommodating both optical elements (waveguides, modulators, detectors) and electrical elements (transistors, interconnects) on the same platform. This multi-functional substrate design allows a single manufacturing process to produce both types of components, reducing overall manufacturing cost.
2Productivity
If optical elements and electrical elements are integrated on a single substrate, then manufacturing cost decreases by eliminating assembly, but the device complexity increases due to multiple regions and layers
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented into distinct functional regions: a first region for optical elements and a second region for electrical elements. Each region has its own optimized structure (e.g., waveguide layers in the first region, transistor layers in the second region), allowing complex functionality to be managed through spatial segmentation rather than uniform complexity throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent manages complexity by organizing different element types in different spatial dimensions on the substrate. Optical elements are positioned in a first region with optical-specific layers, while electrical elements are positioned in a second region with electronic-specific layers, effectively using planar dimensionality to separate complex functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an optical element, and a semiconductor element. The substrate includes a first region and a second region which are regions differing from each other. The optical element is formed in one of the first region and the second region. The electric element is formed in another of the first region and the second region. The first region includes a first insulating layer and a first semiconductor layer formed on the first insulating layer. The second region includes the first insulating layer, the first semiconductor layer, a second insulating layer formed on the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer formed on the second insulating layer.