02-05-2012, 03:30 PM
Silicon photonics
Abstract—
After dominating the electronics industry for
decades, silicon is on the verge of becoming the material of choice
for the photonics industry: the traditional stronghold of III–V
semiconductors. Stimulated by a series of recent breakthroughs
and propelled by increasing investments by governments and
the private sector, silicon photonics is now the most active
discipline within the field of integrated optics. This paper provides
an overview of the state of the art in silicon photonics and
outlines challenges that must be overcome before large-scale
commercialization can occur. In particular, for realization of
integration with CMOS very large scale integration (VLSI), silicon
photonics must be compatible with the economics of silicon
manufacturing and must operate within thermal constraints of
VLSI chips. The impact of silicon photonics will reach beyond
optical communication—its traditionally anticipated application.
Silicon has excellent linear and nonlinear optical properties in
the midwave infrared (IR) spectrum. These properties, along
with silicon’s excellent thermal conductivity and optical damage
threshold, open up the possibility for a new class of mid-IR
photonic devices.
Abstract—
After dominating the electronics industry for
decades, silicon is on the verge of becoming the material of choice
for the photonics industry: the traditional stronghold of III–V
semiconductors. Stimulated by a series of recent breakthroughs
and propelled by increasing investments by governments and
the private sector, silicon photonics is now the most active
discipline within the field of integrated optics. This paper provides
an overview of the state of the art in silicon photonics and
outlines challenges that must be overcome before large-scale
commercialization can occur. In particular, for realization of
integration with CMOS very large scale integration (VLSI), silicon
photonics must be compatible with the economics of silicon
manufacturing and must operate within thermal constraints of
VLSI chips. The impact of silicon photonics will reach beyond
optical communication—its traditionally anticipated application.
Silicon has excellent linear and nonlinear optical properties in
the midwave infrared (IR) spectrum. These properties, along
with silicon’s excellent thermal conductivity and optical damage
threshold, open up the possibility for a new class of mid-IR
photonic devices.