Techniques for forming optical electronic integrated circuits having interconnects in the form of semiconductor waveguides

US5917967A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Madan Dubey · South River, US
• Kenneth A. Jones · Brick, US
• Weiyu Han · Edison, US
• Lawrence C. West · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 21, 1997
• Grant date: Jun 29, 1999
• Expiry date: May 21, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B2006/12176
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical electronic integrated circuit (OEIC) having optical waveguides as device interconnects. An optical waveguide is formed by depositing, in an oxygen-free atmosphere, a film of semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate at a temperature that substantially diminishes the porosity of the film and the diffusion of material from the substrate into the film. The semiconductor film, which has an index of refraction greater than that of the substrate, is etched to form the optical waveguide on the substrate. The substrate also supports a to plurality of active optical devices between which the optical waveguide extends. The substrate is preferably formed from gallium-arsenide and the waveguide from germanium. The active devices may also include these materials as well as aluminum-gallium-arsenide. When using these materials, the germanium film is deposited in an oxygen-free environment at about 100 degrees centigrade.