High-speed silicon-based electro-optic modulator
US6845198B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 8, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jan 18, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 8, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B2006/12159
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A silicon-based electro-optic modulator is based on forming a gate region of a first conductivity to partially overly a body region of a second conductivity type, with a relatively thin dielectric layer interposed between the contiguous portions of the gate and body regions. The modulator may be formed on an SOI platform, with the body region formed in the relatively thin silicon surface layer of the SOI structure and the gate region formed of a relatively thin silicon layer overlying the SOI structure. The doping in the gate and body regions is controlled to form lightly doped regions above and below the dielectric, thus defining the active region of the device. Advantageously, the optical electric field essentially coincides with the free carrier concentration area in this active device region. The application of a modulation signal thus causes the simultaneous accumulation, depletion or inversion of free carriers on both sides of the dielectric at the same time, resulting in high speed operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.