CMOS-compatible integration of silicon-based optical devices with electronic devices

US6968110B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SiOptical, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Vipulkumar Patel · Emmaus, US
• Margaret Ghiron · Allentown, US
• Prakash Gothoskar · Allentown, US
• Robert Keith Montgomery · Easton, US
• Kalpendu Shastri · Orefield, US
• Soham Pathak · Allentown, US
• Katherine A. Yanushefski · Emmaus, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 21, 2004
• Grant date: Nov 22, 2005
• Expiry date: May 1, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D86/201
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A conventional CMOS fabrication technique is used to integrate the formation of passive optical devices and active electro-optic devices with standard CMOS electrical devices on a common SOI structure. The electrical devices and optical devices share the same surface SOI layer (a relatively thin, single crystal silicon layer), with various required semiconductor layers then formed over the SOI layer. In some instances, a set of process steps may be used to simultaneously form regions in both electrical and optical devices. Advantageously, the same metallization process is used to provide electrical connections to the electrical devices and the active electro-optic devices.