Hot-wire CVD hydrogenated amorphous silicon for multi-layer photonic applications
Hot-wire CVD hydrogenated amorphous silicon for multi-layer photonic applications
Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is considered as one of the potential materials for multi-layer photonics due its high refractive index, linear and non-linear optical properties. This makes a-Si integration compatible with the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) photonics by increasing circuit density at each optical device layer. However, the high absorption loss of a-Si would require hydrogenation to passivate the dangling bonds for low loss optical waveguide interconnects and coupling of light between optical layers. Without an efficient passivation process, optical loss per layer would be too high for a viable multi-layer photonic platform. Therefore, we have developed a low temperature process hydrogenated a-Si (a- Si:H) with Hot-Wire Chemical Vapour Deposition (HWCVD) method that is compatible with back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) integration with active photonic or electronic layers. This work describes the experimental control of deposition temperature to achieve low loss a-Si:H waveguiding layer and the inter-layer waveguide coupling structures. Our latest results show a-Si:H deposited at 230 ºC has the lowest propagation loss of 0.7 dB/cm for a sub-micron ridge waveguide at 1550 nm wavelength and 45 dB cross-talk isolation between two waveguides separated by 1 μm of SiO2 layer.
Amorphous silicon (a-Si), High density photonic integrated circuits, Hot-Wire Chemical Vapour Deposition (HWCVD), Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), Low loss, Multi-layer photonics, Waveguides
Chong, H.M.H.
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Oo, S.Z.
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Petra, R.
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Tarazona, A.
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Mittal, V.
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Peacock, A.C.
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Reed, G.T.
ca08dd60-c072-4d7d-b254-75714d570139
2020
Chong, H.M.H.
795aa67f-29e5-480f-b1bc-9bd5c0d558e1
Oo, S.Z.
6495f6da-8f17-4484-98fb-6151b4efbd9a
Petra, R.
578011d0-6b70-412e-abb7-d04acce3ac4a
Tarazona, A.
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Mittal, V.
fd5ee9dd-7770-416f-8f47-50ca158b39b0
Peacock, A.C.
685d924c-ef6b-401b-a0bd-acf1f8e758fc
Reed, G.T.
ca08dd60-c072-4d7d-b254-75714d570139
Chong, H.M.H., Oo, S.Z., Petra, R., Tarazona, A., Mittal, V., Peacock, A.C. and Reed, G.T.
(2020)
Hot-wire CVD hydrogenated amorphous silicon for multi-layer photonic applications.
Reed, Graham T. and Knights, Andrew P.
(eds.)
In Silicon Photonics XV.
vol. 11285,
SPIE..
(doi:10.1117/12.2546282).
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is considered as one of the potential materials for multi-layer photonics due its high refractive index, linear and non-linear optical properties. This makes a-Si integration compatible with the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) photonics by increasing circuit density at each optical device layer. However, the high absorption loss of a-Si would require hydrogenation to passivate the dangling bonds for low loss optical waveguide interconnects and coupling of light between optical layers. Without an efficient passivation process, optical loss per layer would be too high for a viable multi-layer photonic platform. Therefore, we have developed a low temperature process hydrogenated a-Si (a- Si:H) with Hot-Wire Chemical Vapour Deposition (HWCVD) method that is compatible with back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) integration with active photonic or electronic layers. This work describes the experimental control of deposition temperature to achieve low loss a-Si:H waveguiding layer and the inter-layer waveguide coupling structures. Our latest results show a-Si:H deposited at 230 ºC has the lowest propagation loss of 0.7 dB/cm for a sub-micron ridge waveguide at 1550 nm wavelength and 45 dB cross-talk isolation between two waveguides separated by 1 μm of SiO2 layer.
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Published date: 2020
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
Funding from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC): Silicon Photonics for Future Systems Programme Grant, Electronic-Photonic Convergence Platform Grant and Laser-Engineered Silicon Grant. The authors would like to thank Southampton Nanofabrication Centre, University of Southampton. Reed is a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award holder. Petra is funded by Universiti Teknologi Brunei PhD scholarship scheme.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 SPIE.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Venue - Dates:
SPIE Photonics West 2020: SPIE Lase, The Moscone Centre, San Francisco, United States, 2020-02-01 - 2020-02-06
Keywords:
Amorphous silicon (a-Si), High density photonic integrated circuits, Hot-Wire Chemical Vapour Deposition (HWCVD), Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), Low loss, Multi-layer photonics, Waveguides
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 441975
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/441975
PURE UUID: f7e69237-dcab-4fc9-a085-ef258d26a120
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Date deposited: 03 Jul 2020 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:12
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Contributors
Author:
H.M.H. Chong
Author:
S.Z. Oo
Author:
R. Petra
Author:
A. Tarazona
Author:
V. Mittal
Author:
A.C. Peacock
Author:
G.T. Reed
Editor:
Graham T. Reed
Editor:
Andrew P. Knights
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