Method and system for monolithic integration of photonics and electronics in CMOS processes
View Patent ↗Methods and systems for monolithic integration of photonics and electronics in CMOS processes are disclosed and may include fabricating photonic and electronic devices on a single CMOS wafer with different silicon layer thicknesses. The devices may be fabricated on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer utilizing a bulk CMOS process and/or on a SOI wafer utilizing a SOI CMOS process. The different thicknesses may be fabricated utilizing a double SOI process and/or a selective area growth process. Cladding layers may be fabricated utilizing one or more oxygen implants and/or utilizing CMOS trench oxide on the CMOS wafer. Silicon may be deposited on the CMOS trench oxide utilizing epitaxial lateral overgrowth. Cladding layers may be fabricated utilizing selective backside etching. Reflective surfaces may be fabricated by depositing metal on the selectively etched regions. Silicon dioxide or silicon germanium integrated in the CMOS wafer may be utilized as an etch stop layer.
1. A method for semiconductor processing, the method comprising:
fabricating photonic and electronic devices in a single complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafer with different silicon layer thicknesses for said photonic and said electronic devices, wherein said electronic devices are formed in a silicon layer that is on top of a buried oxide layer, the buried oxide layer being on a silicon layer in which said photonic devices are formed, and wherein said photonic and electronic devices are integrated in an optoelectronic transceiver that is operable to communicate optical signals to and from said CMOS wafer.
2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising fabricating said electronic and photonic devices on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer utilizing a CMOS implant process used for bulk silicon wafers.
3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising fabricating said electronic and photonic devices on a SOI wafer utilizing a SOI CMOS process.
4. The method according to claim 3 , comprising fabricating said different silicon layer thicknesses utilizing a double SOI process.
5. The method according to claim 3 , comprising fabricating said different silicon layer thicknesses utilizing a selective area growth process.
6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising fabricating cladding layers for said photonic devices utilizing one or more oxygen implants into said CMOS wafer.
7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising fabricating cladding layers for said photonic devices utilizing CMOS trench oxide on said CMOS wafer.
8. The method according to claim 7 , comprising depositing silicon material for an optical waveguide on said CMOS trench oxide utilizing epitaxial lateral overgrowth.
9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising fabricating cladding layers for said photonic devices utilizing selective backside etching regions of said CMOS wafer below said photonic devices.
10. The method according to claim 9 , comprising fabricating reflective surfaces for said photonic devices by depositing metal on said selectively etched regions of said CMOS wafer.
11. The method according to claim 9 , comprising utilizing silicon dioxide integrated in said CMOS wafer using oxygen implant as an etch stop layer for said backside etching.
12. The method according to claim 9 , comprising utilizing silicon germanium integrated in said CMOS wafer as an etch stop layer for said backside etching.
13. A system for semiconductor processing, the system comprising:
an optoelectronic transceiver comprising photonic and electronic devices fabricated in a single complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafer having different silicon layer thicknesses for said photonic and said electronic devices, wherein said electronic devices are formed in a silicon layer that is on top of a buried oxide layer, the buried oxide layer being on a silicon layer in which said photonic devices are formed, and wherein said optoelectronic transceiver is operable to communicate optical signals to and from said CMOS wafer utilizing a received continuous wave optical signal as a source signal for the communicated optical signals.
14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said electronic and photonic devices are fabricated on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer utilizing a CMOS implant process used for bulk silicon wafers.
15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said electronic and photonic devices are fabricated on a SOI wafer utilizing a SOI CMOS process.
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said different silicon layer thicknesses are fabricated utilizing a double SOI process.
17. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said different silicon layer thicknesses are fabricated utilizing a selective area growth process.
18. The system according to claim 13 , wherein cladding layers for said photonic devices are fabricated utilizing one or more oxygen implants into said CMOS wafer.
19. The system according to claim 13 , wherein cladding layers for said photonic devices are fabricated utilizing CMOS trench oxide on said CMOS wafer.
20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein silicon material for an optical waveguide is deposited on said CMOS trench oxide utilizing epitaxial lateral overgrowth.
21. The system according to claim 13 , wherein cladding layers for said photonic devices are fabricated utilizing selective backside etching regions of said CMOS wafer below said photonic devices.
22. The system according to claim 21 , wherein reflective surfaces for said photonic devices are fabricated by depositing metal on said selectively etched regions of said CMOS wafer.
23. The system according to claim 21 , wherein said backside etched regions are fabricated utilizing silicon dioxide integrated in said CMOS wafer using oxygen implant as an etch stop layer.
24. The system according to claim 21 , wherein said backside etched regions are fabricated utilizing silicon germanium integrated in said CMOS wafer as an etch stop layer for said backside etching.