Active photonic device having a Darlington configuration

1. An active photonic device having a Darlington configuration comprising:

a substrate;

a collector layer over the substrate and comprising:

an inner collector region; and

an outer collector region that substantially surrounds the inner collector region, wherein the outer collector region is physically isolated from the inner collector region by a gap;

a base layer over the collector layer comprising:

an inner base region; and

an outer base region that substantially surrounds and is spaced apart from the inner base region;

an emitter layer over the base layer and comprising:

an inner emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around an outer periphery of the inner base region;

an outer emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around the outer base region; and

a connector structure that electrically couples the inner emitter region with the outer base region.

2. The active photonic device of claim 1 further including a sub-collector that resides between the collector layer and substrate.

3. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the inner collector region, the inner base region and the inner emitter region form a first transistor, and the outer collector region, the outer base region, and the outer emitter region form a second transistor.

4. The active photonic device of claim 3 wherein the first transistor and second transistor are configured as a heterojunction bipolar transistor-photonic device (HBT-PD).

5. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the inner base region is a P-layer that is p-doped, the inner collector region is an i-layer that is intrinsic, and a sub-collector residing between the substrate and collector layer is an N-layer that is n-doped to form a P-i-N structure.

6. The active photonic device of claim 5 wherein the inner collector region is undoped.

7. The active photonic device of claim 5 wherein the inner collector region is lightly doped.

8. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the inner collector region and the outer collector region are contiguous.

9. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the substrate is transparent to at least one wavelength of light.

10. The active photonic device of claim 9 wherein a light signal is back-side coupled through the substrate.

11. The active photonic device of claim 10 configured for flip-chip packaging.

12. The active photonic device of claim 9 wherein a light signal is edge coupled through the substrate.

13. The active photonic device of claim 1 further including a polygon shaped ohmic contact coupled to the collector layer.

14. The active photonic device of claim 13 wherein the polygon shaped ohmic contact is configured to mechanically and electrically couple to a plurality of a similarly configured active photonic device.

15. The active photonic device of claim 1 configured to operate at a supply voltage from 1V to 5V.

16. The active photonic device of claim 1 configured to operate at a supply voltage from 5V to 10V.

17. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the collector layer and the base layer are made of gallium arsenide (GaAs).

18. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the collector layer and the base layer are made of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs).

19. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the emitter layer is made of indium gallium phosphide (InGaP).

20. The active photonic device of claim 1 wherein the emitter layer is made of indium aluminum arsenide (InAlAs).

21. The active photonic device of claim 1 configured to receive a modulated light signal with a bit rate of at least 100 Gbps and output an electrical signal of at least 100 Gbps.

22. A method of manufacturing an active photonic device having a Darlington configuration comprising:

providing a substrate;

disposing a collector layer over the substrate and comprising:

an inner collector region; and

an outer collector region that substantially surrounds the inner collector region, wherein the outer collector region is physically isolated from the inner collector region by a gap;

disposing a base layer over the collector layer comprising:

an inner base region; and

an outer base region that substantially surrounds and is spaced apart from the inner base region;

disposing an emitter layer over the base layer and comprising:

an inner emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around an outer periphery of the inner base region;

an outer emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around the outer base region; and

fabricating a connector structure that electrically couples the inner emitter region with the outer base region.

23. An active photonic device having a Darlington configuration comprising:

a substrate;

a collector layer over the substrate and comprising:

an inner collector region; and

an outer collector region that substantially surrounds the inner collector region;

a base layer over the collector layer comprising:

an inner base region configured to directly receive a light signal; and

an outer base region that substantially surrounds and is spaced apart from the inner base region;

an emitter layer over the base layer and comprising:

an inner emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around an outer periphery of the inner base region;

an outer emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around the outer base region; and

a connector structure that electrically couples the inner emitter region with the outer base region.