Hybrid laser with amorphous bonding layer
Described herein are IC devices that include hybrid lasers formed with a bonding layer. Hybrid lasers include an active light-emitting region coupled to a waveguide. In a hybrid laser, the waveguide and the light-emitting regions are formed separately from different materials, e.g., the waveguide is a single-crystal silicon, and the light-emitting region includes III-V semiconductors. An amorphous group IV material, such as silicon or germanium, is advantageously used to bond the light-emitting region to the waveguide.
1 . A hybrid laser comprising:
a waveguide layer comprising a waveguide formed of a substantially monocrystalline material;
a light-emitting layer comprising a III-V semiconductor material; and
a bonding layer between the waveguide layer and the light-emitting layer, the bonding layer comprising a group IV material having a lower crystallinity than the waveguide, wherein the bonding layer comprises a seam running parallel to the waveguide layer and the light-emitting layer.
2 . The hybrid laser of claim 1 , wherein the bonding layer comprises amorphous silicon.
3 . The hybrid laser of claim 1 , wherein the bonding layer comprises amorphous germanium.
4 . The hybrid laser of claim 1 , wherein the bonding layer has a thickness between 10 nanometers and 100 nanometers.
5 . The hybrid laser of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first electrical contact coupled to an active portion of the light-emitting layer; and
a second electrical contact and a third electrical contact on either side of the active portion of the light-emitting layer.
6 . The hybrid laser of claim 5 , wherein the second electrical contact and the third electrical contact are formed over and coupled to the waveguide layer.
7 . An integrated circuit (IC) device comprising:
a first layer comprising a waveguide formed of a substantially monocrystalline material;
a second layer comprising a III-V semiconductor material; and
a bonding layer between the first layer and the second layer, the bonding layer comprising a group IV material having a lower crystallinity than the first layer, wherein the bonding layer has a seam running parallel to the first layer and the second layer.
8 . The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the bonding layer comprises amorphous silicon.
9 . The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the bonding layer comprises amorphous germanium.
10 . The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the bonding layer has a thickness between 10 nanometers and 100 nanometers.
11 . The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the substantially monocrystalline material comprises silicon.
12 . The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the substantially monocrystalline material comprises germanium.
13 . The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the waveguide has a grain size of at least 5 nanometers.
14 . The IC device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first electrical contact coupled to an active region of the second layer; and
a second electrical contact and a third electrical contact on either side of the active region of the second layer.
15 . The IC device of claim 14 , wherein the second electrical contact and the third electrical contact are coupled to a semiconductor layer extending between the second electrical contact and the third electrical contact.
16 . The IC device of claim 14 , wherein the second electrical contact and the third electrical contact are formed over and coupled to the first layer.
17 . A method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) device comprising:
forming a first layer comprising a waveguide, the waveguide formed of a substantially monocrystalline material;
forming a second layer comprising a III-V semiconductor material; and
bonding the first layer and the second layer with a bonding material, the bonding material comprising a group IV material having a lower crystallinity than the waveguide, wherein the bonding material comprises a seam running parallel to the first layer and the second layer.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein bonding the first layer and the second layer comprises:
depositing a first portion of the bonding material to a first face of the first layer;
depositing a second portion of the bonding material to a second face of the second layer; and
contacting the first face of the first layer to the second face of the second layer.
19 . The hybrid laser of claim 1 , wherein the bonding layer comprises different materials on either side of the seam.
20 . The hybrid laser of claim 1 , wherein the bonding layer comprises a same bonding material on either side of the seam.