High Performance Optoelectronic Devices Using Silicon-Germanium-Carbon Alloys

本文提出的研究旨在利用与硅微电子兼容的硅-锗-碳（SiGeC）合金开发高性能光学器件，如光调制器、光电探测器和波导。可以生长出与硅衬底相匹配的无位错SiGeC厚层。SiGeC合金的使用可以实现紧凑和高效的光学器件。片上电光调制器和光电探测器的性能，以调制效率、检测效率和带宽来衡量，可以通过使用SiGeC合金而不是SiGe合金或普通硅来提高许多倍（5到10倍）。所提出的器件可以很容易地与硅微电子集成，并有望为短程光通信系统的硅发射和接收芯片的发展以及高带宽片内光互连的发展做出贡献。更广泛的影响SiGeC合金可以为硅平台带来III-V材料系统中可用的材料和设计灵活性，并使各种基于SiGeC/Si多量子阱结构的新型器件成为可能，例如量子阱红外光电探测器（qwip）和中红外和远红外SiGeC/Si量子级联激光器。这项研究对教育的影响将体现在康奈尔大学电气工程系的课程设置上，这些课程将综合电气工程、半导体光电子学、纳米技术和器件物理学的各种观点，适用于本科和研究生水平。所提出的研究提供了丰富的工程研究问题，将极大地有利于研究生参与项目的教育。此外，还将举办面向高中生的暑期研习班、面向高中教师的专业发展研习班和课程、面向中学生的讲座和示范。

0501515RanaIntellectual MeritsThe research proposed here aims to develop high performance optical devices, such as optical modulators, photodetectors, and waveguides, using Silicon-Germanium-Carbon (SiGeC) alloys that are compatible with Silicon microelectronics. Thick dislocation free SiGeC layers can be grown lattice matched to Silicon substrates. The use of SiGeC alloys allows one to realize compact and efficient optical devices. The performance of on-chip electro-optical modulators and photodetectors, measured in terms of modulation efficiency, detection efficiency, and bandwidth, can be enhanced many folds (between 5 to 10 times) by using devices that employ SiGeC alloys instead of SiGe alloys or plain Silicon. The proposed devices can be easily integrated with Silicon microelectronics, and are expected to contribute to the development of Silicon transmitter and receiver chips for short-haul optical communication systems, as well as to the development of high bandwidth intra-chip optical interconnections. Broader ImpactsSiGeC alloys can bring the material and design flexibility available in III-V material systems to the Silicon platform and enable a variety of novel devices based on SiGeC/Si multiple quantum wells strucures, such as quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) and mid-IR and far-IR SiGeC/Si quantum cascade lasers. The impact on education of the proposed research will be in the development of course curricula for the Electrical Engineering Department at Cornell University that will synthesize various perspectives of electrical engineering, semiconductor optoelectronics, nanotechnology, and device physics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The proposed research provides a rich set of engineering research problems that will greatly benefit the education of the graduate students involved in the project. In addition, summer workshops for high school students, professional development workshops and courses for high school teachers, and lectures and demonstrations for middle school students will be organized.