SBIR Phase I: Room Temperature Silicon-compatible Nano-LED/Laser Electrically Pumped by Silicon Field Emission Device

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop silicon (Si) compatible light sources that will enable monolithic integration of electronic and photonic components on the same Si platform. A novel electrical pumping scheme will be investigated to convert germanium (Ge) from an indirect-bandgap to a pseudo-direct-bandgap material using ultra-high-density free electrons. The objective is to realize strong electroluminescence in the Ge thin film and thus demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating an electrically pumped nano-LED or laser within the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process flow. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be a fundamental breakthrough in photonics technology that will benefit and possibly even revolutionize the industry that develops and markets communication systems, because it will supply the last missing link ? the light source ? required for true monolithic integration of photonic and electronic circuits on one low-cost Si platform. Extensive applications with potentially enormous markets would be enabled, ranging from chip-to-chip optical relays to long-haul optical communications.