SBIR Phase I: SiGeC Superlattices with Direct Bandgaps for Light Emission and Absorption at 1.55 Micronn

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段将研究突破性的概念，以克服硅的基本物理特性所施加的限制，这些限制阻碍了它在电信中使用的红外波长范围内发射和感应光。这些限制是使用光而不是电信号在CMOS芯片内和CMOS芯片之间传输信息的最重要障碍。使用光互连，而不是电互连，将提高性能，减少功耗（产生热量），并降低制造成本。研究目标是鉴定和演示一种新的硅基材料，一种结合硅、锗和碳原子的超晶格，其光电性能可与目前用于光通信的激光器和光电探测器的III-V半导体相媲美。该项目将从几个超晶格组成的理论建模和模拟开始，以确定其中一个具有最有前途的性质，然后将其制造和表征，既可以作为独立的薄膜，也可以结合到基本的光电二极管中。预计新型Si-Ge-C超晶格材料将在该波长范围内实现高效的硅基发光和光传感器件。该项目将在硅光子学领域产生更广泛的影响和商业潜力，硅光子学是一项应用于多个领域的核心技术。最重要的领域是CMOS制造，硅光子学可以帮助摩尔定律保持其轨迹，通过在芯片内和芯片间用光学互连取代电子互连来克服电子互连限制所带来的障碍。光互连将提高性能，提高可靠性，降低功耗，同时降低制造成本领先的CMOS技术。其他大量应用包括光纤到户（FTTH）的光纤通信，通过实现更紧凑的设备，能够以更低的成本实现更多功能，以及用更低成本的光缆取代传统的以太网、HDMI、DisplayPort和USB的电气连接。通过扩展CMOS的功能来有效地处理光，在广泛的波长范围内发射和吸收，将为成像技术和真正的硅光子学开辟新的应用。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I will investigate breakthrough concepts to overcome the limitations imposed by the fundamental physical properties of silicon that prevent it from emitting and sensing light in the infrared range of wavelengths used in telecommunications. These limitations are the most important barrier to using light, instead of electrical signals, to transmit information within a CMOS chip, and between CMOS chips. Using optical, rather than electrical, interconnects will increase performance, decrease power dissipation (heat generation), and reduce manufacturing costs. The research objectives are the identification and demonstration of a new silicon-based material, a superlattice incorporating Silicon, Germanium and Carbon atoms, whose optoelectronic properties are comparable to those of III-V semiconductors from which the LASERs and Photo-Detectors currently used in optical communications, are made. The project will begin with theoretical modeling and simulation of several superlattice compositions, in order to identify the one with the most promising properties, which will then be fabricated and characterized, both as a stand-alone film and by incorporation into a basic photo-diode. It is anticipated that a new class of Si-Ge-C superlattice materials will enable high-efficiency silicon-based devices for light-emission and light-sensing in this range of wavelengths.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be in the area of Silicon Photonics, which is a core technology with applications to several fields. The most important field is CMOS manufacturing, where silicon photonics can help Moore's Law maintain its trajectory, overcoming the barrier posed by the limitations of electrical interconnects by replacing them with optical interconnects, within a chip and from chip-to-chip. Optical interconnects will increase performance, improve reliability, and lower power dissipation, while reducing manufacturing costs of leading-edge CMOS technology. Other high-volume applications include fiber optics communications for Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) by enabling more compact equipment, capable of more functionality at lower cost, and the replacement of legacy electrical connections for Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB, with lower cost optical cables. By extending the functionality of CMOS to handle light efficiently, both emission and absorption across a wide range of wavelengths, new applications will open up for imaging technology and true silicon photonics.