Nano-templated III-Vs on silicon for silicon photonics

在Si（100）上直接异质外延生长III-V型发光材料可以为集成Si光子学（SiP）提供明显的解决方案。然而，Si与典型III-V材料之间的大晶格常数不匹配使得该过程非常具有挑战性。目前的方法使用错误切割的基片，这与工业标准CMOS工艺不兼容。此外，降低位错密度所需的厚缓冲器会损害增益区和底层硅波导结构之间的光耦合。我们的目标有两个：(a)展示一种使用纳米级模板“成核层”技术直接在Si（100）上生长III-V材料的合适方法，(b)展示建立在成核层结构上的高质量结构，使得III-V增益区域接近Si衬底平面。这种技术将提供全晶圆级有源光子学，并在Si（100）上实现出色的低损耗光耦合，从而实现与现有CMOS技术兼容的经济单片集成。为了优化结构设计，将开发增益区与底层硅波导结构之间光耦合的数值模型。如果我们能够成功地为我们的合作伙伴思科开发这项技术，它将使他们能够大大降低数据通信系统的成本，并为加拿大的就业和财富创造深远的潜在利益。

Direct hetero-epitaxial growth of III-V light emitting materials on Si (100) can provide the obvious solution to integrated Si photonics (SiP). However, the large lattice constant mismatch between Si and typical III-V materials make this process very challenging. Current approaches use miscut substrates, which are incompatible with industry standard CMOS processes. Moreover the thick buffer required to decrease dislocation density compromises optical coupling between the gain region and underlying Si waveguide structures. Our objectives are two-fold: (a) to demonstrate a suitable approach for growing III-V materials directly on Si (100) using nanoscale template "nucleation layer" technology, and (b) demonstrate high quality structures built on the nucleation layer structures, such that the III-V gain region lies proximate to the Si substrate plane. Such technology would provide full wafer-scale active photonics, with excellent low loss optical coupling implemented on Si (100), to enable an economical monolithic integration compatible with existing CMOS technology. Numerical models for optical coupling between the gain region and underlying Si waveguide structures will be developed to optimize the design of structures. If we can successfully develop this technology for our partner CISCO, it will enable them to dramatically reduce costs for datacomm systems and have a profound potential benefit for job and wealth creation here in Canada.