Towards a silicon based laser Chip-to-chip …...Towards a silicon based laser Chip-to-chip communication by light Day 2 EIC Pathfinder showcases: energy & environment FET-Open SiLAS

Towards a silicon based laserChip-to-chip communication by light

Day 2EIC Pathfinder showcases: energy & environment

FET-Open SiLAS project

Jos HaverkortAssociate ProfessorEindhoven University of [email protected]

Towards a Si-based nanolaserChip-to-chip communication by light

Semiconductor industry

ElectronicsPCs, Mobile phones

Optical communicationsInternet, Cloud data centers

Indirect bandgapNo light emission

Direct bandgapEfficient light emissionNot silicon compatible!

Merging of Electronics and Optical communications

Cubic SiGeSilicon compatible!No light emission

Hexagonal SiGeDirect bandgapEfficient light emissionMainstream Electronics Optical communications

Hexagonal

Cubic and hexagonal crystal structure

Cubic

Different atomic arrangements

Different material properties!!

Cubic SiGe Hexagonal SiGe

Direct bandgapEfficient light emission

LASER!

Indirect bandgapNo light emission

Ge

Hex-SiGe has never been fabricated before!!

Phot

olum

ines

cenc

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Intense emission

Tunable Emission<1.8-3.5 µm

Hex-GeInfrared

Hex-SiGeCommunications

Hex-SiGe InP Cubic Si1.4 1 0.000039

Light emission efficiency:

~0.9 ns

Phot

olum

ines

cenc

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Hex-SiGe

Time delay (ns)

Future Innovations opportunities?

Which innovations potentially have large impact?

Moore’s Law is dying!

• Cores operate at 2GHz• Optical circuitry: 40 Gbit/s• Less energy consumptionHex-SiGe laser needed!

Multi wavelength optical circuitry: Silicon photonics

Continue Moore’s law by adding many cores

Optical links (Si-photonics) for cloud data centers

Intel: InP laser “glued” onto a 300 mm Si wafer VERY COSTLY

Si-compatible laser needed

Infrared optical sensors (1.8 – 3.5 µm).

• Biomedical• Gases• Pollution • Drugs

On chip LIDARLab-on-a chip sensor devices (disposable)

Fabrication in a Si-foundry required!!Si-compatible laser needed

Picture courtesy: IMEC, Belgium

High volume, low-cost markets:need a cheap light source.

Conclusions:

Hex-SiGe: Disruptive technology Revolutionize the semiconductor industry.

Hexagonal SiGe

Intense Light emission Tunable Light emission