Journal Article

Integrating photonics with silicon nanoelectronics for the next generation of systems on a chip

Meng, Huaiyu, Wade, Mark T., Gevorgyan, Hayk, Popović, Miloš A., Khilo, Anatol, Baiocco, Christopher V., Pavanello, Fabio, Notaros, Jelena, Alloatti, Luca, Stojanović, Vladimir M., Sun, Chen, Moazeni, Sajjad, Atabaki, Amir H., Ram, Rajeev J., Al Qubaisi, Kenaish, Wang, Imbert, Zhang, Bohan, Kruger, Seth A.

2018

Overview

Electronic and photonic technologies have transformed our lives—from computing and mobile devices, to information technology and the internet. Our future demands in these fields require innovation in each technology separately, but also depend on our ability to harness their complementary physics through integrated solutions 1 , 2 . This goal is hindered by the fact that most silicon nanotechnologies—which enable our processors, computer memory, communications chips and image sensors—rely on bulk silicon substrates, a cost-effective solution with an abundant supply chain, but with substantial limitations for the integration of photonic functions. Here we introduce photonics into bulk silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) chips using a layer of polycrystalline silicon deposited on silicon oxide (glass) islands fabricated alongside transistors. We use this single deposited layer to realize optical waveguides and resonators, high-speed optical modulators and sensitive avalanche photodetectors. We integrated this photonic platform with a 65-nanometre-transistor bulk CMOS process technology inside a 300-millimetre-diameter-wafer microelectronics foundry. We then implemented integrated high-speed optical transceivers in this platform that operate at ten gigabits per second, composed of millions of transistors, and arrayed on a single optical bus for wavelength division multiplexing, to address the demand for high-bandwidth optical interconnects in data centres and high-performance computing 3 , 4 . By decoupling the formation of photonic devices from that of transistors, this integration approach can achieve many of the goals of multi-chip solutions 5 , but with the performance, complexity and scalability of ‘systems on a chip’ 1 , 6 – 8 . As transistors smaller than ten nanometres across become commercially available 9 , and as new nanotechnologies emerge 10 , 11 , this approach could provide a way to integrate photonics with state-of-the-art nanoelectronics. A way of integrating photonics with silicon nanoelectronics is described, using polycrystalline silicon on glass islands alongside transistors on bulk silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor chips.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 142/126 / 639/166/987 / 639/624/1075/1079 / 639/624/399/1099 / 639/766/1130 / Analysis / Avalanche diodes / Business logistics / Chips (memory devices) / CMOS / Complementary metal oxide semiconductors / Computation / Computer memory / Data centers / Data processing / Data processing services / Decoupling / Electronic devices / Embedded systems / Fiber optic equipment / Frequency division multiplexing / High speed / Humanities and Social Sciences / Image processing equipment / Image sensors / Information technology / Innovations / Integrated circuit fabrication / Integrated circuits / Integration / Letter / Metal oxides / Mobile computing / Mobile devices / Modulators / multidisciplinary / Nanoelectronics / Nanotechnology / Optical interconnects / Optical waveguides / Optics / Photonics / Resveratrol / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Semiconductor devices / Semiconductors / Semiconductors (Materials) / Sensors / Silicon / Silicon oxide / Silicon oxides / Silicon substrates / Supply chains / Transceivers / Transistors / Waveguides / Wavelength division multiplexing