Abstract:
A semiconductor device (and method for forming the device) includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer formed on a substrate surface. An isolation trench in the wafer surface surrounds alternating p-type trenches and n-type trenches and electrically isolates the device from the substrate, thereby allowing the device to be effectively utilized as a differential detector in an optoelectronic circuit.
Abstract:
This invention describes how commercial silicon-on-insulator material can be used to fabricate both wavelength filters and wavelength-selective photodetectors. The silicon-on-insulator substrates (100) have a buried silicon dioxide layer (102) and a thin top silicon layer (104) and are manufactured for high speed electronics applications. However, in this invention, the thin silicon layer (104) is used as the core of a waveguide and the buried silicon dioxide (102) as a lower cladding region. Another cladding layer (106) and a low index waveguide (108) is fabricated on the commercial substrate to form an asymmetric waveguide coupler structure. The added low index waveguide (108) and the original thin silicon layer (104) form the two waveguides of the coupler. Since the two waveguide materials have very different indices of refraction, they are only phase-matched at one wavelength (111). Thus for a given thickness of materials, only one wavelength (111) couples between the two waveguides (104, 108). By adding an absorptive layer in the silicon waveguide and electrical contacts, wavelength sensitive photodetection is obtained. The buried insulator layer (102) is the key to device operation, providing a very low index buried cladding region.
Abstract:
This invention describes how commercial silicon-on-insulator material can be used to fabricate both wavelength filters and wavelength-selective photodetectors. The silicon-on-insulator substrates (100) have a buried silicon dioxide layer (102) and a thin top silicon layer (104) and are manufactured for high speed electronics applications. However, in this invention, the thin silicon layer (104) is used as the core of a waveguide and the buried silicon dioxide (102) as a lower cladding region. Another cladding layer (106) and a low index waveguide (108) is fabricated on the commercial substrate to form an asymmetric waveguide coupler structure. The added low index waveguide (108) and the original thin silicon layer (104) form the two waveguides of the coupler. Since the two waveguide materials have very different indices of refraction, they are only phase-matched at one wavelength (111). Thus for a given thickness of materials, only one wavelength (111) couples between the two waveguides (104, 108). By adding an absorptive layer in the silicon waveguide and electrical contacts, wavelength sensitive photodetection is obtained. The buried insulator layer (102) is the key to device operation, providing a very low index buried cladding region.
Abstract:
A semiconductor device (and method for forming the device) includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer formed on a substrate surface. An isolation trench in the wafer surface surrounds alternating p-type trenches and n-type trenches and electrically isolates the device from the substrate, thereby allowing the device to be effectively utilized as a differential detector in an optoelectronic circuit.
Abstract:
The present invention proposes a new type of single-transistor memory device, which stores information using the polarization of a ferroelectric material. The device is a floating-gate FET, with a ferroelectric material positioned between the gate and the floating gate, and a resistance, preferably in the form of a thin SiO2 dielectric between the floating gate and the transistor channel. Unlike previous designs, in this device the floating gate is both capacitively and resistively coupled to the transistor channel, which enables the device to be both read and written using low voltages. This device offers significant advantages for operation at low voltages and at high speeds, for repeated cycling of over 1010 times, since device durability is limited by the ferroelectric endurance rather than oxide breakdown, and for integration at gigabit densities.