Revolutionizing Silicon Photonics: First Electrically Pumped Group IV Laser Achieved for Seamless Integration on Silicon Chips

Researchers have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in silicon photonics by developing the first electrically pumped Group IV laser, made from silicon-germanium-tin layers directly grown on silicon wafers. This innovation paves the way for cost-effective, energy-efficient photonic integrated circuits in next-gen silicon chips.

The breakthrough in silicon photonics achieved by an international research team marks a transformative step in the materials and manufacturability of photonic devices. By developing the first electrically pumped continuous-wave laser made entirely of Group IV materials—silicon, germanium, and tin—the researchers overcame a long-standing challenge in integrating efficient light sources directly into silicon-based technologies. This laser is built using ultrathin layers of silicon-germanium-tin and germanium-tin, grown directly on silicon wafers. Its compatibility with conventional CMOS processes promises seamless integration into existing silicon manufacturing workflows, reducing costs and enhancing scalability. Unlike traditional lasers based on III-V materials, which are costly and complex to integrate with silicon, this innovation makes use of widely available Group IV elements, providing an energy-efficient and manufacturable solution for on-chip photonics.

This laser not only operates with a low current of 5 milliamperes at 2 volts but also features a sophisticated multi-quantum well structure and ring geometry to minimize power consumption and heat generation. Though the device currently functions at cryogenic temperatures, its development path mirrors earlier advancements in germanium-tin lasers that achieved room-temperature operation within a few years. The laser’s manufacturability is further underscored by its growth on standard silicon wafers, aligning with industry-standard processes. This achievement is poised to catalyze the adoption of low-cost photonic integrated circuits (PICs) in microchips, meeting the growing demand for energy-efficient hardware in AI and IoT applications while paving the way for advances in optical data transmission and next-generation silicon photonics.

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Silicon Photonics Breakthrough: The “Last Missing Piece” Now a Reality

Picosun ALD move into HVM for Optoelectronics at ams OSRAM

ESPOO, Finland, 28th of July 2021 – Picosun Group delivers cutting-edge Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology to ams OSRAM for volume manufacturing of optical semiconductor devices.

ams OSRAM has invested in a fully automated PICOSUN® Morpher production cluster, which can deposit multiple materials on a batch of wafers even during the same process run. The flexibility and process variety of the PICOSUN® Morpher system is a key advantage, which enables volume production as well as the testing of new processes for R&D of future products.

Picosun Group and ams OSRAM have collaborated in a public funded project FLINGO (m-era.net project) to develop new ALD materials and processes to improve the characteristics of LEDs, such as efficiency and durability. The collaboration between the parties will continue after the ALD system delivery with activities to further expand the use of ALD in optoelectronic semiconductor processing.

“We have been working with Picosun since 2010 and now with this investment we can bring our collaboration to the next level. We are very excited to have the PICOSUN™ Morpher F cluster platform installed in our cleanroom”, states Dr. Sebastian Taeger, at ams OSRAM.

“The optical semiconductor market is one focus area of Picosun today. It is a fast-growing market where we have a strong presence with our tailored solutions for compound semiconductor-based devices. We have had excellent collaboration with the ams OSRAM technical team during project FLINGO and during the system specification stage. The expertise from both companies has resulted in optimized ALD solutions to boost the performance of the customer’s products.”, continues Dr. Christoph Hossbach, General Manager of Picosun Europe GmbH.

Previous report: https://www.blog.baldengineering.com/2021/07/picosun-delivers-ald-morpher-200-mm.html