A very simple and fast Mach­Zehnder electro-optic modulator based on a p-i-n configuration, operating at λ = 1.55 μm, has been fabricated at 170°C using the low cost technology of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). In spite of the device simplicity, refractive index modulation was achieved through the free carrier dispersion effect resulting in characteristic rise and fall times of ~2.5 ns. By reverse biasing the p-i-n device, the voltage-length product was estimated to be V_π∙L_π = 40 V⋅cm both from static and dynamic measurements. Such bandwidth performance in as-deposited a-Si:H demonstrates the potential of this material for the fabrication of fast active photonic devices integrated on standard microelectronic substrates.

© 2012 OSA

1. L. C. Kimerling, D. Ahn, M. Beals, C.-Y. Hong, J. Liu, J. Michel, D. Pan, and D. K. Sparacin, “Electronic-photonic integrated circuits on the CMOS platform,” Proc. SPIE6125, 612502, 612502-10 (2006). [CrossRef]
2. T. Pinguet, B. Analui, E. Balmater, D. Guckenberger, M. Harrison, R. Koumans, D. Kucharski, Y. Liang, G. Masini, A. Mekis, S. Mirsaidi, A. Narasimha, M. Peterson, D. Rines, V. Sadagopan, S. Sahni, T. J. Sleboda, D. Song, Y. Wang, B. Welch, J. Witzens, J. Yao, S. Abdalla, S. Gloeckner, and P. De Dobbelaer, “Monolithically Integrated High-Speed CMOS Photonic Transceivers,” in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Group IV Photonics, 5th International Conference (2008).
3. J. M. Fedeli, L. Di Cioccio, D. Marris-Morini, L. Vivien, R. Orobtchouk, P. Rojo-Romeo, C. Seassal, and F. Mandorlo, “Development of silicon photonics devices using microelectronic tools for the integration on top of a CMOS wafer,” Adv. Opt. Technol.2008, 1–15 (2008). [CrossRef]
4. D. J. Thomson, F. Y. Gardes, Y. Hu, G. Mashanovich, M. Fournier, P. Grosse, J.-M. Fedeli, and G. T. Reed, “High contrast 40Gbit/s optical modulation in silicon,” Opt. Express19(12), 11507–11516 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. K. Preston, S. Manipatruni, A. Gondarenko, C. B. Poitras, and M. Lipson, “Deposited silicon high-speed integrated electro-optic modulator,” Opt. Express17(7), 5118–5124 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. K. Lee, D. J. Shin, H. Ji, K. Na, S. G. Kim, J. Bok, Y. You, S. Kim, I. Joe, S. D. Suh, J. Pyo, Y. Shin, K. Ha, Y. D. Park, and C. H. Chung, “10Gb/s Silicon Modulator Based on Bulk-Silicon Platform for DRAM Optical Interface,” in Optical Fiber Communication Conference, OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2011), paper JThA033.
7. K. Preston, P. Dong, B. Schmidt, and M. Lipson, “High-speed all-optical modulation using polycrystalline silicon microring resonators,” Appl. Phys. Lett.92(15), 151104 (2008). [CrossRef]
8. K. Preston, C. B. Poitras, M. Thompson, and M. Lipson, “Photonic devices in low-temperature laser-crystallized deposited silicon,” in Proceedings of Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS) (2010).
9. G. Cocorullo, F. G. Della Corte, R. De Rosa, I. Rendina, A. Rubino, and E. Terzini, “Amorphous silicon-based guided-wave passive and active devices for silicon integrated optoelectronics,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.4(6), 997–1002 (1998). [CrossRef]
10. A. Harke, M. Krause, and J. Mueller, “Low-loss single mode amorphous silicon waveguides,” Electron. Lett.41(25), 1377–1378 (2005). [CrossRef]
11. S. K. Selvaraja, E. Sleeckx, M. Schaekers, W. Bogaerts, D. V. Thourhout, P. Dumon, and R. Baets, “Low-loss amorphous silicon-on-insulator technology for photonic integrated circuitry,” Opt. Commun.282(9), 1767–1770 (2009). [CrossRef]
12. K. Narayanan, A. W. Elshaari, and S. F. Preble, “Broadband all-optical modulation in hydrogenated-amorphous silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express18(10), 9809–9814 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. F. G. Della Corte, S. Rao, M. A. Nigro, F. Suriano, and C. Summonte, “Electro-optically induced absorption in alpha-Si:H/alpha-SiCN waveguiding multistacks,” Opt. Express16(10), 7540–7550 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. S. Rao, F. G. Della Corte, C. Summonte, and F. Suriano, “Electro-optical modulating device based on a CMOS-compatible a-Si:H/a-SiCN multistack waveguide,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.16(1), 173–178 (2010). [CrossRef]
15. K. Narayanan, A. W. Elshaari, and S. F. Preble, “Broadband all-optical modulation in hydrogenated-amorphous silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express18(10), 9809–9814 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. F. G. Della Corte, S. Rao, G. Coppola, and C. Summonte, “Electro-optical modulation at 1550 nm in an as-deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n waveguiding device,” Opt. Express19(4), 2941–2951 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. RSoft Photonics CAD Layout User Guide, Rsoft Design Group, Inc. Physical Layer Division, 200 Executive Blvd. Ossining, NY 10562.

Adv. Opt. Technol.

• J. M. Fedeli, L. Di Cioccio, D. Marris-Morini, L. Vivien, R. Orobtchouk, P. Rojo-Romeo, C. Seassal, and F. Mandorlo, “Development of silicon photonics devices using microelectronic tools for the integration on top of a CMOS wafer,” Adv. Opt. Technol.2008, 1–15 (2008). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• K. Preston, P. Dong, B. Schmidt, and M. Lipson, “High-speed all-optical modulation using polycrystalline silicon microring resonators,” Appl. Phys. Lett.92(15), 151104 (2008). [CrossRef]

Electron. Lett.

• A. Harke, M. Krause, and J. Mueller, “Low-loss single mode amorphous silicon waveguides,” Electron. Lett.41(25), 1377–1378 (2005). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• S. Rao, F. G. Della Corte, C. Summonte, and F. Suriano, “Electro-optical modulating device based on a CMOS-compatible a-Si:H/a-SiCN multistack waveguide,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.16(1), 173–178 (2010). [CrossRef]
• G. Cocorullo, F. G. Della Corte, R. De Rosa, I. Rendina, A. Rubino, and E. Terzini, “Amorphous silicon-based guided-wave passive and active devices for silicon integrated optoelectronics,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.4(6), 997–1002 (1998). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• S. K. Selvaraja, E. Sleeckx, M. Schaekers, W. Bogaerts, D. V. Thourhout, P. Dumon, and R. Baets, “Low-loss amorphous silicon-on-insulator technology for photonic integrated circuitry,” Opt. Commun.282(9), 1767–1770 (2009). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• K. Narayanan, A. W. Elshaari, and S. F. Preble, “Broadband all-optical modulation in hydrogenated-amorphous silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express18(10), 9809–9814 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• F. G. Della Corte, S. Rao, M. A. Nigro, F. Suriano, and C. Summonte, “Electro-optically induced absorption in alpha-Si:H/alpha-SiCN waveguiding multistacks,” Opt. Express16(10), 7540–7550 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Narayanan, A. W. Elshaari, and S. F. Preble, “Broadband all-optical modulation in hydrogenated-amorphous silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express18(10), 9809–9814 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• F. G. Della Corte, S. Rao, G. Coppola, and C. Summonte, “Electro-optical modulation at 1550 nm in an as-deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n waveguiding device,” Opt. Express19(4), 2941–2951 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. J. Thomson, F. Y. Gardes, Y. Hu, G. Mashanovich, M. Fournier, P. Grosse, J.-M. Fedeli, and G. T. Reed, “High contrast 40Gbit/s optical modulation in silicon,” Opt. Express19(12), 11507–11516 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Preston, S. Manipatruni, A. Gondarenko, C. B. Poitras, and M. Lipson, “Deposited silicon high-speed integrated electro-optic modulator,” Opt. Express17(7), 5118–5124 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. SPIE

• L. C. Kimerling, D. Ahn, M. Beals, C.-Y. Hong, J. Liu, J. Michel, D. Pan, and D. K. Sparacin, “Electronic-photonic integrated circuits on the CMOS platform,” Proc. SPIE6125, 612502, 612502-10 (2006). [CrossRef]

Other

• T. Pinguet, B. Analui, E. Balmater, D. Guckenberger, M. Harrison, R. Koumans, D. Kucharski, Y. Liang, G. Masini, A. Mekis, S. Mirsaidi, A. Narasimha, M. Peterson, D. Rines, V. Sadagopan, S. Sahni, T. J. Sleboda, D. Song, Y. Wang, B. Welch, J. Witzens, J. Yao, S. Abdalla, S. Gloeckner, and P. De Dobbelaer, “Monolithically Integrated High-Speed CMOS Photonic Transceivers,” in Proceedings of IEEE Conference on Group IV Photonics, 5th International Conference (2008).
• K. Preston, C. B. Poitras, M. Thompson, and M. Lipson, “Photonic devices in low-temperature laser-crystallized deposited silicon,” in Proceedings of Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS) (2010).
• K. Lee, D. J. Shin, H. Ji, K. Na, S. G. Kim, J. Bok, Y. You, S. Kim, I. Joe, S. D. Suh, J. Pyo, Y. Shin, K. Ha, Y. D. Park, and C. H. Chung, “10Gb/s Silicon Modulator Based on Bulk-Silicon Platform for DRAM Optical Interface,” in Optical Fiber Communication Conference, OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2011), paper JThA033.
• RSoft Photonics CAD Layout User Guide, Rsoft Design Group, Inc. Physical Layer Division, 200 Executive Blvd. Ossining, NY 10562.

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