Abstract—Germanium (Ge)-based photonic devices are key components for silicon photonics integrated circuits. In this work, strain engineering is employed in these devices for performance optimization. Photoluminescence (PL) emission enhancement was observed for Ge epitaxial films with capping layers using standard CMOS materials. This was attributed to strain, as well as an increase in dopant density in the Ge films. The PL emission peak can either be red- or blue- shifted depending on the type of the capping layer stress. For optical detection, lateral and top stressors were incorporated in Ge photodetectors to achieve red-shifted responsivity roll-off till 1620 nm. These techniques demonstrate how light emission and detection can be optimized in Ge for optical communication applications.
Index Terms—Germanium, light source, photodetector, silicon photonics, Stressor.
The authors are with the Institute of Microelectronics, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 11 Science Park Road, Science ParkII, Singapore 117685 (e-mail: limej@ime.a-star.edu.sg).
Cite: Andy Eu-Jin Lim, Liang Ding, Tsung-Yang Liow, Ning Duan, Mingbin Yu, and Guo-Qiang Lo, "Performance Optimization in Germanium-Based Silicon Photonic Devices Using CMOS-Compatible Stressors," International Journal of Information and Electronics Engineering vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 844-847, 2012.