Device integration for silicon microphotonic platforms

Silicon ULSI compatible, high index contrast waveguides and devices provide high density integration for optical networking and on-chip optical interconnects. Four such waveguide systems were fabricated and analyzed: crystalline silicon-on-insulator (SOI) strip, polycrystalline silicon (polySi) strip, silicon nitride strip and SPARROW waveguides. The loss of 15 dB/cm measured through an SOI waveguide was the smallest ever measured for a silicon strip waveguide and is due to improved side-wall roughness. The TM mode of a single mode polySi strip waveguide with a 1:2.5 aspect ratio exhibited, surprisingly, smaller loss than the TE mode. Further, analysis shows that high index contrast waveguides are more sensitive to polarization dependent loss in the presence of surface roughness. Single mode bends and splits in both silicon and silicon nitride were studied. 0.01 dB/turn loss has been measured for 2 micron radius silicon bends. Polarization dependent loss was also observed; the bending loss of a TM mode was, as expected, much larger than that of a TE mode. The splitting losses for two-degree Y-split was 0.15 dB/split. A 1x16 multi-mode interferometer splitter occupied an area of 480 sq-microns and exhibited loss of 3 dB. ULSI compatible waveguide structures integrated with micro-resonators have been studied. Qs of 10000 and efficiencies close to 100% were achieved in high index contrast ring resonators and Qs of 100 million were achieved in microsphere resonators. A thermal and mechanical tuning mechanism was demonstrated for micro-ring resonators.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2000

Author dc:creator

• Lim, Desmond Rodney

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lionel C. Kimerling.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://theses.mit.edu/Dienst/UI/2.0/Describe/0018.mit.etheses%2f2000-260
• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier URI

http://theses.mit.edu/Dienst/UI/2.0/Describe/0018.mit.etheses%2f2000-260

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/16784