The Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) photonic has become an attractive research topic within the area of integrated optics. The use of silicon for optical purposes as for optical amplifiers and lasers is provided by the Raman effect. Due to the full compatibility of the manufacturing processes for silicon photonics and CMOS-electronics, the integration of both electronic and optical devices on the same substrate is possible.

The project described here, founded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), deals with the design, the production and the characterization of low loss nanophotonic wave guides (nanowires) and tuneable elements as Mach-Zehnder-Interferometers and ring resonators on SOI substrates. DUV-contact- or nanoimprint-lithography and an advanced silicon etch process are used to structure the nanowires. The waveguides are smoothed and shrunken in a following thermal oxidation process.

For multipexing and adjusting of production tolerances, tuneable filters and switches as ring resonators and Mach-Zehnder-Interferometers are required. For the thermo- and elasto-optic tuning of the waveguides, a electrostatically deflectable SiO₂-membrane system has been developed. The nanowires and thin Al-films used as heaters or contacts are place onto the freestanding membranes. The membranes can be deflected electrostatically until the pull-in deflection is reached and the membranes turn completely down. For the thermo-optic tuning, the membranes ensure good thermal insulation to the substrate when heating up the Al-films and thus the waveguides. The thermo-optic and elasto-optic effect could be determined for SOI nanowires and a 1 mW switch was fabricated.

Contact:

Oliver Horn, Dipl.-Ing. Julia Armthor

Publications: 

• Low Power Optic Switch Using SOI-Nanowires; 6th International Conference on Group IV Photonics ; San Francisco, USA, 9-11 September (Paper FC5); J. Amthor, O. Horn, T. Lipka, A. Savov, J. Müller;
• Thermo-optic and Elasto-optic Tuning of Silicon Nanowires; SPIE Europe Microtechnologies for the New Millennium; Dresden; Germany, 2009; J. Amthor, O. Horn, T. Lipka, J. Müller
• The Elasto-Optic and the Thermo-Optic Effect in Silicon Nanowires; 5th International Conference on Group IV Photonics ; Sorrento, Italy, 17-19 September (Paper ThP7; pp 265-267 ); J. Amthor, O. Horn, T. Lipka, J. Müller;
• Thermo-optic and Elasto-optic Tuning of Silicon Nanowires; Workshop on Tunable and Active Silicon Photonics; Hamburg, Germany, 28-30 September (Paper Su8), (2008); J. Amthor, O. Horn, T. Lipka, J. Müller
• Auslenkbare SiO2-Membranen zur Abstimmung von Si-Nanowires; Mikrosystemtechnik Kongress; Berlin; Germany, 2009; J. Amthor, O. Horn, T. Lipka, A. Savov, J. Müller
• Amorphous Silicon 3-D Tapers for Si Photonic Wires Fabricated With Shadow Masks; IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 20, no. 17; September 1, 2008; A. Harke, T. Lipka, J. Amthor, O. Horn, M. Krause, and J. Müller
• Silicon Photonic Wires Using Contact Lithography; 5th International Conference on Group IV Photonics; Sorrento, Italy, 17-19 September (Paper ThP5; pp 259-261); O. Horn, J. Müler, T. Lipka, J. Amthor
• Amorphous Silicon Spot-Size Converters Fabricated with a Shadow Mask; 5th International Conference on Group IV Photonics ; Sorrento, Italy, 17-19 September (Paper ThP 23; pp 311-313 ); T. Lipka, A. Harke, O. Horn, J. Amthor, J. Müller, M. Krause
• Tunable Silicon Photonic Wires Fabricated by Contact Lithography and Thermal Oxidation; SPIE Europe Microtechnologies for the New Millennium; Dresden; Germany, 2009; O. Horn, J. Amthor, T. Lipka, J. Müller
• Amorphous silicon as high index photonic material; SPIE Europe Microtechnologies for the New Millennium; Dresden; Germany, 2009; T. Lipka, O. Horn, J. Amthor, J. Müller
• Optical Components fabricated with Amorphous Silicon; Workshop on Tunable and Active Silicon Photonics; Hamburg, Germany, 28-30 September (Paper Su6), (2008); T. Lipka, O. Horn, J. Amthor, J. Müller
• Fabrication of Silicon Photonic Wires Using Contact Lithography and Thermal Oxidation; Workshop on Tunable and Active Silicon Photonics; Hamburg, Germany, 28-30 September (Paper Su7), (2008); O. Horn, J. Amthor, T. Lipka, J. Müller
• Amorphous waveguides for high index photonic circuitry; OFC/NFOEC 2009; San Diego, USA, 2009; T. Lipka, A. Harke, O. Horn, J. Amthor, J. Müller
• Optische Wellenleiter aus amorphem Silizium; Mikrosystemtechnik Kongress; Berlin; Germany, 2009; T. Lipka, A. Harke, O. Horn, J. Amthor, J. Müller