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Journal ArticleDOI

High-speed light Modulation in avalanche breakdown mode for Si diodes

30 Aug 2004-IEEE Electron Device Letters (IEEE)-Vol. 25, Iss: 9, pp 628-630
TL;DR: In this paper, the limiting speed of light emission from a p-n junction in the forward bias region is determined by the transit time of the minority carriers across the junction during the filament formation of breakdown currents, which is demonstrated by simulation of the propagation of a shockwave-like pattern in the breakdown field.
Abstract: The light emission process from a p-n junction in the forward-bias region is slow to respond to modulation signals due to the indirect band structure of silicon Experimental results for a reverse-bias region showing light modulation in the range of tens of gigahertz are observed for the first time For such a light emitter, the limiting speed of light modulation is shown to be determined by the transit time of the minority carriers across the junction during the filament formation of breakdown currents, which has been demonstrated by simulation of the propagation of a shockwave-like pattern in the breakdown field
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the dispersion properties of the Si Av LED were investigated and a microfluidic channel sensor was designed by using the properties of dispersion characteristics owned by Si Av LEDs.
Abstract: Silicon avalanche light-emitting devices (Si Av LEDs) offer various possibilities for realizing micro- and even nano- optical biosensors directly on chip. The light-emitting devices (LEDs) operate in the wavelength range of about 450-850nm, and their optical power emitted is of the order of a few hundreds of nW/µm2. These LEDs could be fabricated in micro- and nano- dimensions by using modern semiconductor fabrication processing technologies through the mainstream of silicon material. Through a series of experiments, the dispersion phenomena in the Si Av LED are observed. Also, its light emission point was proved to locate at about one micron just below the silicon-silicon oxide interface. Subsequently, a micro-fluidic channel sensor was designed by using the dispersion characteristics owned by the Si Av LED. The analytes flowing through a micro-fluidic channel could be studied by their specific transmittance and absorption spectra. Moreover, simulations verify that a novel designed waveguide-based sensor could be fabricated on chip between the Si optical source and the Si P-I-N detector.

240 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a three-terminal Si light emitting device is described where both the light intensity and spatial light pattern of the device are controlled by the gate voltage, depending on the bias conditions.
Abstract: The motivation of this study is to develop a p–n junction based light emitting device, in which the light emission is conventionally realized using reverse current driving, by voltage driving. By introducing an additional terminal of insulated gate for voltage driving, a novel three-terminal Si light emitting device is described where both the light intensity and spatial light pattern of the device are controlled by the gate voltage. The proposed light emitting device employs injection-enhanced Si in avalanche mode where electric field confinement occurs in the corner of a reverse-biased p+n junction. It is found that, depending on the bias conditions, the light intensity is either a linear or a quadratic function of the applied gate voltage or the reverse-bias. Since the light emission is based on the avalanching mode, the Si light emitting device offers the potential for very large scale integration-compatible light emitters for inter- or intra-chip signal transmission and contactless functional testing of wafers.

117 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new MOS-like structure utilizing deep p-well is presented, and compared with conventional planar p-n junction diode at visible wavelength and avalanching bias conditions, with experimental results for a reverse-bias region showing light modulation.
Abstract: This paper studies integrated silicon light emitter implemented in standard CMOS technologies. A new MOS-like structure utilizing deep p-well is presented, and compared with conventional planar p-n junction diode at visible wavelength and avalanching bias conditions. Prototype light emitter is fabricated in a 3- $\mu \text{m}$ standard CMOS technology, and its dc, phase shift, and direct modulation frequency response with nanowatt power level are characterized, with experimental results for a reverse-bias region showing light modulation with the simulated maximum modulation frequency around $\sim 45$ GHz being reported.

115 citations


Cites background from "High-speed light Modulation in aval..."

  • ...Switching rates of up to a few tens of GHz are presented, which is comparable with the device realized in SOI technology....

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  • ...The rapid device speed is still much higher than that of avalanchebreakdown based Si diode light emitter [21], and is in good agreement with the Si gate-controlled diode light emitter’s maximum modulation frequency in theory, which is in the range of ∼54 to ∼89 GHz [30]–[32]....

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  • ...Accordingly, the modulation speed is around a few tens of GHz [40]....

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  • ...Despite the low optical emission power, a reverse-biased silicon p-n junction operating in avalanche breakdown can reach a modulation speed of 20 GHz [21]....

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  • ...The Si-PMOSFET’s CMOS-compatible silicon based lightemission technology could potentially solve the bottleneck of electronic data transmission with the following characteristics: a) the use of silicon light sources allows monolithic integration with associated circuitry; b) the full compatibility with the standard CMOS and BiCMOS process technology implies low integrated circuit development and manufacturing costs; c) such a bulk-CMOS vertical Si light emitter generally allows switching frequencies in excess of 10 GHz due to the very fast transmission of impact ionized carriers in the p-n junction’s depletion region....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the switching characteristics of a Si-PMOSFET light-emitting device with an insulated-gate terminal were investigated, and a model was developed to explain the modulation speed.
Abstract: In this paper, the switching characteristics as associated with ${\rm p}+{\rm n}$ gated MOSFET silicon LED are reviewed. By employing the insulated-gate terminal, which allows the adjustment of ${\rm P}^{+}$ source/drain to N-substrate junction breakdown voltage, it is demonstrated that the electro-optical modulation in the Si-PMOSFET device operates as gate-controlled diodes. The PMOSFET device can operate as a Si-diode LED or an Si gate-controlled diode LED. The main features of switching transitions of Si-diode LED and Si gate-controlled diode LED are characterized, and a model is developed to explain the modulation speed, which is then reviewed. The upper limit derived value for the expected maximum modulation of the device could be in the range of a few hundred GHz. According to the best of my knowledge, despite the low efficiency, the Si-PMOSFET light-emitting device will be a potentially key component for silicon photonic integrated circuits for future computing I/O applications.

41 citations


Cites background from "High-speed light Modulation in aval..."

  • ...breakdown mode, and this speed is much higher than that of forward-biased silicon p-n junctions [18]....

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
14 Sep 2001-Science
TL;DR: Analysis of fundamental, material, device, circuit, and system limits reveals that silicon technology has an enormous remaining potential to achieve terascale integration (TSI) of more than 1 trillion transistors per chip.
Abstract: Throughout the past four decades, silicon semiconductor technology has advanced at exponential rates in both performance and productivity. Concerns have been raised, however, that the limits of silicon technology may soon be reached. Analysis of fundamental, material, device, circuit, and system limits reveals that silicon technology has an enormous remaining potential to achieve terascale integration (TSI) of more than 1 trillion transistors per chip. Such massive-scale integration is feasible assuming the development and economical mass production of double-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors with gate oxide thickness of about 1 nanometer, silicon channel thickness of about 3 nanometers, and channel length of about 10 nanometers. The development of interconnecting wires for these transistors presents a major challenge to the achievement of nanoelectronics for TSI.

355 citations


"High-speed light Modulation in aval..." refers background in this paper

  • ...OPTICAL interconnects for electronic circuits present an attractive alternative solution for the problem of interchip communication, for which current evolutionary approaches look inadequate [1]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a photon emission efficiency of 2.9*10/sup 5/ photons with energy higher than 1.14 eV per carrier crossing the junction, independent of the lattice temperature down to 20 K, was measured.
Abstract: Spectrally resolved absolute measurements of hot-carrier-induced photon emission in silicon are reported. In order to avoid uncertainties in geometrical and physical parameters, the simplest conceivable device, an avalanching p-n junction, was used. A photon emission efficiency of 2.9*10/sup 5/ photons with energy higher than 1.14 eV per carrier crossing the junction, independent of the lattice temperature down to 20 K, was measured. On the basis of these results the bremsstrahlung origin of the hot-carrier-induced light emission is critically reviewed. >

326 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the propagation of the avalanche multiplication over the area of p−n junctions reverse biased above the breakdown voltage was investigated, and it was shown that diffusion of carriers assisted by avalanche multiplication strongly affects the rise of avalanche current and turns out to limit the performance of single photon avalanche diodes.
Abstract: We have investigated for the first time the propagation of the avalanche multiplication over the area of p‐n junctions reverse biased above the breakdown voltage. The multiplication process spreads from the point where the avalanche is triggered to the whole junction area with a speed proportional to the final steady‐state value of the avalanche current. The values of the propagation speed suggest that the phenomenon is due to diffusion of carriers assisted by avalanche multiplication. This effect strongly affects the rise of the avalanche current and turns out to limit the performance of single photon avalanche diodes.

64 citations


"High-speed light Modulation in aval..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Among the many theories, which have been partially able to explain the nature of the breakdown radiation, Bremsstrahlung, postulated by Figielski and Torun, has been regarded as the major cause of the visible range radiation in Si [2]–[7]....

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  • ...Most of these devices operate in the forward-bias region where reliability, speed, and efficiency of the silicon light-emitting devices remain a problem [2]–[7]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the spreading of the avalanche process over the area of reach-through avalanche photodiodes operated in Geiger mode and found that photons emitted from hot carrier relaxations played the dominant role in the avalanche dynamics.
Abstract: We have investigated the spreading of the avalanche process over the area of reach‐through avalanche photodiodes operated in Geiger mode. A comparison between the measurements and the results of a computer simulation suggests that photons emitted from hot carrier relaxations play the dominant role in the avalanche dynamics. It is the randomness of the photon‐assisted process which impairs the performance of these detectors in timing measurements.

57 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a variety of two terminal and multiterminal integrated silicon light-emitting devices (Si-LEDs) can be routinely fabricated without any adaptation to the process, enabling the production of all-silicon monolithic optoelectronic systems.
Abstract: It is shown that, by using conventional VLSI design rules and device processing, a variety of two terminal and multiterminal integrated silicon light-emitting devices (Si-LEDs) can be routinely fabricated without any adaptation to the process, enabling the production of all-silicon monolithic optoelectronic systems. Their specific performance can be tailored by their different geometries and structures, yielding, by design, area, line, and point light-emitting patterns. The light-generating mechanisms are based on carrier quantum transitions in Si pn junctions, operated in the field emission or avalanche modes. Field emission Si-LEDs can operate at supply voltages compatible with those of integrated circuits (5 V or less). Avalanche Si-LEDs require higher operating voltages, but yield higher light intensities. The two terminal Si-LEDs yield a linear relation between the emitted light intensity and the driving current. The multiterminal Si-LEDs exhibit a nonlinear relation between the light emission intensity and the controlling electrical signal, enabling signal processing operations, which can not be attained in two terminal Si-LEDs. Two basic structures of multi terminal Si-LEDs are presented, i.e MOS-like structures, or carrier injection based structures (BJT-like devices). They possess different input impedances and both their emitted light intensities and emitting area patterns can be controlled by the input electrical signal.

56 citations


"High-speed light Modulation in aval..." refers background in this paper

  • ...hundreds of megahertz have been reported [9]....

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  • ...Quantum efficiencies for such light emissions in the range of have been reported in the literature as compared to III-V materials having a quantum efficiency of the order of [9]....

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