Market Watch Panel 5:

PIC vs. Si Photonics: Hype or Reality?

Review Light Sources for

PIC and Si-Photonics

Norman Kwong
BinOptics Corporation
Norman.kwong@binoptics.com

2014-3-13

Confidential 1
 Motivation of PIC and Si Photonics Technologies

• Lower Cost
• Lower Power Consumption
• Smaller size, high density
• Device uniformity, higher yield
• Automated manufacturing
• Higher reliability and Long service life

Confidential 2
 Comparing InP PIC and Silicon Photonics

InP base PIC Silicon Photonics

Good light source
Light source Need InP light source
material
Process complexity
Less mature Very mature
and maturity

Scale, wafer size Smaller size Large scale

Confidential 3
 Summary of level of Integration in InP and
Hybrid Silicon

Source: Martijn J. R. Heck (UCSB)

Confidential 4
 Example of InP based PIC

Source: JDSU
Confidential 5
 Example of InP based PIC

Source: Infinera
Confidential 6
 Example of InP based PIC

Source: Infinera
Confidential 7
 Example of Si Photonics Architecture

Source: Intel
Confidential 8
 Coupling light from InP Laser to Si chip
is a challenge

• Butt coupling
• Bulk optics
• Grating coupling
• Due mode mis-match between InP laser
and Silicon waveguide, Mode expander
technology is needed

Confidential 9
 Example of light source for the Si Photonics

Source: Intel, UCSB

Confidential 10
 Example of light source for the Si Photonics

Source: Luxtera
Confidential 11
 New Technologies

New Device Technologies

that enabling the PIC
and Si Photonics Devices

Confidential 12
 Conventional vs. Etched Facet Technology

Conventional Cleaved Facet Process Etched Facet Technology Process

1 Waveguide 1 Waveguide Formation

Formation Etch Mirrors
Contacts Contacts
Wafer Level Coatings

2 Cleave to Form
Mirrors

2 Test
3 Stack & Coat
Mirrors

4 Test
3 Singulate

5 Singulate

6 Package 4 Package

Over 50 million of laser sold

using the EFT technology
Confidential 13
 Dual Laser Cavity

 EFT provides extremely

precise control of dimensions
and allows designers to put
two laser cavities on one chip

 Designed so that one of two

cavities operates with the
correct phase

 Up to a doubling of chip yield

for DFB lasers

Confidential 14
 Reduced Laser Beam Divergence

 Reduced laser beam divergence to improve coupling to

waveguide
 Reduce packaging cost and lower power consumption
 Need mode expander technologies (such as SAG, or EFT)

Confidential 15
 Deterministic Facet Placement

 Place facets with extreme precision

 Eliminates the need to use costly active alignment; allows

passive alignment

Cleaved Facets Etched Facets

 Mechanical cleaving results in  Facet locations determined by

typical facet location ±5µm precision of lithography tools
from desired location (at best
±2µm) – Better than ±0.1µm

 Requires active alignment to  Can couple to other components

couple to other components with passive alignment

Confidential 16
 Deterministic Facet Placement

Passive alignment between InP source and

silicon photonics chip through use of fuducials

Compatible with flip-chip bonding

Confidential 17
 Angel Etching:
Horizontal Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (“HCSEL”)

 EFT allows etching independent of crystal orientation

 Smooth surface provides total internal reflection at angled facet; beam
emitted perpendicular to laser cavity
 HCSELs take up less space than traditional vertical cavity lasers

45° Mirror

Ridge Structure

45°
Mirror

Confidential 18
 Low Reflectivity Facets

 Etched-facets allow low reflectivity values by using angled

facets
facet coated with single layer of dielectric coating to
give 6% reflectivity at zero facet tilt angle
Normal to facet
measurements

Simulation
ridge
A

A = facet tilt angle

Low cost RSOA InP sources for

silicon photonics

Confidential 19
 Single Longitudinal Mode (SLM) Laser
with Etched Gratings

Gap in grating = multiple of half-wavelength of laser light

Confidential 20
 Example of an SLM Chip

Confidential 21
 SLM Laser Array – 1nm Wavelength Spacing

Single mode 9 laser array with 1nm spacing

Confidential 22
 Operation in Non-Hermetic Environments

Etched Facet Laser Cleaved Facet Laser

Possibility of delamination in
non-hermetic environments

 Etched-facet lasers can operate in non-hermetic environments (direct

exposure to temperature and humidity) since there are no exposed
semiconductor surfaces to degrade

 Passivation on etched facet devices

– Eliminates cost of bulky hermetic packages

– Enables use in new applications
Confidential 23
 Price issue for new technology introduction

Today Price
• Product price is
dropping every year

• Need price incentive

to design in (gain
New market share)
Technology
Price
Price

• Need volume to
reduce cost

• Many fail examples in

our industry (e.g.
PON business)

Time

Confidential 24
 New Challenge Ahead

• Can we find efficient ways to couple light to

Silicon chips
• Can we improve the wall plug efficiency
• Can we improve the yield to demonstrate
cost-effectiveness over the old technologies

Confidential 25
 Conclusion

PIC vs Si Photonics; Hype or Reality?

I believe both the InP base PIC and the Silicon

Photonics technologies are real and they are
happening

Each technology will find their places in

theTelecom and Datacom Industries.

It depends on the applications

Confidential 26