(Si)GeSn semiconductors are finally coming of age after a long gestation period. The demonstration of device-quality epi-layers and quantum-engineered heterostructures has meant that tunable all-group IV Si-integrated infrared photonics is now a real possibility. Notwithstanding the recent exciting developments in (Si)GeSn materials and devices, this family of semiconductors is still facing serious limitations that need to be addressed to enable reliable and scalable applications. The main outstanding challenges include the difficulty to grow high-crystalline quality layers and heterostructures at the desired content and lattice strain, preserve the material integrity during growth and throughout device processing steps, and control doping and defect density. Other challenges are related to the lack of optimized device designs and predictive theoretical models to evaluate and simulate the fundamental properties and performance of (Si)GeSn layers and heterostructures. This Perspective highlights key strategies to circumvent these hurdles and hopefully bring this material system to maturity to create far-reaching opportunities for Si-compatible infrared photodetectors, sensors, and emitters for applications in free-space communication, infrared harvesting, biological and chemical sensing, and thermal imaging.
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15 March 2021
Perspective|
March 19 2021
Monolithic infrared silicon photonics: The rise of (Si)GeSn semiconductors
O. Moutanabbir
;
O. Moutanabbir
a)
1
Department of Engineering Physics, École Polytechnique de Montréal
, Montréal, C.P. 6079, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3A7, Canada
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
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S. Assali
;
S. Assali
1
Department of Engineering Physics, École Polytechnique de Montréal
, Montréal, C.P. 6079, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3A7, Canada
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X. Gong
;
X. Gong
2
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore
, 4 Engineering Drive 3, 117583 Singapore
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E. O'Reilly
;
E. O'Reilly
3
Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Dyke Parade
, Cork T12 R5CP, Ireland
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C. A. Broderick
;
C. A. Broderick
3
Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Dyke Parade
, Cork T12 R5CP, Ireland
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B. Marzban
;
B. Marzban
4
Institute of Integrated Photonics, RWTH Aachen University
, Campus-Boulevard 73, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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J. Witzens
;
J. Witzens
4
Institute of Integrated Photonics, RWTH Aachen University
, Campus-Boulevard 73, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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W. Du
;
W. Du
5
Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics, Wilkes University
, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18701, USA
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S-Q. Yu;
S-Q. Yu
6
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas
, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
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A. Chelnokov
;
A. Chelnokov
7
University Grenoble Alpes, CEA
, Leti, 38054 Grenoble, France
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D. Buca
;
D. Buca
8
Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9), Forschungszentrum Jülich
, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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D. Nam
D. Nam
9
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 110502 (2021)
Article history
Received:
January 08 2021
Accepted:
March 02 2021
Citation
O. Moutanabbir, S. Assali, X. Gong, E. O'Reilly, C. A. Broderick, B. Marzban, J. Witzens, W. Du, S-Q. Yu, A. Chelnokov, D. Buca, D. Nam; Monolithic infrared silicon photonics: The rise of (Si)GeSn semiconductors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 15 March 2021; 118 (11): 110502. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0043511
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