Detailed Description
In view of the shortcomings in the prior art, the inventor of the present invention has long studied and practiced in a large number of ways to propose the technical scheme of the present invention. The technical scheme, the implementation process, the principle and the like are further explained as follows.
The silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention adopts reverse injection to realize effective collection of electron carriers in a luminescent medium by electron-hole pairs, and can effectively realize particle number inversion of conduction band energy valley electrons and valence band top holes capable of emitting light, thereby realizing electric injection lasing of the silicon-based laser; and the epitaxial structure and the manufacturing method of the three-terminal silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention can be compatible with the CMOS large-scale integrated circuit process, and can combine silicon-based optoelectronics with silicon-based microelectronics.
The embodiment of the invention provides a silicon-based semiconductor laser, which comprises a first diode structure, a light-emitting active region and a second diode structure, wherein the light-emitting active region is arranged between the first diode structure and the second diode structure, the first diode structure and the second diode structure comprise pn diodes or Schottky diodes, when a preset reverse bias voltage is applied to the first diode structure and/or the second diode structure, a large amount of electrons generated by reverse breakdown of the diodes can be injected into the light-emitting active region by the first diode structure and/or the second diode structure, and an electric field trap is generated on the electrons in the light-emitting active region by a reverse electric field generated by the reverse bias voltage, so that the electrons are limited in the light-emitting active region.
In some more specific embodiments, the first diode structure is a pn diode structure, and the first diode structure includes a first silicon layer, a second silicon layer and a third silicon layer which are sequentially stacked, and a first SiGe layer and a light-emitting active region are sequentially stacked on the third silicon layer, where the first silicon layer and the light-emitting active region are of a first conductivity type, and the second silicon layer, the third silicon layer and the first SiGe layer are of a second conductivity type;
or, the first diode structure is a schottky diode structure, the first diode structure comprises a first metal layer, a second silicon layer and a third silicon layer which are sequentially stacked, and a first SiGe layer and a light-emitting active region are sequentially stacked on the third silicon layer, wherein the light-emitting active region is of a first conductivity type, and the second silicon layer, the third silicon layer and the first SiGe layer are of a second conductivity type.
Further, the second silicon layer and the third silicon layer are respectively n + Silicon layer, n - A silicon layer of n - A SiGe layer having a p-type light emitting active region ++ SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well light emitting active region.
Further, the first silicon layer is p ++ And a type silicon layer.
In some more specific embodiments, the silicon-based semiconductor laser further comprises a silicon substrate, and the first silicon layer is formed on the silicon substrate.
In some more specific embodiments, the second diode structure is a pn diode structure, the second diode structure includes a fourth silicon layer, a fifth silicon layer and a sixth silicon layer stacked in sequence, and the light emitting active region is sequentially stacked with a second SiGe layer and a fourth silicon layer, where the sixth silicon layer and the light emitting active region are of the first conductivity type, and the fourth silicon layer, the fifth silicon layer and the second SiGe layer are of the second conductivity type;
or the second diode structure is a schottky diode structure, the second diode structure comprises a fourth silicon layer, a fifth silicon layer and a second metal layer which are sequentially stacked, and a second SiGe layer and a fourth silicon layer are sequentially stacked on the light-emitting active region, wherein the light-emitting active region is of a first conductivity type, and the fourth silicon layer, the fifth silicon layer and the second SiGe layer are of a second conductivity type.
Further, the fourth silicon layer and the fifth silicon layer are respectively n - Silicon layer, n + A silicon layer of n type - A SiGe layer having a p-type light emitting active region ++ SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well light emitting active region.
Further, the sixth silicon layer is p ++ And a type silicon layer.
Further, the light emitting active region is connected to a high potential, the first silicon layer or the first metal layer in the first diode structure is connected to a low potential, and the sixth silicon layer or the second metal layer in the second diode structure is connected to a low potential.
Further, at least part of the structure layer in the first diode structure is formed as a first waveguide structure.
Further, at least part of the structure layer in the second diode structure is formed as a second waveguide structure.
Further, the first diode structure, the light emitting active region and the second diode structure are integrally arranged.
Further, the silicon-based semiconductor laser is a three-terminal semiconductor laser device.
Further, laser light generated by the silicon-based semiconductor laser is emitted from cleaved side surfaces of the silicon (100).
The embodiment of the invention also provides a manufacturing method of the silicon-based semiconductor laser, which comprises the following steps: and sequentially growing a first diode structure or a semiconductor structure of the first diode structure, a light-emitting active region, a second diode structure or a semiconductor structure of the second diode structure on the silicon substrate.
Further, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: removing the silicon substrate, and manufacturing a first metal layer matched with the semiconductor structure of the first diode structure to form a first diode;
further, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: and manufacturing a second metal layer matched with the semiconductor structure of the second diode structure to form the second diode.
Further, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: and processing at least part of the structural layers in the first diode structure to form a first waveguide structure.
Further, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps: and processing at least part of the structural layer in the second diode structure so as to form a second waveguide structure.
The technical scheme, the implementation process and the principle thereof are further explained with reference to the attached drawings.
The embodiment of the invention provides an epitaxial structure and a manufacturing method of a silicon-based semiconductor laser, and the silicon-based semiconductor laser can be manufactured and formed on a process compatible with the existing silicon-based semiconductor, so that the technical problem that the laser cannot be manufactured in the silicon-based process effectively in the silicon photonics at present is solved.
Referring to fig. 2, a silicon-based semiconductor laser includes p stacked sequentially in a thickness direction on a silicon substrate ++ Silicon layer, n + Silicon layer, n - Silicon layer, n - SiGe layer, p ++ SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well, n - SiGe layer, n - Silicon layer, n + Silicon layer, p ++ A silicon layer of p ++ Silicon layer and n + Silicon layer, n - The silicon layers are combined to form a pn diode, p ++ A SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well sandwiched between two of the n-type quantum wells - Between SiGe layers, wherein the n - The SiGe layer serves as a transition layer for the silicon-based semiconductor laser.
Referring to fig. 3, a silicon-based semiconductor laser includes p stacked sequentially in a thickness direction on a silicon substrate ++ Silicon layer, n + Silicon layer, n - Silicon layer, n - SiGe layer, p ++ SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well, n - SiGe layer, n - Silicon layer, n + A silicon layer, a metal layer, p ++ Silicon layer and n + Silicon layer, n - The metal layer and n are combined to form a pn diode + Silicon layer, n - The silicon layers are combined to form a Schottky diode, p ++ A SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well sandwiched between two of the n-type quantum wells - Between the SiGe layers.
Referring to FIG. 4, a silicon-based semiconductor laser includes metal layers, n, stacked in sequence in a thickness direction + Silicon layer, n - Silicon layer, n - SiGe layer, p ++ SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well, n - SiGe layer, n - Silicon layer, n + A silicon layer, a metal layer, the metal layer and n + Silicon layer, n - Silicon layer, combined to form schottky diode, p ++ A SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well sandwiched between two of the n-type quantum wells - Between the SiGe layers.
The manufacturing method of the silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention at least comprises the following steps:
(1) The SiGe/Ge quantum well material system is adopted, and the material system can generate effective electroluminescence;
unlike available technology, which adopts high concentration doped n-type impurity in Ge luminous medium, the present invention adopts modulation doping mode to fill p-type hole in high concentration, and the modulation doping mode may be used in doping different concentration and material in different area; the silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the invention is characterized in that a large amount of electrons generated by reverse breakdown of a diode (which can be a pn junction diode or a Schottky diode) are injected into a high-energy gamma valley of Ge, the electrons are relaxed to the gamma valley, the relaxation process is shown as a process 0 in the figure 1, and the time of the process 0 is only in the sub-picosecond order; electrons at the bottom of the gamma valley are rapidly transferred into the L energy valley through electrons between the energy valleys, as shown in a process 1 in fig. 1, wherein the process 1 is only in the picosecond order; the electrons at the bottom of the L energy valley have only one exit, i.e., recombine with holes at the valence band apex Γ by phonon-assisted luminescence, however, this process (process 2) is very slow, as shown in process 2 in FIG. 1, process 2 requires on the order of nearly microseconds.
Since electrons in the L-valleys escape almost as soon as possible (process 1 is nearly 6 orders of magnitude faster than process 2), if the number of electrons injected into Ge reaches a certain level (as long as process 1 is at a rate greater than process 2 and lasts long enough), the energy state of the L-valleys is easily filled, the quasi-fermi level in the conduction band can be raised to exceed the Γ -valleys, so that electrons in the Γ -valleys of the conduction band can recombine with holes at the Γ -peaks of the valence band, as shown in process 3 in fig. 1, process 3 can satisfy conservation of momentum, emit photons, i.e., realize electroluminescence, and process 3 is in nanosecond order.
(2) Providing a reasonable quantum well structure, taking SiGe/Ge multi-quantum wells as a light-emitting active region of a semiconductor laser, and enabling the light-emitting active region to be distributed in n-type doped silicon to form a p-n-p-n-p or p-n-p-n-m (metal) or m-n-p-n-m device structure;
in this structure, as shown in fig. 2, the top electrode (i.e., the diode stacked above the SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well, corresponding to the aforementioned second diode or second diode structure, the same applies hereinafter) and the bottom electrode (i.e., the diode stacked below the SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well, corresponding to the aforementioned first diode or first diode structure, the same applies hereinafter) may be pn diodes, so that the semiconductor laser forms a p-n-p-n-p structure, and an ohmic electrode is fabricated in the p-type region, and the n-type region is suspended, thereby forming a three-terminal device structure.
Alternatively, as shown in fig. 3, the top electrode may be a schottky diode and the bottom electrode a pn diode, so that the semiconductor laser forms a p-n-p-n-m (m represents a metal, and is the same below) structure.
Alternatively, as shown in fig. 4, the top and bottom electrodes may also each be a schottky diode, thereby forming an m-n-p-n-m structure for the semiconductor laser.
In the following, only the pn diode will be described as an example of the top electrode and the bottom electrode, but of course, the top electrode and the bottom electrode of the present invention may be pn diodes or schottky diodes.
(3) Referring to fig. 2, taking a semiconductor laser with a p-n-p-n-p device structure as an example, a highly doped p-type light emitting active region is sandwiched between two n-type regions, and the injection of holes is realized by directly connecting the outer electrode to a high potential, and the other two p-type regions are connected to a low potential through a p-type ohmic electrode.
In the semiconductor laser structure shown in fig. 2, the pn diode near the light emitting active region is biased by forward voltage to ensure that the discontinuity amount of the valence band of the SiGe/Ge heterojunction is large enough to ensure that holes injected into the light emitting active region must be confined in the SiGe/Ge multiple quantum well and cannot diffuse into the n-type Si region because of Si 1-x Ge x Si, x is more than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1, and the discontinuous amount of the valence band of the system can reach about 0.5eV, which is enough to limit holes in the luminous active region.
(4) Referring again to fig. 2, in the p-n-p-n-p device structure shown in fig. 2, two pn diodes near the periphery are reverse voltage biased, and the two pn diodes must be designed to operate for reverse breakdown so that they can be relatively easily broken down under the operating condition (the present invention is not limited by the mechanism of reverse breakdown, such as avalanche breakdown or zener breakdown, etc.), and a large amount of electrons will be injected into the light emitting active region due to reverse breakdown.
It should be noted that, the pn diode or the schottky diode which is reversely biased increases the potential barrier of the conduction band electron, and the potential barrier and the conduction band on both sides form an energy trap of the conduction band electron, because the energy trap is established by applying a reverse electric field, the structure can be called an "electric field trap" (Electric Field Well); in the electric field trap, electrons generated by reverse breakdown can be effectively collected by the light-emitting active region because the light-emitting active region is clamped between two reverse pn diodes, so that the concentration of conduction band electrons is rapidly improved.
Since both L- Γ and X- Γ transitions of electrons violate conservation of momentum, the recombination lifetime is extremely long and almost cannot occur within an effective time, so that the only way for electrons in the conduction band is to directly band gap luminescence recombination with holes in the luminescence active region, i.e. Γ - Γ luminescence recombination transition occurs, if the reverse breakdown injection rate is large enough, the quasi fermi level of conduction band electrons can be raised to the Γ level covering the conduction band, and Γ - Γ luminescence recombination transition can be effectively realized.
In the silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention, because the conduction band discontinuity of the germanium-silicon system is smaller, in order to prevent electrons injected into the light-emitting active region from escaping, so that more opportunities for gamma-gamma light-emitting composite transition occur, reverse bias is required to be added to pn junctions or Schottky junctions at two sides of the light-emitting active region, the potential barrier of electrons from the active region is improved, the probability of electrons escaping from the active region is reduced, and the electron escape is limited by utilizing an electric field trap.
Specifically, when a reverse bias voltage is applied to the first diode structure and/or the second diode structure, the first diode structure and/or the second diode structure can operate in a reverse breakdown mode, generate a large amount of electrons, and inject the electrons into the light emitting active region; and the reverse electric field established by the reverse bias voltage applied across the first diode structure and/or the second diode structure is capable of forming an electric field trap, confining electrons to the light emitting active region.
Referring to fig. 5, since the discontinuity of conduction band in the sige system is small, electrons injected reversely from the left side as shown in fig. 5 easily cross the lower barrier on the right side and escape from the light-emitting active region to enter the p++ region on the right side, thereby reducing the probability of occurrence of Γ - Γ light-emitting recombination transition between the active region and holes. In order to improve the residence time of electrons injected into the light-emitting active region from the left side in the light-emitting active region and improve the probability of gamma-gamma light-emitting recombination, as shown in fig. 6, the reverse bias voltage is applied to the pn diode at the right side of the light-emitting active region, so that the potential barrier required by the electrons in the light-emitting active region to escape is improved, an electric field trap is formed, the residence time of the electrons in the light-emitting active region is increased, and the light-emitting efficiency is improved.
Referring to fig. 6 again, the semiconductor laser shown in fig. 6 adopts single-side injection, electrons in the light-emitting active region are injected by the reverse breakdown mechanism of the pn diode at the left side, and holes are injected by the external electrode of the light-emitting active region; the pn diode on the right is reverse biased to establish a potential barrier to prevent electrons from escaping from the light emitting active region. Further, the right pn diode may also be designed to operate in a reverse breakdown mode, where electrons may also be injected into the light emitting active region by the reverse breakdown mechanism by the right pn diode; the principle of the silicon-based semiconductor laser adopting the double-sided reverse breakdown injection can be referred to as fig. 7.
(5) In the silicon-based semiconductor laser with the p-n-p-n-p device structure provided by the embodiment of the invention, the silicon substrates and the silicon doped layers at two sides of the light-emitting active region become the optical waveguide of the silicon-based semiconductor laser, and photon leakage generated by the light-emitting active region of the optical waveguide region is inhibited.
Example 1
In order to make the silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention easier to generate the gamma-gamma luminescence composite transition, the energy of the conduction band gamma energy valley needs to be reduced as much as possible, so that the conduction band gamma energy valley is as close as possible to the L energy valley, and even is lower than the L energy valley. In this embodiment, germanium and silicon are selected to make up the quantum well system.
As shown in fig. 8a and 8b, fig. 8a and 8b show energy band diagrams of germanium under unstrained and tensile strain conditions, respectively, wherein the energy band of germanium is as shown in fig. 8 (a) and the energy difference between Γ and L energy valleys is Δe1=0.178 eV when the germanium is unstrained; under tensile strain, the energy difference between the gamma energy valley and the L energy valley of germanium is delta E2, and can be reduced to zero, so that the germanium-silicon system becomes a direct band gap semiconductor; therefore, in this embodiment, by changing the band structure of the germanium-silicon system by tensile stress, the energy difference between Γ energy valley and L energy valley can be reduced, and the light emitting efficiency of the silicon-based semiconductor laser of the present invention can be improved.
In the present embodiment, si is used as 1-x Ge x /Si 1-y Ge y Quantum well system as light emitting active region, where x<0.85<y, FIG. 9 shows the hair in this embodimentAn optically active region band diagram wherein in region (III) due to electron injection, the electron quasi-fermi energy level of the system is higher than the Γ energy valley of germanium, so that a large number of electrons can undergo Γ - Γ luminescence recombination with holes near the valence band, thereby emitting photons; in the region (II) and the region (IV), the electron quasi-fermi energy level of the system is only higher than the X energy valley of germanium, but lower than the L energy valley and the gamma energy valley, and electrons in the X energy valley cannot be effectively compounded due to the fact that wave vectors of the electrons are inconsistent with the gamma energy valley in the valence band, and the wave vector selection rule is not met; the L energy valley and the gamma energy valley are greatly higher than the electron quasi-fermi energy level, and no electron filling exists, so that recombination cannot occur; thus, the region in the system where Γ - Γ light emission recombination can effectively occur is in regions (I) and (III).
As shown in fig. 10, the silicon-based semiconductor laser in this embodiment emits from the cleaved side of the silicon (100), in which the silicon substrate and the silicon doped layer on both sides of the light emitting active region serve as the optical waveguide of the silicon-based semiconductor laser, and the photon leakage generated in the light emitting active region of the optical waveguide region is suppressed, so that the silicon-based semiconductor laser provided in the embodiment of the invention effectively realizes the respective confinement of photons and electron hole carriers, improves the optical gain in the laser resonator, and realizes lasing.
The silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention has a p-n-p-n-p or p-n-p-n-m (metal) or m-n-p-n-m structure, and is a three-terminal semiconductor laser device.
The silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention utilizes electrons generated by reverse breakdown (avalanche breakdown or zener breakdown) of a pn diode to realize electron injection into a light-emitting active region; electrons are limited in the light-emitting active region by utilizing the electric field trap, so that the electrons are prevented from escaping, and the efficiency of direct band gap light-emitting recombination of electrons and holes in the light-emitting active region is improved.
The silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention realizes hole injection into a light-emitting active region by utilizing the transport of a transverse carrier in a p-n-p-n-p or p-n-p-n-m or m-n-p-n-m structure middle p-type region; the injected hole carriers are limited to the active region by utilizing the discontinuous quantity of valence bands of the n-type region and the middle p-type region, so that the inversion of the number of particles of laser excitation can be satisfied.
According to the silicon-based semiconductor laser provided by the embodiment of the invention, electrons are limited in the active region by utilizing potential barriers generated by reverse bias of the diode, so that effective collection of injected electron carriers is realized, the quasi-Fermi energy level of conduction band electrons is improved to the direct energy valley of the conduction band of the active region, and further the particle number inversion and laser excitation are realized; .
It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention and implement the same according to the present invention without limiting the scope of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention should be construed to be included in the scope of the present invention.