Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
  • B82Y10/00—Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
  • B82Y30/00—Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
  • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
  • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
  • G02F1/061—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on electro-optical organic material
  • G02F1/065—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on electro-optical organic material in an optical waveguide structure
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
  • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
  • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
  • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
  • H01S5/00—Semiconductor lasers
  • H01S5/50—Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
  • H10K30/00—Organic devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation
  • H10K30/60—Organic devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation in which radiation controls flow of current through the devices, e.g. photoresistors
  • H10K30/65—Light-sensitive field-effect devices, e.g. phototransistors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
  • B82Y20/00—Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
  • H10K85/00—Organic materials used in the body or electrodes of devices covered by this subclass
  • H10K85/20—Carbon compounds, e.g. carbon nanotubes or fullerenes
  • H10K85/221—Carbon nanotubes
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
  • Y02E10/549—Organic PV cells
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a photonic component comprising at least one linear optical waveguide of which a so-called active portion is surrounded on an electro-optic nanotubes component, an optronic hybrid or optically integrated circuit incorporating this component, and a manufacturing method. all or part of its periphery by a group of one or more substantially semiconducting nanotubes. These nanotubes interact with their external environment in an active zone extending on either side of the optical waveguide, to thereby induce an optical coupling between an electrical or optical signal applied to the nanotubes and on the other hand an optical signal. in the active portion of the waveguide.
• Such a component may in particular perform bipolar electro-optical functions of a light source, or modulator or detector, inside the optical guide, for example with an electro-optical coupling between, on the one hand, an electrical signal applied between the electrodes, and on the other hand an optical signal emitted or modified in the active portion of the optical waveguide towards the rest of said optical guide.
• the invention is in the topics of nanophotonics and optoelectronics for various applications: for example optical interconnections in future integrated circuits, optical telecommunications, biophotonics, on-chip laboratories, etc.
• optical circuits to process or transmit digital data, for example for telecommunications or in computing devices.
• So-called electro-optical or optronic components are used to manage information in these optical circuits and to enable them to interact with electronic circuits. These components include different types and in particular light sources, detectors, and modulators.
• Such a light source uses an electrical energy to produce a light, coherent (laser) or not, which can be injected into an optical waveguide to power an optical circuit.
• Such light sources are today often made of III-V type semiconductor materials.
• An electro-optical modulator receives an electrical signal and acts on a luminous flux to modulate it according to the electrical signal and thus provide a light signal, for example to transform an electrical telecommunication signal into an optical signal that will be injected into an optical fiber telecommunication long distance or even transoceanic.
• Such modulators are today often made in III-V semiconductor.
• Such a detector receives a flux or a light signal, and produces an electrical signal according to the received light signal, for example to decode an optical signal received from an optical fiber and turn it into an electrical signal that can be processed by a computer.
• Such detectors are today often made with germanium or InGaAs.
• a greater compactness of the circuits and components is interesting to increase the density of the circuits so the miniaturization and / or the performance of the apparatuses which they make it possible to realize.
• Optical or optoelectronic integrated circuits are increasingly used in many fields.
• the interconnections are more and more complex, and the current circuits have more than 12 metal / dielectric levels used to realize communication channels between different sets of transistors within the same integrated circuit.
• optical interconnections involves the integration of electro-optical components within the electronic integrated circuits, such as sources, modulators and light signal detectors.
• electro-optical components within the electronic integrated circuits, such as sources, modulators and light signal detectors.
• the solution currently considered to be compatible with CMOS circuit technology is to guide the light in the silicon film of a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate, to modulate the light using silicon-based or SiGe-based modulators. detect it using germanium and emit light using mainly III-V semiconductors.
• SOI silicon on insulator
• the internal high frequency optical link in an integrated circuit on silicon currently considered in the trade is thus mainly composed of three materials: silicon, germanium and III-V.
• optical link structure requires very heterogeneous integration, when the materials and manufacturing processes used as well as in terms of the design and internal organization of the integrated circuit.
• This heterogeneity has many drawbacks, for example, and in particular with regard to the flexibility of design and manufacturing simplicity with a limiting factor at the level of the III-V semiconductor-based source which does not use the same dimensions of substrates.
• Nanotube Network Transistors "by Adam et al. in NanoLetters 2008, 8 (8) 2351-2355, presents a multidirectional electroluminescent effect obtained in a field effect transistor produced by applying an electric field between a plurality of successive parallel electrodes arranged transversely to a track consisting of either a single nanotube (CNFET ), or an unorganized network of several nanotubes (NNFET).
• CNFET single nanotube
• NFET unorganized network of several nanotubes
• this microcavity is formed of two mirrors surrounding an assembly consisting of a layer of Si0 2 supporting a PMMA layer between two lateral electrodes, which are interconnected by a single nanotube embedded in the PMMA. .
• This cavity is mounted on a P + doped silicon layer to form a field effect transistor (FET) producing a light that is sensed and amplified by the cavity to emerge perpendicularly to the different superimposed layers.
• FET field effect transistor
• a coupling described in document US 2005/249249 consists in injecting a light produced by a nanotube mounted in a FET transistor into the end of an optical fiber, through a lens disposed on the optical axis of this fiber. ; or by including this nanotube inside this optical fiber.
• Such an assembly is however inexpensive in light and delicate and cumbersome to produce and adjust, and is not suitable for use in an integrated circuit.
• nanotubes for their semiconductor properties.
• everything is done to seek to obtain isolated nanotubes, for example a sonic separation to avoid nanotube bundles, followed by individual coating technique with a surfactant product.
• Such an individual nanotube can then be disposed on a substrate, which makes it possible to ensure electrical contact at its two ends by covering them with conductive layers forming electrodes.
• An object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art, and in particular to allow:
• the invention in most of the embodiments presented here, is based on the fact that nanotubes are also used as a multidimensional semiconductor material (two-dimensional or three-dimensional), without necessarily seeking to identify, treat or position each nanotube individually. It could be said that it is no longer just a matter of using a nanotube as an individual object, but also as a unitary element within a material that can be measured and shaped: applied here in the form of the package or "cluster" Nanotubes, which could be translated into English as a "patch”.
• the invention proposes to use an accumulation of non-aligned nanotubes as a three-dimensional volume of material, in the same manner as if it were an unorganized material or little organized.
• the invention proposes to use a nanotube accumulation as a three-dimensional volume of material in which a predominantly unidirectional orientation is obtained.
• the invention provides a photonic component comprising at least one linear optical waveguide, a so-called active portion is surrounded on all or part of its periphery by a group of one or more substantially semiconducting nanotubes. These nanotubes interact with their external environment in a so-called active zone extending on either side of this active portion of the optical waveguide, thus inducing at least one optical coupling between:
• the invention provides a photonic component comprising at least one linear optical waveguide made of silicon or silicon nitride, an integrated active portion of which is surrounded on all or part of its periphery by a group of one or more essentially semiconducting nanotubes, which electrically interact in a so-called active zone extending on either side of said active portion of the optical waveguide, with at least two electrodes arranged on either side of said active portion, inducing thus an electro-optical coupling between
• integrated optical guide in silicon and / or silicon nitride is particularly advantageous, for example because it makes it possible to simplify, standardize and / or homogenize the steps of manufacturing hybrid circuits comprising other regions of the invention. same material, for example electronic circuits and / or photonic crystals.
• the active portion of the optical guide is surrounded closely and preferably contiguously. Typically, it is a group of nanotubes directly in contact with the guide, or in indirect contact through a layer whose thickness is small compared to the dimensions of the optical mode object of the coupling in this guide.
• Nanotubes could provide an optical coupling with the interior of an optical guide even while being located outside the guide and outside its linear axis of propagation, that is, the nanotubes can be located outside the guide, on its sides.
• Nanotubes generate, modify or detect an optical signal directly inside the guide and through its walls. This is a direct coupling through the walls of the guide, unlike the state of the art in which each nanotube is seen in itself as a source whose light must be amplified and then injected into the guide by its end.
• this optical waveguide itself may further comprise, in its active portion, a light signal amplification optical structure, for example a Fabry Pérot cavity or a photonic crystal.
• a light signal amplification optical structure for example a Fabry Pérot cavity or a photonic crystal.
• the group of nanotubes in this case can also surround the amplification structure as well as the optical guide.
• the group of nanotubes comprises a plurality of nanotubes, for example agglomerated together, naturally or with a binder, for example gel or solid.
• These nanotubes are deposited together in the form of a powder, and form between the electrodes a substantially flat sheet or thin layer including the active portion of the optical waveguide or in contact therewith.
• the electrodes are located for example on the surface of this layer, or at the ends of the part of this layer to form the active part.
• the group of nanotubes may be excited by a light signal or an external luminous flux. It will then produce an optical coupling with the interior of the guide by the phenomenon of optoluminescence, which will consist for the nanotubes to generate a luminous flux located inside an optical mode internal to the guide, whereas the excitation of light that they receive is external to the guide. It may be for example to produce a component capable of inserting into a one or more optical guides a light signal reaching it in any way.
• the invention also proposes such a component forming an electro-optical component in which one or more nanotubes of the group of nanotubes electrically interact with at least two electrodes arranged on either side. of the active portion of the optical waveguide. An electro-optical coupling is thus induced between:
• the electrical signal is applied or detected by at least two complementary electrodes, for example of opposite sign, located around the active portion and on either side of the optical waveguide, so as to generate between them field or an electrical current substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the optical guide.
• these electrodes may be parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the optical guide.
• the electrodes may be arranged around the active portion so as to have a gap extending between them along the optical waveguide, and thus generate between them an electric field or an electric current substantially parallel to the optical waveguide. the longitudinal axis of said optical guide.
• the electrodes interact with the nanotubes of the group without electrical connection with these nanotubes by creating an electric field within these nanotubes. This electric field then causes in these nanotubes a Kerr effect and / or a stark effect which absorbs all or part of a luminous flux flowing in the active portion of the optical waveguide.
• This absorption can be obtained for example by electro-absorption phenomenon. It can also be obtained by an electrorefractive Kerr effect and / or a stark shift effect of the absorption peak in the active portion of the optical waveguide, which is for example introduced into an interferometer (Mach Zehnder, resonator) to transform the phase modulation or absorption shift into intensity modulation.
• an interferometer Machine Zehnder, resonator
• the invention thus makes it possible to modulate a light flux flowing in this active portion of the optical waveguide, function of a voltage or electrical signal received and applied to the electrodes.
• the component comprises a so-called alignment zone, including the active portion of the optical waveguide and all or part of the active zone, and in which the nanotubes of the nanotube array are in their majority aligned in a common direction.
• the nanotubes of the majority alignment zone are furthermore each connected to the two electrodes, in their entirety or in their majority.
• the invention thus makes it possible to produce a light source inside this optical guide, by creating a longitudinal luminous flux from the signal or the voltage applied to the electrodes.
• the passage of a flux or a light signal within the active portion of the optical waveguide will cause, by absorption by the group of nanotubes, a voltage difference and / or a current within of these connected nanotubes. These nanotubes then produce photocurrent and / or photovoltage across the electrodes.
• the invention thus makes it possible to perform functions for generating, modulating or detecting a light flux or an optical signal in an optical guide with a luminous intensity of good or even improved level, and in a better compactness allowing a greater density. on an integrated circuit and / or in an optronic or photonic device.
• an electrical signal applied or detected within the group of nanotubes may be a bipolar signal, can usually only require two electrodes only.
• This bipolar electric signal can be applied, for example by producing an electric field in an unconnected configuration, but also in a configuration with nanotubes connected by using two different metal electrodes chosen to obtain an injection of charge carriers e " and h + .
• such a component comprises a plurality of optical waveguides, for example completely independent or different active parts of the same optical guide, which are coated in whole or in part by nanotubes within a same group of nanotubes.
• These optical waveguides interact independently of each other with each at least two electrodes, which determine a plurality of independent active zones thus realizing a plurality of components according to the invention.
• These components are functionally independent of each other while using the same group of nanotubes.
• These different active areas can be separated for example by a distance of at least 5 or even 10 or 15 micron.
• the group can be made or treated to be aligned or even connected in some active areas, and not aligned and not connected in others.
• such an electro-optical component can also be integrated into both an electronic circuit and an optical integrated circuit, which electronic and optical integrated circuits interact with each other through said electro-optical component.
• the invention thus proposes an integrated and also hybrid optical and electronic circuit comprising at least one optical circuit and at least one electronic circuit that interact with one another through one or more electro-optical components. according to the invention. This or these electro-optical components are then integrated in both this optical circuit and in this electronic circuit.
• Such a hybrid integrated circuit comprises for example a plurality of electronic blocks communicating with each other by optical signals carried by one or more integrated optical circuits inside the hybrid integrated circuit. Inside the hybrid integrated circuit, each of these different Electronic blocks interact with these optical signals using at least one electro-optical component according to the invention.
• Such a hybrid circuit allows in particular an extremely fast communication between the different electronic blocks, at frequencies difficult to reach in electronic signals and without the disadvantages and constraints related to such high frequencies in electronics, for example interference with the components close to or with external electric fields.
• the design and manufacture are made simpler and allow a better compactness and density, in particular in hybrid integrated circuits integrating blocks and / or optical circuits together. and electronic.
• the invention allows a simplification of the materials used, number and environmental constraints and supply; and a standardization of manufacturing processes and technologies.
• the optical guide may be for example silicon or silicon nitride and the group of nanotubes mainly comprise carbon nanotubes, for example single-wall type (SWCT).
• SWCT single-wall type
• the length of the active optical guide portion may be of the order of a few tens of nanometers, for example between 10 and 100 nanometers, or even between 20 and 50 nanometers.
• the electrodes can be separated by a distance of between 1 and 10 micrometers, and preferably between 2 and 6 micrometers.
• a group of nanotubes containing no metal nanotubes will be implanted, preferably with less than 1% or even 2% of metal nanotubes for a light source and less than 10% or even 15% for a detector or a modulator.
• the thickness of the nanotube group is preferably greater than a monolayer of nanotubes from a thickness up to about 2 ⁇ m, or even between 600 nm and 1 ⁇ m,
• the nanotubes are used as an active medium and may be integrated into waveguides made of silicon, polymer or any other material.
• the invention also proposes a method for manufacturing a component according to the invention, and more particularly an electro-optical component or an integrated circuit as described here.
• this method comprises at least, for carrying out an electro-optical coupling between at least one optical waveguide and one or more nanotubes: a creation of at least one region forming a grouping of one or more nanotubes, coating at least one optical waveguide portion and electrically interacting with at least two electrodes located on either side of said guide portion of optical wave; or a creation of at least one optical waveguide portion coated in whole or in part by at least one region forming a group of one or more nanotubes electrically interacting with at least two electrodes located on either side of said optical waveguide portion; or
• the creation operation may comprise the following steps:
• a region forming a group capable of forming, for example, a "drop", or a "patch” in English, of one or more semiconductor-type nanotubes (for example one or more nanotubes inserted in a liquid or a gel or a polymer), so that this group or this patch surrounds all or part of the periphery of at least one so-called active portion of this optical waveguide;
• the alignment can be done for example during the deposition of nanotubes for example by dielectrophoresis, by subjecting the deposition region to an electric field during deposition, for example by temporary or preliminary electrodes. The direction of this electric field during the deposition will then determine an alignment direction for the deposited nanotubes.
• the method according to the invention further comprises a step of etching or cutting this group of nanotubes into two cutting regions distributed on either side of the active portion of the optical waveguide. In this step, these cutting regions are arranged to cut the same plurality of nanotubes within this group.
• This etching or cutting step of the cutting regions is preferably between a deposition step of aligned nanotubes and a step of creating the electrodes.
• the subsequent step of creating the electrodes then comprises deposition or growth of these electrodes within these cutting regions, so as to electrically connect these electrodes to the two ends of the same plurality of nanotubes of the nanotube array.
• the creation operation may comprise the following steps:
• etching or deposit on the one hand of material forming at least one optical guide made of silicon or silicon nitride, for example on a substrate made of silica or SOI, and on the other hand electrodes surrounding on both sides a so-called active portion of the optical waveguide;
• nanotubes of the semiconductor type capable of forming, for example, a "drop", or a "patch” in English, of one or more semiconductor-type nanotubes (for example one or more nanotubes inserted into a liquid or a gel or a polymer), so that these nanotubes encase all or part of the periphery of at least this active portion of the optical waveguide and are arranged to interact electrically with these electrodes.
• the method may further comprise a step of under-etching the substrate or the layer located under the optical waveguide, made at the level of the active portion so as to allow the nanotube array to come to coat the surface. lower part of said optical waveguide.
• This under-engraving is particularly useful for non-aligned nanotubes which can thus invade the space of the sub-surface. engraving.
• aligned nanotubes for example to facilitate the establishment of an optical mode coupling zone surrounding the optical guide as much as possible.
• the method according to the invention may further comprise a step of producing at least one monoblock region forming a group of nanotubes, followed by one or more operations for producing a plurality of components according to the invention functionally independent (or of different types) and produced within the same group of nanotubes.
• the process for manufacturing an optoelectronic hybrid integrated circuit may comprise, on the one hand, an embodiment of at least one electronic circuit and, on the other hand, an embodiment of at least one optical circuit within The same integrated circuit
• This method then furthermore comprises at least one step of producing at least one electro-optical component according to the invention, integrated at the same time with this electronic circuit and with this optical circuit.
• the manufacturing method according to the invention may comprise or follow a purification phase of nanotubes, for example by known methods, to selectively obtain nanotubes of a winding index (n, m) determined and / or non-metallic type in the group of semiconductor nanotubes coupling with the active portion of the optical waveguide.
• a purification phase of nanotubes for example by known methods, to selectively obtain nanotubes of a winding index (n, m) determined and / or non-metallic type in the group of semiconductor nanotubes coupling with the active portion of the optical waveguide.
• This purification phase of the nanotubes used may comprise, for example, a step of selective extraction by polymer, in particular by PFO and with centrifugation.
• the method according to the invention may further comprise a control of the optical wavelength of the optical or electro-optical coupling by the choice of the index of winding (n, m) of the nanotubes of the coupling, also called chirality index: (n, m) indicating winding and diameter respectively.
• a control of the optical wavelength of the optical or electro-optical coupling by the choice of the index of winding (n, m) of the nanotubes of the coupling, also called chirality index: (n, m) indicating winding and diameter respectively.
• an index (8.6) will be used to generate, modulate or detect an optical signal with a wavelength of 1.2 microns; and an index (8.7) for a wavelength of 1.3 microns.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a state of the art of single-nanotube and micro-cavity field effect transistor type in the input axis of a linear optical guide
• FIGURE 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating according to the invention an example configuration for optical coupling between a volume of nanotubes and an optical guide;
• FIGURE 3 is a graph illustrating experimental results demonstrating the optical coupling obtained in the configuration of FIGURE 2;
• FIGURE 4 is a schematic sectional view in a configuration similar to FIGURE 2 but with electrodes on the top, in a non-aligned multiple nanotube embodiment and wrapping, performing a modulator function;
• FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view in the configuration of FIGURE 2, in a non-aligned multiple nanotube embodiment, performing a modulator function;
• FIGS. 6a and 6b are diagrammatic views in section and FIG. 6c in top view, in the configuration of FIG. 2, in one embodiment with connected multiple nanotubes performing a detector or emitter function, respectively before and after the operations of etching the volume of nanotubes and deposition of the electrodes;
• FIG. 7 is a schematic view from above of a configuration similar to FIG. 2 but with electrodes transverse to the guide, in a non-connected multiple nanotube embodiment performing a modulator function;
• FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic sectional view in the configuration of FIG. 2, in a single nanotube embodiment connected, performing a detector or emitter function;
• FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are diagrammatic sectional views in a configuration of the type of FIG. 2, illustrating different possibilities of geometry of the coupling between a volume of nanotubes and one or more optical guides:
• FIGURE 9 with optical guide between two successive layers of nanotubes
• FIG. 10 with optical guide embedded in a lower layer and covered by a volume of nanotubes
• FIG. 11 with optical guide comprising two individual optical guides coupled together;
• FIGURE 12 is a schematic diagram in top view of an exemplary embodiment of an integrated circuit comprising both an optical integrated circuit and an electronic integrated circuit. Description of a prior art
• FIG. 1 illustrates a state of the art as described in the publication Fengnian et al. in Nature Nanotechnology vol October 3, 2008.
• This component comprises a single nanotube 121 covered by two electrodes 131 and 132 forming the source and the drain of a field effect transistor (FET), whose gate is formed by a third electrode 133 formed by an underlying layer of doped silicon p + .
• FET field effect transistor
• microcavity 150 based on a silver mirror 102 deposited on the third electrode 133.
• This microcavity comprises on both sides of the nanotube a silica layer 102 and a layer of PMMA 103, surmounted by a gold mirror 104.
• This amplification provides a luminous flux 19 directed towards the top of the figure, in a direction A19 perpendicular to the plane of the various layers of the component.
• the upward direction of this luminous flux 19 makes it necessary to be able to capture it in this direction A19 so that it can be injected into a hypothetical linear optical guide 11 (dashed) .
• This injection may require for example to have this linear guide perpendicular to the layers of the component so as to have its inlet face 110 parallel to the outlet surface 104 of the cavity 150.
• the inventors have demonstrated that it is possible to obtain optical gain in a thin layer based on carbon nanotubes, which is the first step to obtain a laser effect.
• the Kerr effect and the Stark effect can be exploited while for detection, it is possible to use the nanotubes as absorbing medium.
• obtaining a coupling between the nanotubes and the silicon makes it possible to establish the feasibility within an integrated component of such an optical link between several electronic blocks.
• FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 illustrate the experimentation of this coupling, and thus present a first result of the silicon / nanotube integration.
• the nanotubes are thus considered as an active medium and may be inserted into waveguides made of silicon, or polymer or any other semiconductor or dielectric material.
• FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary configuration for optical coupling between a volume of nanotubes and an optical guide according to the invention.
• This component 2 thus comprises a linear optical waveguide 21 on a support or substrate 200, and an active portion 210 of which is surrounded on a part of its periphery by a group 22 of one or more substantially semiconducting nanotubes. These nanotubes interact with their external environment in an active zone 220 extending on either side of this active portion 210 of the optical waveguide.
• a luminous flux 228 on the nanotubes of the group 22 causes them to emit a luminous flux 219 by optoluminescence inside the active part 210 , along the longitudinal axis A21 of the guide.
• Optical-optical coupling is thus achieved between the received luminous flux 228 and the light flux 219 propagating in the guide.
• the nanotubes of the group 22 detect or emit or modify by electroluminescence a luminous flux 219 inside the active part 210, according to FIG. longitudinal axis A21 of the guide.
• FIGURE 2 does not specify the position of the nanotubes within the array 22, and can therefore be considered as an illustration of an aligned, non-aligned embodiment.
• FIGURE 3 is a graph illustrating experimental results demonstrating the optical coupling obtained in the configuration of FIGURE 2.
• This coupling was obtained by absorption of the nanotubes of the group 22 under the effect of excitation by an incident light flux 228.
• the graph represents the transmission spectrum of the waveguide 21.
• the differences in altitude relative to a non-coupled reference guide highlight the interaction of the light with the tubes, and thus the coupling obtained by the arrangement of the nanotubes. of the array 22 around the optical guide 21. Examples of embodiments of electro-optical components
• the electrical signal 229 is applied or detected by at least two electrodes 231, 232 and 431 and 432 located around the active portion 210 and from and other of the optical waveguide 21, of to generate between them an electric field, or generate or detect an electric current, substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis A21 of the optical guide 21.
• these electrodes are parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the optical guide.
• FIGURE 7 shows a configuration in which two electrodes 731, 732 are arranged around the active region 720 so as to have a gap E73 between them extending along the optical waveguide 21, and so as to generate between they an electric field or an electric current substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A21 of this optical guide.
• these electrodes are parallel to each other and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the optical guide.
• the two electrodes 731 and 732 may have a recess 7311, 7321 in their lower part, even over their entire height to separate them each into two half electrodes, so as to prevent the metal the electrode is too close to the outer surface of the guide and may prevent the transmission of light within it.
• FIGURE 4 illustrate non-aligned and unconnected embodiments, typically for a modulator type function, i.e. the nanotubes of the array 42, 52, 72 are not connected with electrodes 231, 232 and 431, 432, and 731, 732.
• the group 42, 52 of nanotubes forms between the electrodes 431, 432, 531, 532, 731, 732 a substantially flat layer including the active portion 210 of the optical waveguide 21, or in contact of it.
• the electrodes interact with the nanotubes of the group 42, 52, 72 creating an electric field which causes within said nanotubes a Kerr effect and / or a Stark effect. This effect effects a modulation of a luminous flux circulating in the portion active 210 of the optical waveguide, depending on a voltage or an electrical signal 229 applied to the electrodes.
• This modulation can be obtained in intensity, for example by electro-absorption phenomenon. It can also be obtained in phase modulation by a Kerr effect of electro-refraction, and / or in absorption shift a Stark effect of shift of the absorption peak in the active portion of the optical waveguide.
• the active portion is for example introduced into an interferometer (Mach Zehnder, resonator) to transform the phase modulation or absorption shift into intensity modulation.
• the active region can be introduced into an interferometer (for example Mach Zehnder or resonator) to transform phase modulation (electro-refraction) into intensity modulation.
• an interferometer for example Mach Zehnder or resonator
• FIGURE 5 The configuration of FIGURE 5 is that of FIGURE 2, with two electrodes 531 and 532 affixed to the substrate 200 on the sides of the array 52 and at the same level as the latter.
• This arrangement can be carried out for example in the following order: guide 210, followed by: either nanotubes 52 then electrodes 531 and 532, or electrodes and nanotubes.
• FIGURE 4 shows a similar configuration, but where the electrodes 431, 432 are deposited on top of the nanotube array 42.
• This structure is facilitated by the fact that the electrodes are not connected to the nanotubes. It may be advantageous for example because it allows to deposit these electrodes without having to cut the sides of the group 42. This simplifies the implementation and allows a better density when several components are made close to one another, and / or on a same nanotube layer as described below with reference to FIG. 12.
• This arrangement can be produced for example in the following order: guide 210 and then under-etching 209, then nanotubes 42 and then electrodes 631, 432.
• FIGURE 6 and FIGURE 8 illustrate so-called aligned and connected embodiments, typically for a source or detector type function.
• the group of nanotubes 62, 82 forms between the electrodes 631, 632, 831, 832 a substantially flat layer including the active portion 210 of the optical waveguide 21, or in contact therewith.
• a so-called alignment zone including the active portion 210 of the optical waveguide 21 and corresponding here to the totality of the active zone 620 has been made.
• the nanotubes of the nanotube group 62, 82 are mostly aligned in a common direction A62 and A82 respectively.
• the nanotubes 621a to 521n and 821 of the alignment zone are in their majority each connected to the two electrodes 631, 632, 831, 832.
• the group of nanotubes is first deposited and aligned.
• the outer regions 6310 and 6320 of this group located on each side of the alignment direction A62 are then cut, for example by chemical etching or laser.
• the electrodes are then deposited in these regions, so that they come into electrical contact with the corresponding ends ex1 and ex2 of all the nanotubes 621a to 621b of the active zone 620.
• the component 6, 8 thus obtained can then be used as light source or detector, or both at different times.
• FIG. 9 to FIG. 11 represent various examples of possible arrangements of the nanotube group with respect to the optical guide. These arrangements can be combined with the various embodiments of the invention described herein.
• an under-etching of the support or substrate 200 under the active part 210 of the guide makes it possible to release a space 209 increasing its wrapping from below.
• the active part 210 of the guide is partially buried in the support or substrate 200 which receives the nanotubes 62 and the electrodes 631, 632.
• the active portion 310 of the optical guide is disposed between two layers 321 and 322 of nanotubes, which are surrounded by and possibly connected with two electrodes 331 and 332.
• This arrangement can be achieved for example in the following order: nanotubes 321 then guide 310 then nanotubes 322.
• the optical guide 210 is completely embedded in the support or substrate 200, and is simply covered by the group of nanotubes 22.
• all these components may furthermore comprise several active optical guide portions 211 and 212, here two, coupled 299 to each other by their proximity and coupled together with the group 22 of nanotubes.
• FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the invention comprising a hybrid integrated circuit 9 with integrated internal optical link.
• This circuit 900 comprises a plurality of electronic blocks, whose blocks 99h and 99 respectively, comprising and each using at least one electro-optical component according to the invention, whose components 901, 902, 903, and 991, respectively, to communicate between they by optical signals 929.
• This figure presents such an optical link circuit arranged to perform an optical distribution of the clock signal.
• This optical signal 929 is derived from a hybrid block 90 for transmitting an optical clock signal, which constitutes a hybrid integrated circuit itself included inside the general hybrid integrated circuit 900.
• an electro-optical transmitter with nanotubes 901 according to the invention for example as shown in FIG. 6 or FIGURE 8, generates a luminous flux in an optical guide portion 911, and thus constitutes a light source.
• An electro-optical detector with nanotubes 902 according to the invention is produced in the same aligned zone of the same group 92 of nanotubes, for example as illustrated in FIG. 6 or FIGURE 8, and controls the intensity or the wavelength. the light flux in an optical guide portion 912 downstream of the source 901.
• An electro-optical modulator with nanotubes 903 according to the invention is realized in a non-aligned part of a sheet forming the same group 92 of nanotubes, and receives in its active portion 913 optical guide light flux from the source 901.
• This modulator 903 also receives an electrical clock signal from a block electronic clock 99h itself integrated in the hybrid clock block 90. From this electrical clock signal, the modulator 903 modulates the flux from the source 901 to give a clock optical signal 929.
• This optical signal is distributed in the general circuit 900 by the optical circuit 91.
• the different electronic blocks 99 to 99n of this circuit 900 all use a clock signal distributed by an integrated optical circuit 91 in the form of an optical signal 929. This signal is received by each of these electronic blocks through an electro-optical receiver 991. according to the invention, for example as illustrated in FIGURE 6 or FIGURE 8.
• the invention thus makes it possible to produce a fast optical link integrated within the general component 900, by monolithically integrating the various necessary elements into a single chip 900.
• the integrated electronic and optical circuit 900 comprises an optical circuit 91 and a plurality of electronic circuits 99h and 99-99n, respectively. These electronic circuits interact with each other through at least one electro-optical component 901, 902, 903 and 991 according to the invention, which are integrated in both this optical circuit 91 and in these different electronic circuits 99h and 99 respectively. 99n.
• each of these electro-optical components 901, 902, 903, and 991 respectively is integrated into both an electronic circuit 90 and an optical integrated circuit 91, which electronic and optical integrated circuits interact with each other through it.

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