Abstract: A photodetection device and a manufacturing method are provided. The photodetection device includes an absorption structure, a cathode, a charge multiplication region and an anode. The absorption structure is formed in a recess at a surface region of a semiconductor substrate, and configured to receive an incident light. The cathode is formed on a top surface of the absorption structure, and has a first conductive type. The charge multiplication layer is in lateral contact with the absorption structure, and is an intrinsic portion of the semiconductor substrate extending into the semiconductor substrate from a topmost surface of the semiconductor substrate. The anode is in lateral contact with the charge multiplication layer from a side of the charge multiplication region away from the absorption structure, and is a doped region in the semiconductor substrate having a second conductive type complementary to the first conductive type.

Abstract: A photonic structure and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The photonic structure includes a substrate, an insulating structure, a first waveguide layer, a second waveguide layer and a high-dielectric constant material. The insulating structure is located over the substrate. The first waveguide layer is embedded in the insulating structure. The second waveguide layer is embedded in the insulating structure and longitudinally spaced apart from the first waveguide layer. The high-dielectric constant material is disposed between the first waveguide layer and the second waveguide layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a waveguide over a first dielectric layer. A first portion of the waveguide has a first width and a second portion of the waveguide has a second width larger than the first width. The semiconductor device includes a first doped semiconductor structure and a second doped semiconductor structure. The second portion of the waveguide is between the first doped semiconductor structure and the second doped semiconductor structure.

Abstract: An optical system with different optical coupling device configurations and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. An optical system includes a substrate, a waveguide disposed on the substrate, an optical fiber optically coupled to the waveguide, and an optical coupling device disposed between the optical fiber and the waveguide. The optical coupling device configured to optically couple the optical fiber to the waveguide. The optical coupling device includes a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate, a semiconductor tapered structure disposed in a first horizontal plane within the dielectric layer, and a multi-tip dielectric structure disposed in a second horizontal plane within the dielectric layer. The first and second horizontal planes are different from each other.

Abstract: Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The method includes providing a substrate having a first fin, and the first fin has a channel region and a source/drain region. The method includes forming a stack structure over the first fin, and the stack structure includes a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer vertically stacked over the fin. The method also includes removing a portion of the second semiconductor layer in the channel region, and a portion of the first semiconductor layer is remaining in the channel region. The method further includes forming a cladding layer over the remaining first semiconductor material layer in the channel region to form a nanostructure, wherein the nanostructure has a dumbbell shape. The method includes forming a gate structure surrounding the nanostructure.

Abstract: A photonic system includes a waveguide. The photonic system further includes a micro ring modulator (MRM) spaced from the waveguide. The photonic system further includes a heater configured to increase a temperature of the MRM in response to the heater receiving a first voltage. The photonic system further includes a cooling element configured to decrease a temperature of the MRM in response to the cooling element receiving a second voltage.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an oxide layer having a first side and a second side opposite to each other. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of first waveguides that are disposed across a plurality of first insulator layers, respectively, on the first side of the oxide layer. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of second waveguides that are disposed across a plurality of second insulator layers, respectively, on the second side of the oxide layer. The plurality of first waveguides and the plurality of second waveguides collectively form a plurality of photonic neural network layers of an artificial neural network.

Abstract: A benchmark device and a method for evaluating a semiconductor wafer are provided. The benchmark device includes a first grating coupler, a second grating coupler and a waveguide. The waveguide has a least one bending section and is arranged in communication with the first grating coupler and the second grating coupler. The bending section comprises a first region having a first width and a first height, and a second region having a second width and a second height, wherein the first region is surrounded by the second region, and the second width decreases gradually from a first end of the bending section to a second end of the bending section.

Abstract: Integrated circuit (IC) devices include a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor having a top electrode plate, a bottom electrode plate, and a plurality of intermediate electrode plates between the top electrode plate and the bottom electrode plate. A plurality of dielectric layers may separate each of the electrode plates of the MIM capacitor from adjacent plates of the MIM capacitor. Each of the intermediate electrode plates may have a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the top electrode plate and the bottom electrode plate. By providing multiple intermediate electrode plates between the top and bottom electrode plates of the MIM capacitor, and allocating the greatest plate thicknesses to the intermediate plates, the capacitance density may be increased in a given area of the IC device, which may provide increased performance for the IC device.

Abstract: Photonic device, system and methods of making photonic devices and systems, the method including: providing a substrate, forming an insulator layer over the substrate, depositing a plurality of waveguide layers and a plurality of insulator spacers at different vertical levels over the insulator layer, wherein adjacent waveguide layers in the plurality of waveguide layers are isolated by one or more insulator spacers in the plurality of insulator spacers, and forming a plurality of waveguide patterns at the plurality of waveguide layers, wherein at least two waveguide patterns at different vertical levels in the plurality of waveguide patterns are coupled.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a traveling-wave Mach-Zehnder modulator (TWMZM) includes measuring an electrooptic parameter, such as S21, of a test structure including a test TWMZM and a first instance of electrical pads which are connected to deliver a radio frequency (RF) signal to electrooptically modulate light traveling through the test TWMZM. The electrooptic parameter is similarly measured of a reference structure including a reference TWMZM and a second instance of the electrical pads which are connected to deliver the RF signal to electrooptically modulate light traveling through the reference TWMZM. A vestigial traveling-wave electrooptic phase modulator of the reference TWMZM is shorter than a traveling-wave electrooptic phase modulator of the test TWMZM. An electrooptic characteristic of the test TWMZM, such as S21 bandwidth, is determined by operations including subtracting the measured electrooptic S21 of the reference structure from the measured electrooptic S21 of the test structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device include: a first bus waveguide; a first silicon ring optically coupled to the first bus waveguide; a backup silicon ring optically coupled to the first bus waveguide; a first heater and a second heater configured to heat the first silicon ring and the backup silicon ring, respectively; and a first switch, where the first switch is configured to electrically couple the first silicon ring to a first radio frequency (RF) circuit when the first switch is at a first switching position, and is configured to electrically couple the backup silicon ring to the first RF circuit when the first switch is at a second switching position.

Abstract: Structures and methods for high speed interconnection in photonic systems are described herein. In one embodiment, a photonic device is disclosed. The photonic device includes: a substrate; a plurality of metal layers on the substrate; a photonic material layer comprising graphene over the plurality of metal layers; and an optical routing layer comprising a waveguide on the photonic material layer.

Abstract: An optical coupler includes: a plurality of waveguide core layers formed from a waveguide core material having a first index of refraction, the waveguide core layers being (i) arranged in a stacked relationship one over another, (ii) spaced apart one from another and (iii) extending from a light receiving end of the optical coupler longitudinally through the optical coupler toward a light output end of the optical coupler; and a cladding formed from a cladding material having a second index of refraction, the second index of refraction being less than the first index of refraction, the cladding material surrounding each of the plurality of waveguide core layers. Suitably, light propagating within outer ones of the plurality of waveguide core layers is directed toward an interior one of the plurality of waveguide core layers via evanescent coupling between adjacent ones of the plurality of waveguide core layers.

Abstract: An optical coupler includes: a plurality of waveguide core layers that are (i) stacked vertically one over another, (ii) spaced apart vertically one from another and (iii) extending from a light receiving end of the optical coupler longitudinally through the optical coupler to a light output end of the optical coupler, wherein each of the plurality of waveguide core layers includes a plurality of distinct waveguide paths extending from the light receiving end of the optical coupler along a length of the optical coupler; and a cladding formed from a cladding material cladding material surrounding each of the plurality of waveguide core layers. Light propagating within outer ones of the plurality of waveguide core layers is directed toward an interior one of the plurality of waveguide core layers via evanescent coupling between adjacent ones of the plurality of waveguide core layers.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a calibration system for wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), a WDM system, and a calibrating method for WDM. The calibration system includes heating devices, an optical sensor, and an electrical device. When the optical sensor receives no beam with energy exceeding a threshold value from a first channel, the optical sensor transmits a first signal to the electrical device. In response to the first signal, the electrical device is configured to control the one or more of the heating devices to heat one or more of channels. When the optical sensor receives a beam having energy exceeding the threshold value from the first channel, the optical sensor transmits a second signal to the electrical device. In response to the second signal, the electrical device is configured to control the one or more of the heating devices to maintain the temperature of the one or more of the channels.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device are disclosed. In one aspect, the semiconductor device includes a plurality of deep trench capacitors and a plurality of via contacts that at least partially surround the deep trench capacitors. Variations may be made to the number and locations of the plurality of via contacts such that design requirements for the packaging are satisfied.

Abstract: A photonic vertical grating filter is disclosed. The filter comprises a first waveguide, a second waveguide, and a plurality of Bragg gratings. The Bragg gratings are formed in a dielectric layer between the first waveguide and the second waveguide, and are located in a vertical overlap region between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. Each Bragg grating has a different grating period. The vertical filter uses less surface area and provides improved filtering capabilities.

Abstract: A vertical grating coupler is disclosed. The grating coupler includes a first waveguide having a first grating, a second waveguide having a second grating, and a dielectric layer positioned between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The first grating includes a plurality of first grating ridges separated by a plurality first grating gaps, and the second grating includes a plurality of second grating ridges separated by a plurality second grating gaps. The first grating, the second grating, and the dielectric layer are located in a vertical overlap region between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The first grating and the second grating have different grating periods, and each of the plurality of first grating gaps and second grating gaps are filled with the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A photonic polarizing beamsplitter is disclosed. The beamsplitter comprises a first waveguide, a second waveguide located above the first waveguide, and a birefringent coupler between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The birefringent coupler has an effective refractive index for a TM mode which is greater than a refractive index of the first waveguide, and an effective refractive index for a TE mode which is less than the refractive index of the first waveguide. The second waveguide comprises a plurality of outwardly tapering legs with a gap between adjacent legs that are connected downstream to a body. The vertical beamsplitter uses less surface area.