III-V on Silicon Devices and Systems for Next Generation Optical Interconnects

The fast maturing field of Silicon Photonics is already being transferred to Industry as seen by the main technological companies: E.g. Intel, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Nvidia, etc. The main application is optical interconnects for datacom/telecom applications. To further disrupt the technology, it is an actual need to integrate active devices on the silicon platform with better manufacturability and scalability. The main candidate to solve it is the direct epitaxial integration of III-V materials on Si. The active devices normally epitaxially grown on Si use quantum wells. Nevertheless, the crystalline defects of the epitaxy limits its performance and lifetime. Due to its defects, temperature and radiation hardness, quantum dots are the main candidate to further improve performance and lifetimes towards a better scalability and manufacturability standard.
The goal of this PhD is to invent and develop the proof-of-concept of quantum dot devices in order to overcome the traditional challenges of epitaxial growth of III-V over Si. The PhD will work on the framework of the Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Hub (www.compoundsemiconductorhub.org), which relates 35 industrial partners and 4 universities, with the objective of developing compound semiconductor research from materials to systems. Among them, Oclaro, Kaiam, Microsemi, IQE and Newport Wafer Fab are of relevant interest. At Cardiff, it is possible to do the complete proof-of-concept cycle from wafer growth until packaging of optoelectronic devices.
The Institute for Compound Semiconductors and Cardiff University has long tradition on developing III-V quantum dot lasers over Si from wafer growth until the final characterization. The objective of the PhD is to complement the laser with further quantum dot active devices based on compound semiconductors to deposit over Si.