Intel Corporation

Leland Stanford Junior University

Hilmi Volkan Demir

Vijit Sabnis

Jun-Fei Zheng

David A B Miller

Onur Fidaner

David Andrew Barclay Miller

Methods in accordance with the present invention provide a quasi-planarized surface between one or more semiconductor devices and at least a portion of surrounding passivation material, where the devices have different elevations above a substrate. A hard mask defines the planarized surface as the interface between the hard mask and both the passivation layer and the device, after a passivation layer etching process. The resulting planarized surface has a small to zero step height, is insensitive to passivation layer non-uniformity and etch non-uniformity, provides full passivation of the device side wall, provides protection for the device against etch-induced damage, and prevents the detrimental effects of passivation layer voids. The methods are applicable to semiconductor device fabrication for electronic and photonic/optoelectronic systems such as, but not limited to, cell phones, networking systems, high brightness (HB) LEDs, laser diodes (LDs), photodiodes, modulator diodes and multifunction solar cells.

Wafer-level quasi-planarization and passivation for multi-height structures

This invention relates to a semiconductor device and method for switching or modulating optical signals. The semiconductor device has a photodetector having a low electrical capacitance C , a detector absorbing layer for absorbing an optical signal beam, a modulator having a low capacitance C and a modulator absorbing layer exhibiting an electric field-dependent absorption coefficient. The modulator absorbing layer is used for absorbing an optical power beam, which is to be modulated or switched. The device has a low resistivity region between the photodetector and the modulator such that the electric field-dependent absorption coefficient is altered uniformly and rapidly throughout the modulator absorbing layer during absorption of the optical signal beam in the detector absorbing layer. The device is equipped with a high resistivity element in series with the low resistivity region for minimizing a net charge flow to and from the device.

Semiconductor device for rapid optical switch by modulated absorption

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Stanford, CA, United States of America

Hilmi Volkan Demir