Optical sources, integrated optical detectors and optical waveguides in standard silicon CMOS integrated circuitry

A series of light emitting devices were designed and realized with a standard 2 micron CMOS technology, 1.2 micron CMOS technology and 0.8 micron Bi-CMOS integrated circuit fabrication technology. The devices operated in the reverse breakdown avalanche mode, at voltage levels of 8-20 V and in the current range 80 μA - 10 mA. The devices emit visible light in the 450 - 750 nm wavelength region at intensity levels of up to 1 nWμm^-2 (10 mW.cm^-2). A series of optimized optical detectors were developed using the same technologies in order to detect lateral and glancing incidence visible and infrared radiation optimally. A series of waveguiding structures of up to 100 micron in length were designed and realized with CMOS technologies by utilizing the field oxide, the inter-metallic oxides and the aluminum metal layers as construction elements. Signal levels ranging from 60 nA to 1 micro-amperes could be detected at the detectors of waveguiding structures of up to 100 micron in length. Finally, a complete optoelectronic integrated circuit was designed and simulated with 0.8 micron Bi-CMOS technology with some of the developed light sources, detectors, waveguiding structures and added driving and amplification circuitry. In particular a very powerful high gain wide-bandwidth MOSFET signal amplifiers was developed that could be successfully integrated in the optoelectronic integrated circuit. The developed technologies show potential for application of optoelectronic circuits in next generation silicon CMOS integrated circuits.