Project description
Innovative integration approach opens the door to future optoelectronics platforms
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a promising candidate for optoelectronics applications; next to silicon photonics and indium phosphide, Si3N4 photonic integrated circuits have a broad spectral coverage and low propagation losses. Still, Si3N4 itself has no active effect (except thermal tuning), and active functionality can be demonstrated by integrating either active components or active materials. The on-chip integration of III-V and II-VI semiconductors on Si3N4 is complicated and costly. The EU-funded MatEl project introduces a novel, on-chip integration scheme enabling accurate and fast alignment and bonding of any type of chip package on Si3N4. MatEl will combine laser transfer and laser soldering to demonstrate hybrid platforms, which will be enhanced by the monolithic integration of advanced materials – graphene and high-quality PZT.
Objective
Europe’s leading position in photonics and electronics can only be secured by adapting to the next generation of optoelectronic devices requirements: high performance, multi-functionality and cost efficiency in miniaturized footprint. These can only be achieved if novel schemes for on-chip integration emerge. Among the established platforms for optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs), silicon nitride as a wide-band and low-loss material stands outs. However, Si3N4 itself has no active effect and the heterogeneous integration of active III-V and II-VI semiconductor chips is currently very complicated and costly. MatEl offers a unique solution to this challenge and promises to enable a novel on-chip integration scheme: Laser Digital Processing - Laser Transfer and Laser Soldering - will be employed for the accurate and fast alignment and bonding of any type of chip package (OEIC) on Si3N4. The hybrid platform will be enhanced bythe monolithic integration of advanced materials (graphene and high-quality PZT), which will enable multiple functionalities in miniaturized footprint. MatEl will thus demonstrate two next-gen optoelectronic devices at TRL5:
1) 2D light source for AR displays with integrated RGB lasers and OEIC-based demultiplexers.
2) Bio-photonic sensor for antibodies detection with on-chip VCSEL at 850 nm featuring graphene photodetectors.
Overall, MatEl ’s hybrid platform will combine the wide bandwidth and high confinement provided by Si3N4 with the active functionality of III-V and II-VI lasers, supporting a broad spectrum of next-gen applications, extending far beyond these demo applications. Hence, MatEl will reinforce the existing collaborations within the consortium and introduce new eco-systems, estimated to strengthen the EU photonics and microelectronics industrial capability by generating multi M€ turnovers to the involved SMEs and more than 200 new employment positions by the end of its timeframe.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicsoptoelectronics
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybiosensing
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialstwo-dimensional nanostructuresgraphene
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
157 80 ATHINA
Greece