Micro-Transfer Printing for Heterogeneous Si Photonic Integrated Circuits

Abstract

Silicon photonics (SiPh) is a disruptive technology in the field of integrated photonics and has experienced rapid development over the past two decades. Various high-performance Si and Ge/Si-based components have been developed on this platform that allow for complex photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with small footprint. These PICs have found use in a wide range of applications. Nevertheless, some non-native functions are still desired, despite the versatility of Si, to improve the overall performance of Si PICs and at the same time cut the cost of the eventual Si photonic system-on-chip. Heterogeneous integration is verified as an effective solution to address this issue, e.g. through die-wafer-bonding and flip-chip. In this paper, we discuss another technology, micro-transfer printing, for the integration of nonnative material films/opto-electronic components on SiPh-based platforms. This technology allows for efficient use of non-native materials and enables the (co-)integration of a wide range of materials/devices on wafer scale in a massively parallel way. In this paper we review some of the recent developments in the integration of non-native optical functions on Si photonic platforms using micro-transfer printing.

Imec silicon photonics platforms: performance overview and roadmap

“…A flexible and cost-effective III-V integration approach for applications requiring a modest number of gain blocks is flip-chip assembly of pre-fabricated and tested laser or amplifier dies using passive die attachment [19]. For higher III-V component densities, the method of microtransfer printing has emerged in the past years as a versatile approach to assemble partially processed or fully processed thin film devices onto other pre-processed wafers [5,20].…”

“…For silicon photonics, various functionalities "add-ons" have been pursued to integrate active gain materials, high-speed phase-shifters, high optical power waveguides, etc. [3,4,5]. The integration of silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides has been pursued to leverage some of the benefits of this material over silicon as described in [6].…”

Integration of High-Performance InGaAs/GaN Photodetectors by Direct Bonding via Micro-transfer Printing

“…Recently, micro-transfer printing (MTP) technology has been introduced for the integration of electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as silicon-based optoelectronic integration and flexible electronic devices. − By integrating disparate semiconductor devices onto a unified substrate, MTP technology enhances the overall efficiency and compactness of integrated systems, while concurrently streamlining the intricacies associated with packaging processes. , However, achieving high-quality bonding through van der Waals forces and optimizing the interfacial properties of the heterojunction is worthy of in-depth study. − Furthermore, the forthcoming challenges encompassing device reliability and durability after bonding and the development of robust characterization and testing methodologies will need to be addressed in the future.…”

Integrated PbS Colloidal Quantum Dot Photodiodes on Silicon Nitride Waveguides

“…18,19 Assembly-based hybrid integration technologies, such as flip-chip integration and transfer printing, offer excellent compatibility between diverse material platforms, yet complex processing and throughput remain to be demonstrated. 18,20,21 Silicon nitride (SiN) is a promising integrated photonics platform characterized by a low propagation loss, high power handling capability, a broad transparency window, and compatibility with processing in CMOS fabs. 22 Applications of SiN-based integrated photonics range from lidar 23−25 to biosensing 26−28 and quantum photonics.…”

“…Indeed, while the monolithic epitaxial growth of semiconductors on PICs has the advantage of high throughput and low cost, substrate compatibility remains a major challenge . Heterogeneous integration technology based on wafer or die bonding is well developed and has led to commercial products, but the approach requires large-area planarized surfaces and makes use of costly III–V epitaxy and bonding technology. , Assembly-based hybrid integration technologies, such as flip-chip integration and transfer printing, offer excellent compatibility between diverse material platforms, yet complex processing and throughput remain to be demonstrated. ,, …”