Photoelectronic Integrated Circuits

The encounter of optoelectronics and microelectronics leads to photoelectronic integrated circuits (ICS). The concept is now new, but it has become more feasible in the last couple of years because of advances in the compound semiconductor technologies used to produce laser diodes and photodetectors and GaAs MES ICS. In particular, molecular beam epitaxy and vapour phase epitaxy have shown big improvements so that it is now possible to fabricate well-controlled thin layers of semiconductor, which is difficult using conventional liquid phase epitaxy. In this paper, I discuss the motives for pursuing photoelectronic integration in semiconductor materials and also the relevant essential technologies. I then give examples of monolithic integration at the photonic device level which gives higher performance and higher functionality, and describe prototype photoelectronic integrated circuits highlighting the new process technologies used.