Pixelated non-volatile programmable photonic integrated circuits with 20-level intermediate states

Multi-level programmable photonic integrated circuits(PICs)and optical metasurfaces have gained widespread attention in many fields,such as neuromorphic photonics,opticalcommunications,and quantum information.In this paper,we propose pixelated programmable Si_(3)N_(4)PICs with record-high 20-level intermediate states at 785 nm wavelength.Such flexibility in phase or amplitude modulation is achieved by a programmable Sb_(2)S_(3)matrix,the footprint of whose elements can be as small as 1.2μm,limited only by the optical diffraction limit of anin-house developed pulsed laser writing system.We believe our work lays the foundation for laser-writing ultra-high-level(20 levels and even more)programmable photonic systems and metasurfaces based on phase change materials,which could catalyze diverse applications such as programmable neuromorphic photonics,biosensing,optical computing,photonic quantum computing,and reconfigurable metasurfaces.

Carbon nanotube integrated circuit technology:purification,assembly and integration

As the manufacturing process of silicon-based integrated circuits(ICs)approaches its physical limit,the quantum effect of silicon-based field-effect transistors(FETs)has become increasingly evident.And the burgeoning carbon-based semiconductor technology has become one of the most disruptive technologies in the post-Moore era.As one-dimensional nanomaterials,carbon nanotubes(CNTs)are far superior to silicon at the same technology nodes of FETs because of their excellent electrical transport and scaling properties,rendering them the most competitive material in the next-generation ICs technology.However,certain challenges impede the industrialization of CNTs,particularly in terms of material preparation,which significantly hinders the development of CNT-based ICs.Focusing on CNT-based ICs technology,this review summarizes its main technical status,development trends,existing challenges,and future development directions.

Emerging MoS_(2)Wafer-Scale Technique for Integrated Circuits

As an outstanding representative of layered materials,molybdenum disulfide(MoS_(2))has excellent physical properties,such as high carrier mobility,stability,and abundance on earth.Moreover,its reasonable band gap and microelectronic compatible fabrication characteristics makes it the most promising candidate in future advanced integrated circuits such as logical electronics,flexible electronics,and focal-plane photodetector.However,to realize the all-aspects application of MoS_(2),the research on obtaining high-quality and large-area films need to be continuously explored to promote its industrialization.Although the MoS_(2)grain size has already improved from several micrometers to sub-millimeters,the high-quality growth of wafer-scale MoS_(2)is still of great challenge.Herein,this review mainly focuses on the evolution of MoS_(2)by including chemical vapor deposition,metal–organic chemical vapor deposition,physical vapor deposition,and thermal conversion technology methods.The state-of-the-art research on the growth and optimization mechanism,including nucleation,orientation,grain,and defect engineering,is systematically summarized.Then,this review summarizes the wafer-scale application of MoS_(2)in a transistor,inverter,electronics,and photodetectors.Finally,the current challenges and future perspectives are outlined for the wafer-scale growth and application of MoS_(2).

Device Physics Research for Submicron and Deep Submicron Space Microelectronics Devices and Integrated Circuits

Device physics research for submicron and deep submicron space microelectronics devices and integrated circuits will be described in three topics.1.Thin film submicron and deep submicron SOS / CMOS devices and integrated circuits.2.Deep submicron LDD CMOS devices and integrated circuits.3.C band and Ku band microwave GaAs MESFET and III-V compound hetrojunction HEM T and HBT devices and integrated circuits.

Through-silicon-via crosstalk model and optimization design for three-dimensional integrated circuits

Through-silicon-via （TSV） to TSV crosstalk noise is one of the key factors affecting the signal integrity of three- dimensional integrated circuits （3D ICs）. Based on the frequency dependent equivalent electrical parameters for the TSV channel, an analytical crosstalk noise model is established to capture the TSV induced crosstalk noise. The impact of various design parameters including insulation dielectric, via pitch, via height, silicon conductivity, and terminal impedance on the crosstalk noise is analyzed with the proposed model. Two approaches are proposed to alleviate the TSV noise, namely, driver sizing and via shielding, and the SPICE results show 241 rnV and 379 mV reductions in the peak noise voltage, respectively.

High density Al2O3/TaN-based metal-insulatormetal capacitors in application to radio equency integrated circuits

Metal-insulator-metal （MIM） capacitors with atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 dielectric and reactively sputtered TaN electrodes in application to radio frequency integrated circuits have been characterized electrically. The capacitors exhibit a high density of about 6.05 fF/μm^2, a small leakage current of 4.8 × 10^-8 A/cm^2 at 3 V, a high breakdown electric field of 8.61 MV/cm as well as acceptable voltage coefficients of capacitance （VCCs） of 795 ppm/V2 and 268ppm/V at 1 MHz. The observed properties should be attributed to high-quality Al2O3 film and chemically stable TaN electrodes. Further, a logarithmically linear relationship between quadratic VCC and frequency is observed due to the change of relaxation time with carrier mobility in the dielectric. The conduction mechanism in the high field ranges is dominated by the Poole-Frenkel emission, and the leakage current in the low field ranges is likely to be associated with trap-assisted tunnelling. Meanwhile, the Al2O3 dielectric presents charge trapping under low voltage stresses, and defect generation under high voltage stresses, and it has a hard-breakdown performance.

Hybrid material integration in silicon photonic integrated circuits

Hybrid integration ofⅢ-Ⅴand ferroelectric materials is being broadly adopted to enhance functionalities in silicon photonic integrated circuits(PICs).Bonding and transfer printing have been the popular approaches for integration of III–V gain media with silicon PICs.Similar approaches are also being considered for ferroelectrics to enable larger RF modulation bandwidths,higher linearity,lower optical loss integrated optical modulators on chip.In this paper,we review existing integration strategies ofⅢ-Ⅴmaterials and present a route towards hybrid integration of bothⅢ-Ⅴand ferroelectrics on the same chip.We show that adiabatic transformation of the optical mode between hybrid ferroelectric and silicon sections enables efficient transfer of optical modal energies for maximum overlap of the optical mode with the ferroelectric media,similar to approaches adopted to maximize optical overlap with the gain section,thereby reducing lasing thresholds for hybridⅢ-Ⅴintegration with silicon PICs.Preliminary designs are presented to enable a foundry compatible hybrid integration route of diverse functionalities on silicon PICs.

Science Letters:The Moore’s Law for photonic integrated circuits

We formulate a “Moore’s law” for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and their spatial integration density using two methods. One is decomposing the integrated photonics devices of diverse types into equivalent basic elements, which makes a comparison with the generic elements of electronic integrated circuits more meaningful. The other is making a complex compo- nent equivalent to a series of basic elements of the same functionality, which is used to calculate the integration density for func- tional components realized with different structures. The results serve as a benchmark of the evolution of PICs and we can con- clude that the density of integration measured in this way roughly increases by a factor of 2 per year. The prospects for a continued increase of spatial integration density are discussed.

A 330-500 GHz Zero-Biased Broadband Tripler Based on Terahertz Monolithic Integrated Circuits

A 330-500 GHz zero-biased broadband monolithic integrated tripler is reported. The measured results show that the maximum efficiency and the maximum output power are 2% and 194μW at 348 GHz. The saturation characteristic test shows that the output i dB compression point is about -8.5 dBm at 334 GHz and the maximum efficiency is obtained at the point, which is slightly below the 1 dB compression point. Compared with the conventional hybrid integrated circuit, a major advantage of the monolithic integrated circuit is the significant improvement of reliability and consistency. In this work, a terahertz monolithic frequency multiplier at this band is designed and fabricated.

Precision photonic integration for future large-scale photonic integrated circuits

Since the proposal of the concept of photonic integratedcircuits (PICs), tremendous progress has been made. In2005, Infinera Corp. rolled out the first commercial PICs, inwhich hundreds of optical functions were integrated onto asmall form factor chip for wavelength division multiplexing(WDM) systems[1], then a monolithically integrated 10 ×10 Gb/s WDM chip has been demonstrated, the channelnumber is ten[2]. Like ICs, large-scale PICs (LS-PICs) will besure to be pursued. However, there are still some generalchallenges associated with LS-PICs. The challenges for III–V(mainly InP) PICs is the semiconductor process, which is notmature for LS-PICs. Up to now, the channel number in commercialIII–V WDM PICs by Infinera is still about ten or less.For silicon photonics, the challenge is the silicon based lightsource. The low cost and mature solution for silicon lasers isstill unavailable and only 4 × 25 Gb/s PICs are deployed byIntel Corp. after 18-year R&D investment. Thus it is still unavailablefor practical LS-PICs in the present times.

ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSMISSION PROPERTIES OF TAPERED MUTLICONDUCTOR INTERCONNECTING BUSES IN HIGH-SPEED INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

Analysis approach and formulas for the transmission properties of uniform multicon-ductor interconnecting buses in high-speed integrated circuits are presented in this article. And further, by using a network approach, a tapered bus system can be analyzed as a set of cascaded uniform buses with slightly different strip widths. Obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

TRANSIENT CHARACTERISTIC ANALYSIS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE CMOS DIGITAL INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

This paper analyses the transient characteristics of high temperature CMOS inverters and gate circuits, and gives the computational formulas of their rise time, fall time and delay time. It may be concluded that the transient characteristics of CMOS inverters and gate circuits deteriorate due to the reduction of carrier mobilities and threshold voltages of MOS transistors and the increase of leakage currents of MOS transistors drain terminal pn junctions. The calculation results can explain the experimental phenomenon.

Study on Si-SiGe Three-Dimensional CMOS Integrated Circuits

Based on the physical characteristics of SiGe material,a new three-dimensional （3D） CMOS IC structure is proposed,in which the first device layer is made of Si material for nMOS devices and the second device layer is made of Six Ge1- x material for pMOS. The intrinsic performance of ICs with the new structure is then limited by Si nMOS.The electrical characteristics of a Si-SiGe 3D CMOS device and inverter are all simulated and analyzed by MEDICI. The simulation results indicate that the Si-SiGe 3D CMOS ICs are faster than the Si-Si 3D CMOS ICs. The delay time of the 3D Si-SiGe CMOS inverter is 2-3ps,which is shorter than that of the 3D Si-Si CMOS inverter.

Digital synthesis of programmable photonic integrated circuits

Programmable photonic waveguide meshes can be programmed into many different circuit topologies and thereby provide a variety of functions.Due to the complexity of the signal routing in a general mesh,a particular synthesis algorithm often only accounts for a specific function with a specific cell configuration.In this paper,we try to synthesize the programmable waveguide mesh to support multiple configurations with a more general digital signal processing platform.To show the feasibility of this technique,photonic waveguide meshes in different configurations(square,triangular and hexagonal meshes)are designed to realize optical signal interleaving with arbitrary duty cycles.The digital signal processing(DSP)approach offers an effective pathway for the establishment of a general design platform for the software-defined programmable photonic integrated circuits.The use of well-developed DSP techniques and algorithms establishes a link between optical and electrical signals and makes it convenient to realize the computer-aided design of optics–electronics hybrid systems.

Modern Monitoring Intraocular Pressure Sensing Devices Based on Application Specific Integrated Circuits

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative condition that is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main risk factor for the development and progression of the disease. Methods to lower IOP remain the first line treatments for the condition. Current methods of IOP measurement do not permit temporary noninvasive monitoring 24-hour IOP on a periodic basis. Ongoing research will in time provide a means of developing a device that will enable continuous or temporary monitoring of IOP. At present a device suitable for clinical use is not yet available.This review contains a description of different devices currently in development for measuring IOP: soft contact lens, LC resonant circuits and on-chip sensing devices. All of them use application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS) to process the measured signals and send them to recording devices. Soft contact lens devices are based on an embedded strain gauge, LC circuits vary their resonance frequency depending on the intraocular pressure (IOP) and, finally, on-chip sensing devices include an integrated microelectromechanical sensor (MEMS). MEMS are capacitors whose capacity varies with IOP. These devices allow for an accurate IOP measurement (up to +/– 0.2 mm Hg) with high sampling rates (up to 1 sample/min) and storing 1 week of raw data. All of them operate in an autonomous way and even some of them are energetically independent.

Creating Distinctive Connections between Multifunctional Microwave Circuits and Mobile-Terminal Radio-Frequency Integrated Chips Using Integrated Passive Device Technology

In this review,the advanced microwave devices based on the integrated passive device(IPD)technology are expounded and discussed in detail,involving the performance breakthroughs and circuit innovations.Then,the development trend of IPD-based multifunctional microwave circuits is predicted further by analyzing the current research hot spots.This paper discusses a distinctive research area for microwave circuits and mobile-terminal radio-frequency integrated chips.

A Thermal-Conscious Integrated Circuit Power Model and Its Impact on Dynamic Voltage Scaling Techniques

We propose a novel thermal-conscious power model for integrated circuits that can accurately predict power and temperature under voltage scaling. Experimental results show that the leakage power consumption is underestimated by 52 % if thermal effects are omitted. Furthermore, an inconsistency arises when energy and temperature are simultaneously optimized by dynamic voltage scaling. Temperature is a limiting factor for future integrated circuits,and the thermal optimization approach can attain a temperature reduction of up to 12℃ with less than 1.8% energy penalty compared with the energy optimization one.

Development of Physical Library for Short Channel CMOS / SOI Integrated Circuits

An 'Integrated Device and Circuit simulator' for thin film (0.05-0.2μm) submicron (0.5μm) and deep submicron (0.15, 0.25,0.35μm) CMOS/ SOI integrated circuit has been developed. This simulator has been used for design and fabrication and physical library development of thin film submicron and deep submicron CMOS/ SOI integrated circuit.

Optimization of a Si-SiO2 Waveguide Coupler for Photonic Integrated Circuits

In this paper, we demonstrated a compact Si-SiO2 waveguide coupler with a footprint of only 2 μm × 3 μm by topology optimization in the communication wavelength. The transmission was increased from 30% to 100%, much higher than other methods. Besides, the optimized structure did not incorporate other dielectric materials, facilitating fabrications and applications.

Advances in Developing Transitions in Microwave Integrated Circuits

Advances in developing transitions in microwave integrated circuits during the last ten years are reviewed. Some typical structures of transition are introduced. Transition structures can be classified into two basic types: one is transition between the same kind of transmission lines on different planes of a common substrate, the other transition between different types of transmission lines. Furthermore, future development of transition structures is discussed.