High Power, Room Temperature Terahertz Emitters Based on Dopant Transitions in 6H-Silicon Carbide

Electrically pumped high power terahertz （THz） emitters that operated above room temperature in a pulse mode were fabricated from nitrogen-doped n-type 6H-SiC. The emission spectra had peaks centered on 5 THz and 12 THz （20 meV and 50 meV） that were attributed to radiative transitions of excitons bound to nitrogen donor impurities. Due to the relatively deep binding energies of the nitrogen donors, above 100 meV, and the high thermal conductivity of the SiC substrates, the THz output power and operating temperature were significantly higher than previous dopant based emitters. With peak applied currents of a few amperes, and a top surface area of 1 mm2, the device emitted up to 0.5 mW at liquid nitrogen temperature （77 K）, and tens of microwatts up to 333 K. This result is the highest temperature of THz emission reported from impurity-based emitters.

Fundamentals of phase-only liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) devices

This paper describes the fundamentals of phase-only liquid crystal on silicon(LCOS)technology,which have not been previously discussed in detail.This technology is widely utilized in high efficiency applications for real-time holography and diffractive optics.The paper begins with a brief introduction on the developmental trajectory of phase-only LCOS technology,followed by the correct selection of liquid crystal(LC)materials and corresponding electro-optic effects in such devices.Attention is focused on the essential requirements of the physical aspects of the LC layer as well as the indispensable parameters for the response time of the device.Furthermore,the basic functionalities embedded in the complementary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS)silicon backplane for phase-only LCOS devices are illustrated,including two typical addressing schemes.Finally,the application of phase-only LCOS devices in real-time holography will be introduced in association with the use of cutting-edge computer-generated holograms.

Silicon and hybrid silicon photonic devices for intra-datacenter applications: state of the art and perspectives [Invited]

We review the state of the art and our perspectives on silicon and hybrid silicon photonic devices for optical interconnects in datacenters. After a brief discussion of the key requirements for intra-datacenter optical interconnects, we propose a wavelength-division-multiplexing(WDM)-based optical interconnect for intra-datacenter applications. Following our proposed interconnects configuration, the bulk of the review emphasizes recent developments concerning on-chip hybrid silicon microlasers and WDM transmitters, and silicon photonic switch fabrics for intra-datacenters. For hybrid silicon microlasers and WDM transmitters, we outline the remaining challenges and key issues toward realizing low power consumption, direct modulation, and integration of multiwavelength microlaser arrays. For silicon photonic switch fabrics, we review various topologies and configurations of high-port-count N-by-N switch fabrics using Mach–Zehnder interferometers and microring resonators as switch elements, and discuss their prospects toward practical implementations with active reconfiguration.For the microring-based switch fabrics, we review recent developments of active stabilization schemes at the subsystem level. Last, we outline several large challenges and problems for silicon and hybrid silicon photonics to meet for intra-datacenter applications and propose potential solutions.

Lowering the energy consumption in silicon photonic devices and systems [Invited]

We review current silicon photonic devices and their performance in connection with energy consumption.Four critical issues are identified to lower energy consumption in devices and systems: reducing the influence of the thermo-optic effect, increasing the wall-plug efficiency of lasers on silicon, optimizing energy performance of modulators, and enhancing the sensitivity of photodetectors. Major conclusions are(1) Mach–Zehnder interferometer-based devices can achieve athermal performance without any extra energy consumption while microrings do not have an efficient passive athermal solution;(2) while direct bonded III–V-based Si lasers can meet system power requirement for now, hetero-epitaxial grown III–V quantum dot lasers are competitive and may be a better option for the future;(3) resonant modulators, especially coupling modulators, are promising for low-energy consumption operation even when the power to stabilize their operation is included;(4) benefiting from high sensitivity and low cost, Ge/Si avalanche photodiode is the most promising photodetector and can be used to effectively reduce the optical link power budget. These analyses and solutions will contribute to further lowering energy consumption to meet aggressive energy demands in future systems.

Design and Implementation of a System for Laser Assisted Milling of Advanced Materials

Laser assisted machining is an effective method to machine advanced materials with the added benefits of longer tool life and increased material removal rates. While extensive studies have investigated the machining properties for laser assisted milling（LAML）, few attempts have been made to extend LAML to machining parts with complex geometric features. A methodology for continuous path machining for LAML is developed by integration of a rotary and movable table into an ordinary milling machine with a laser beam system. The machining strategy and processing path are investigated to determine alignment of the machining path with the laser spot. In order to keep the material removal temperatures above the softening temperature of silicon nitride, the transformation is coordinated and the temperature interpolated, establishing a transient thermal model. The temperatures of the laser center and cutting zone are also carefully controlled to achieve optimal machining results and avoid thermal damage. These experiments indicate that the system results in no surface damage as well as good surface roughness, validating the application of this machining strategy and thermal model in the development of a new LAML system for continuous path processing of silicon nitride. The proposed approach can be easily applied in LAML system to achieve continuous processing and improve efficiency in laser assisted machining.

Dopant atoms as quantum components in silicon nanoscale devices

Recent progress in nanoscale fabrication allows many fundamental studies of the few dopant atoms in various semiconductor nanostructures. Since the size of nanoscale devices has touched the limit of the nature, a single dopant atom may dominate the performance of the device. Besides, the quantum computing considered as a future choice beyond Moore＇s law also utilizes dopant atoms as functional units. Therefore, the dopant atoms will play a significant role in the future novel nanoscale devices. This review focuses on the study of few dopant atoms as quantum components in silicon nanoscale device. The control of the number of dopant atoms and unique quantum transport characteristics induced by dopant atoms are presented. It can be predicted that the development of nanoelectronics based on dopant atoms will pave the way for new possibilities in quantum electronics.

Integrated nano-structured silicon waveguides and devices for high-speed optical communications

With progress in fabrication technology, integrated photonics plays an increasingly important role in high-speed optical communications, from monolithic transmitters and receivers for advanced optical modulation formats to on-chip subsystems for optical signal processing. We review our recent work on the highly tailorable physical properties of silicon waveguides for communication and signal processing applications, using slot structures. Controllable chromatic dispersion, nonlinearity, and polarization properties of the waveguides are presented, and the enabled wideband wavelength conversion, optical tunable delay, and signal processing of polarization-multiplexing data channels are discussed.

Concept and design of super junction devices

The super junction（SJ） has been recognized as the ＂milestone＂ of the power MOSFET, which is the most important innovation concept of the voltage-sustaining layer（VSL）. The basic structure of the SJ is a typical junction-type VSL（J-VSL） with the periodic N and P regions. However, the conventional VSL is a typical resistance-type VSL（R-VSL） with only an N or P region. It is a qualitative change of the VSL from the R-VSL to the JVSL, introducing the bulk depletion to increase the doping concentration and optimize the bulk electric field of the SJ. This paper firstly summarizes the development of the SJ, and then the optimization theory of the SJ is discussed for both the vertical and the lateral devices, including the non-full depletion mode, the minimum specific on-resistance optimization method and the equivalent substrate model. The SJ concept breaks the conventional＂silicon limit＂ relationship of R_（on）∝V_B^（2.5）, showing a quasi-linear relationship of R_（on）∝V_B^（1.03）.

A Review of WBG and Si Devices Hybrid Applications

In recent years,next-generation power semiconductor devices,represented by silicon carbide(SiC)and gallium nitride(GaN),have gradually emerged.Because wide-bandgap(WBG)devices have better electrical characteristics than those of silicon(Si)based devices,they have attracted increased attention both from academic researchers and industrial engineers.Employing WBG devices will further improve the efficiency and power density of power converters.However,the current price of WBG devices remains extremely high.Thus,some researches have focused on the hybrid utilization of WBG devices and Si-based devices to achieve a tradeoff between the performance and cost.To summarize the current research on WBG/Si hybrid applications,the issues mentioned above with representative research approaches,results,and characteristics,are systematically reviewed.Finally,the current research on WBG/Si hybrid applications and their future trends are discussed.