Demonstration of low-cost Si-based tunable long-wavelength resonant-cavity-enhanced photodetectors

A simple process for fabricating low-cost Si-based continuously tunable long-wavelength resonant-cavity-enhanced (RCE) photodetectors has been investigated. High-contrast SiO2∕Si(Δn∼2) was employed as mirrors to eliminate the need to grow thick epitaxial distributed Bragg reflectors. Such high-reflectivity SiO2∕Si mirrors were deposited on the as-grown InGaAs epitaxy layers, and then were bonded to silicon substrates at a low temperature of 350 °C without any special treatment on bonding surfaces, employing silicate gel as the bonding medium. The cost is thus decreased. A thermally tunable Si-based InGaAs RCE photodetector operating at 1.3–1.6 μm was obtained, with a quantum efficiency of about 44% at the resonant wavelength of 1476 nm and a tuning range of 14.5 nm. It demonstrates a great potential for industry processes.