1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to an improved silicon photonics wafer and more specifically to fabricating a silicon photonics wafer using standard silicon-on-insulator processes through substrate removal or transfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Silicon (Si) photonics is a technology that is under worldwide research and development due to its promise of delivering high performance optical components built in low-cost silicon chip technologies. Silicon photonics is the study and application of photonic systems that use silicon as an optical medium. The silicon is patterned with sub-micrometer precision into silicon photonic components. The silicon typically lies on top of a layer of silica in what is known as silicon-on-insulator (SOI).
In order for the silicon photonic components to remain optically independent from the bulk silicon of the wafer on which the silicon photonic components are fabricated, it is necessary to have a layer of intervening material. This layer of intervening material is usually silica, which has a lower optical refractive index than the silicon photonic components. As a result, light at the silicon-silica interface undergoes internal reflection and, therefore, remains in the silicon photonic components.