6 - Reliability of optoelectronics

Abstract

The surging demand for and use of smart phones, tablets, video conferencing, and Internet TV have fueled the need for ever faster data transfer rates. Optoelectronics and hybrid Si/III-V devices are promising candidates for enabling ultrafast data transfer. Due to the differences in material, design, and physics present in optoelectronic and electronic devices, the reliability degradation mechanisms in these devices are expected to be different. Compared to electronics, optoelectronics has not been widely studied with regard to its reliability. In this chapter, we provide a brief introduction to the key differences between optoelectronics and electronics, and we highlight the current findings on optoelectronics reliability. We discuss recent developments in the use of semiconductor lasers, including the ridge waveguide and buried heterostructure laser diodes, illustrating the process design and remedies, as well as thermal properties and wall plug efficiency. We consider the critical factors that affect the reliability degradation of semiconductor lasers, and we review the experimental data and theoretical physical mechanisms related to this technology. This chapter deals with reliability extrapolation and modeling, demonstrating the lifetime extrapolation at the operating condition based on temperature and current accelerations. We discuss the electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical overstress data, presenting the physical ESD damage mechanism and the novel polarity effect.