High efficiency grating couplers based on shared process with CMOS MOSFETs

Abstract

Grating couplers are widely investigated as coupling interfaces between silicon-on-insulator waveguides and optical fibers. In this work, a high-efficiency and complementary metal—oxide—semiconductor (CMOS) process compatible grating coupler is proposed. The poly-Si layer used as a gate in the CMOS metal—oxide—semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) is combined with a normal fully etched grating coupler, which greatly enhances its coupling efficiency. With optimal structure parameters, a coupling efficiency can reach as high as ∼ 70% at a wavelength of 1550 nm as indicated by simulation. From the angle of fabrication, all masks and etching steps are shared between MOSFETs and grating couplers, thereby making the high performance grating couplers easily integrated with CMOS circuits. Fabrication errors such as alignment shift are also simulated, showing that the device is quite tolerant in fabrication.