Silicon Photonics

Abstract

Silicon photonics is a vibrant technology area in which photonic integrated circuits and components are made of silicon. The main driving force behind its development is the prospect of low‐cost manufacture. This is possible due to its compatibility with CMOS processing techniques, which lead to high volumes and high yield. In recent years, there has been a vast and growing amount of research into the technology from both academia and industry, and this has coincided with a period of rapid performance enhancements of the different building block elements that make up a photonic integrated circuit as well as integration and fabrication techniques. In this article an overview of silicon photonics is provided, with the progress in each of the building block areas described, from passive wave guiding components to light sources, optical modulators, and photodetectors. We also give a short overview of the different integration techniques used in the field and the rapidly growing area of mid‐infrared silicon photonic technology.