High-speed III-V nanowire photodetector monolithically integrated on Si

Direct epitaxial growth of III-Vs on silicon for optical emitters and detectors is an elusive goal. Nanowires enable the local integration of high-quality III-V material, but advanced devices are hampered by their high-aspect ratio vertical geometry. Here, we demonstrate the in-plane monolithic integration of an InGaAs nanostructure p-i-n photodetector on Si. Using free space coupling, photodetectors demonstrate a spectral response from 1200-1700 nm. The 60 nm thin devices, with footprints as low as ~0.06 µm², provide an ultra-low capacitance which is key for high-speed operation. We demonstrate high-speed optical data reception with a nanostructure photodetector at 32 Gb s⁻1, enabled by a 3 dB bandwidth exceeding ~25 GHz. When operated as light emitting diode, the p-i-n devices emit around 1600 nm, paving the way for future fully integrated optical links.

Svenja Mauthe, Yannick Baumgartner, Marilyne Sousa, Qian Ding, Marta D. Rossell, Andreas Schenk, Lukas Czornomaz, Kirsten E. Moselund