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The recent and rapid growth of silicon photonics is driven by the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth inside and between data centres. Silicon photonics can offer an unparalleled performance in terms of scalability and power consumption with low-cost fabrication through the leveraging of CMOS fabrication techniques. This thesis describes research on the silicon micro-ring resonator modulator, a device which combines energy-efficiency with a compact footprint that is ideal for data centre applications. Both theoretical and experimental work is described in the context of improving the reachability, capacity and stability of the silicon micro-ring resonator modulator for inter/intra-data centre communication. Chapter 2 presents modeling work using MATLAB® that provides predictive results for both device-level and system-level performance. Chapter 3 studies the chirp characteristic of an over-coupled silicon micro-ring resonator modulator and its capability of generating a negative-chirp modulation. The resulting chirp-induced power penalty is measured to be as low as 2.5 dB after 100 km transmission. Chapter 4 focuses on the advanced modulation techniques that can be efficiently exploited for increasing the spectral efficiency in the typically band-limited system. A record single-polarization 104 Gb/s data rate per wavelength (direct-detect) was achieved by using digital signal processing to alleviate the modulation deficiencies that are specific to the silicon micro-ring resonator modulator. In Chapter 5, a generic resonance control method using intrinsic defect-mediated photocurrent is described and experimentally demonstrated to provide stability for the silicon micro-ring resonator modulator during high-speed operation. This control method can also lead to an “all-silicon” system without the need for power detection using germanium. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis details the design, fabrication and measurement of an integrated optical Bragg grating filter, operating at a free space wavelength of 1532 nm, based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) ridge waveguide. Grating-based integrated devices can interact with optical signals in photonic integrated circuits (PIC) in such a way as to selectively transmit, reflect or detect the signals that are resonant with these devices. Channel filters can access one channel of a wavelength division multiplexed signal without disturbing the other channels and are therefore important elements in WDM communications. Resonator filters are attractive candidates because they can potentially realize the narrowest linewidth for a given device size. Device models for this kind of device are developed by using the MATLAB programming language. Coupled mode theory (CMT) for filters, and the effective index method (EIM) which reduces a three dimensional (3D) analysis into two dimensions is used as modeling theoretical background. Computer modeling identifies the effect of device structure on the performance of the devices, and is also used to predict the output characteristics of this kind of device. This provides an understanding of device physics and operation, and a basis for comparison with experimental results. A common fabrication sequence for integrated optical Bragg grating filters based on SOI ridge waveguides is designed, developed and demonstrated. This includes the photomask for optical ridged waveguide, interferometic lithography for grating pattern and high accuracy RIE etching. This work demonstrates Bragg grating as a technology for realizing PIC in SOI material system, and presents the technology required to design, fabricate, characterize, and model these integrated devices. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

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The exponential rise in global data traffic and the growing reliance on digital applications is pushing the bandwidth demands within data centers. The traditional hierarchical network architecture of data centers, primarily relying on electrical interconnects, faces scalability challenges including power dissipation, bandwidth limitations, and cooling requirements. Optical interconnects, using fibers and pluggable transceivers, emerge as a promising solution to these challenges, offering advantages such as electromagnetic interference resistance, high bandwidth, and efficient energy usage. This thesis explores the design, fabrication, and characterization of opto-electronic devices to be used as components for optical transceivers on a silicon photonics platform, which leverages the mature complementary metal-oxide semiconductor fabrication technology. Chapter 2 introduces the basics of waveguide theory alongside the principles behind defect-based avalanche photodiodes, phototransistors, and two-level system optical amplifiers. Chapter 3 details the design, simulation, and characterization of a high-responsivity silicon/germanium phototransistor, achieving over 1000 A/W in performance. Chapter 4 discusses the design and measurement of an all-silicon avalanche photodetector for near-infrared wavelengths mediated by deep-level defects. In Chapter 5, the focus shifts to enhancing the previously mentioned photodetector’s responsivity through slow light gain with subwavelength grating waveguide structures, with details on its design, simulation, fabrication, and characterization. Chapter 6 explores the development and analysis of an erbium-doped waveguide amplifier on a hybrid silicon nitride - tellurite platform, incorporating erbium ions via ion implantation. This thesis makes contributions toward realizing efficient silicon photonics-based data communication infrastructure, supporting the escalating demand for bandwidth while mitigating power consumption and improving system scalability. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

We have designed and constructed a novel Raman near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) and evaluated its performance characteristics with the goal of characterizing the strain in nanoscopic silicon structures. The Raman NSOM was built around a commercial Raman microscope to which a custom built stage was added to provide precise control over the tip position above the sample (z) using shear-force microscopy feedback as well as sample scanning in the x-y plane. The motion control axes were calibrated to better than 1 nm in z and approximately 20 nm in x and y. The NSOM provides both topographical images and Raman mapping with a lateral spectral resolution of 150-300 nm. The experiments described herein were enabled by gold-coated chemically etched NSOM tips with aperture diameters ranging between 60 and 150 nm. The sensitivity of the instrument was demonstrated by the high signal-to-noise ratios observed for Raman scattering by diamond and silicon in reflection mode. Spatial resolution and spectral sensitivity were demonstrated by obtaining well-resolved tip-sample separation curves that provide an accurate estimate of tip aperture size during an experiment. / text

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High-energy Si implantation into silicon creates a net defect distribution that is characterized by an excess of interstitials near the projected range and a simultaneous excess of vacancies closer to the surface. This defect distribution is due to the spatial separation between the distributions of interstitials and vacancies created by the forward momentum transferred from the implanted ion to the lattice atom. This dissertation investigates the evolution of the near-surface vacancy excess in MeV Si-implanted silicon both during implantation and post-implant annealing. Although previous investigations have identified a vacancy excess in MeV-implanted silicon, the investigations presented in this dissertation are unique in that they are designed to correlate the free-vacancy supersaturation with the vacancies in clusters. Free-vacancy (and interstitial) supersaturations were measured with Sb (B) dopant diffusion markers. Vacancies in clusters were profiled by Au labeling; a new technique based on the observation that Au atoms trap in the presence of open-volume defects. The experiments described in this dissertation are also unique in that they were designed to isolate the deep interstitial excess from interacting with the much shallower vacancy excess during post-implant thermal processing.

This thesis utilizes the binary encounter approximation to calculate the stopping power of protons penetrating silicon. The main goal of the research was to make predictions of the stopping power of silicon for low-energy and medium-energy channelled protons, in the hope that this will motivate experiments to test the theory developed below. In attaining this goal, different stopping power theories were compared and the binary encounter approach was applied to random (non-channelled) and high-energy channelled protons in silicon, and these results were compared with experimental data.