Quasimonolithic hybridization of multiple quantum well electroabsorption modulator/detector arrays with silicon VLSI

We report a fully inorganic technique for hybridizing MQW device arrays, that yields quasimonolithic levels of thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and electrical parasitics, and permits a wide range of further postprocessing operations. We have demonstrated Au-Sn-based quasimonolithic hybridization to silicon VLSI of MQW electroabsorption modulators and detectors having a sophisticated vertical structure. The planarity of the process facilitates subsequent vacuum-deposition steps; the vertical device structure allows minimization of the footprint and parasitic capacitance; the chosen bond metallurgy is robust under subsequent high-temperature packaging operations. We believe that our technique offers valuable flexibility in the overall physical design of low-level optical interconnections for VLSI.