Hybrid integration of polymers and compound semiconductors in photonics

We combine polymers and semiconductors to bring the best of both worlds. We use the well-established semiconductor processing techniques to fabricate structures such as waveguides, gratings, pn junctions, quantum wells. Then we use polymers to bond these samples to transfer substrates. Finally we etch away the growth substrate. With further processing we integrate the semiconductor circuit in the remaining epilayer with polymer waveguides. The end product is a photonic chip, containing semiconductor only in the regions where there is an optical wave hence where the properties of the semiconductor are needed. The rest is made out of low loss and cost polymers containing low loss optical guides, which are almost identical to optical fiber. This technology is applied to high speed traveling wave modulators and tunable grating reflectors.