Communications of the ACM
Material Could Bring Optical Communication Onto Silicon Chips
Researchers have designed a light-emitter and detector that can be integrated into silicon CMOS chips.
Credit: Sampson Wilcox
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have created a proof-of-concept light emitter and photodetector that can be incorporated into silicon complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (Si-CMOS) chips, a solution to the "interconnect bottleneck" that slows communication between different chip elements.
The team used two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum ditelluride, a semiconductor material that can be stacked on top of silicon wafers. The material also emits infrared light, so it can be used for on-chip communication. For its use as a light emitter, the researchers applied a voltage across metallic gate electrodes positioned side-by-side on top of the material.
Once the diode is generated, the team ran a current through the device, triggering optical emission.
The researchers say the device also can function as a photodetector by switching the polarity of the applied voltage.
"This work shows that 2D materials and Si-CMOS and silicon photonics are a natural match," notes Institute of Photonic Sciences (Spain) professor Frank Koppens.
From MIT News
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