Postdoctoral Researcher III-V Epitaxy for Silicon Photonics

Design, growth and characterization of III-V based optoelectronic devices applying metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) for a wafer-scaled integration approach to silicon photonics!

Silicon photonics has become one of the key technologies solving future challenges caused by the tremendous rise in global data traffic and interconnect requirements in high-end Al/HPC compute clusters. III-V compound semiconductors are the materials of choice to realize active photonic device components with performance levels beyond what can be achieved in currently available silicon photonics platforms. Hence, a cost-efficient and highly scalable integration approach of III-V devices with Silicon photonics, enabling a reduced power consumption, higher bandwidth, and lower signal latency, would be a game changer in future interconnect technology.

You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team inventing novel wafer-scaled integration concepts of III-V devices such as laser diodes, amplifiers, and modulators to Silicon photonics integrated circuits at the edge of the possible. Your responsibility will be the growth and process development of III-V alloys and hetero-structures on large-diameter Si wafers by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE).

As an epitaxy expert, you will contribute to frequent discussions with imec s photonics integration and device teams about new device concepts, designs and the related integration feasibility and implementation. The III-V deposition and various structural characterization techniques will be carried out in imec s 300 mm CMOS pilot line applying state-of-the art process equipment. Data based on additional metrology methods applied to your samples, e.g., atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI), defect etching, time-resolved photoluminescence (trPL) and cathodoluminescence (CL), will allow you to optimize your III-V growth process and crystal quality. In particular, the deposition of GaAs-based multi-quantum wells and quantum dot layers as an optical gain medium for laser diodes and amplifiers is one of your most important research activities. If the achieved III-V layer quality allows, first process steps will be carried out to realize wafer-scaled III-V integration to Silicon photonics.