Advanced Photonic BiCMOS Technology with high-performance Ge Photo Detectors

Photonic-electronic integration is a key technology to master data traffic growth and therefore an enabler of future network technologies. At IHP, a unique silicon-based photonic-electronic integration technology, photonic BiCMOS, has been developed. Photonic BiCMOS is a planar technology co-integrating monolithically on a single substrate high-speed RF frontend electronics with high-speed photonic devices such as broadband germanium detectors, modulators, and SOI nanowaveguide integrated optics. High RF capability of this electronic photonic integrated circuit (ePIC) technology is enabled by SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). In this paper we give an overview about IHP's work in ePIC technology development with focus on the integration of a waveguide-coupled germanium p-i-n photo diode with very high -3 dB bandwidth and advancements in the photonic BiCMOS technology.