Recent progress of III–V quantum dot infrared photodetectors on silicon

Abstract

Heterogeneous integration of III–V photodetectors on Si substrates offers great advantages for manufacturing complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible photonic components. However, the significant material lattice mismatch and thermal expansion coefficient difference between III–Vs and Si materials present many challeges for heteroepitaxial growth. Quantum dots (QDs), due to the unique nature of three-dimensional quantum confinement as well as the defect tolerance, have now been emerging as a strong competitor to III–V quantum wells (QWs) and group IV counterparts. In this review, the recent progress on heterogeneous integration of III–V quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) on Si substrates is summarized, focusing on direct epitaxial growth and bonding techniques on Si platforms over the last few years. Lastly, this review compares the device performance of QDs to Ge and III–V bulk on Si substrates, illustrating the promising advantage of using QD active regions towards efficient, high-density and low-cost on-chip photonics.