Silicon photonics process simplification - grating mask reduction

• Main Author: Li, Aolin
• Other Authors: Tang Xiaohong
• Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2025
• Subjects: Physics; Grating coupler; Silicon photonics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/182802
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In Silicon Photonics, grating couplers are used as a surface-coupling optical component for guiding light in a preferential direction for process control. However, edge couplers can achieve rather high coupling efficiency, broad bandwidth, and polarization independence, which are normally used in real product design. Therefore, it is critical to develop new grating couplers by reducing grating mask and process, used for wafer level optical test to get comparable wave guide propagation loss. The process simplification should not impact product function. In this thesis, new type grating couplers for both C-band(1550nm) and O-band(1310nm) are designed to achieve comparable coupling loss with simplified process to existing baseline. Wave guide propagation loss can be tested comparably to baseline by process control monitoring structure with new type grating couplers and simplified process.