Optoelectronic components exploiting porous silicon materials

Principal Investigator: Professor T M Benson

Starts: 1 July 1997
Ends: 30 June 1999

Value: £74,349

The collaborating bodies on this project have, in recent years, established: (i) photoluminescence and efficient electroluminescence in porous silicon material, (ii) reliable and reproducible yet very simple methods for accurately controlling the porosity of porous silicon ( and hence its refractive index). (iii) original technologies for producing optical waveguides and Fabry-Perot reflective components based on and exploiting the design feasibility offered by (ii) and (iv) that porous silicon acts as a host for a range of materials including liquids and electro-optic polymers. These materials offer many potential advantages including low cost compatibility and ready integration with silicon electronics and technology, operation across a wide range of wavelengths (visible to IR) and the availability of a wide range of refractive index values. The proposed work aims to exploit these major advances to provide demonstrations of integration of source and waveguides, optical waveguide design exploiting the range of available refractive index to control polarisation and active devices based on poled oxidised porous silicon, carrier injection, the introduction of species into the pores of the material.