To keep pace with the scaling of semiconductor technology, the amount of energy required to transmit one bit of information needs to be drastically reduced. Optical interconnects may become a key technology in enabling high bandwidth interconnections, provided that its components operate at sufficiently low energies per bit. At the receiver, the capacitance of the photodetector limits the speed and power consumption that can be achieved. Lower capacitance can be achieved by reducing the physical size of the photodetector to nanoscale volumes, an order of magnitude smaller than the optical wavelength. This dissertation focuses on metallic nanostructures that can be used to bridge this size mismatch between the optical mode and the optoelectronic device. They can be used to enhance the interaction between the optical signal and the photodetector, and if designed as a waveguiding structure, they can provide an efficient way of routing optical signals with deep subwavelength mode dimensions and can integrate well with nanoscale photodetectors, providing a route towards highly integrated low capacitance detectors for optical interconnects.

Dramatic increases in processing power have rapidly scaled on-chip aggregate bandwidths into the Tb/s range. This necessitates a corresponding increase in the amount of data communicated between chips, so as not to limit overall system performance. To meet the increasing demand for interchip communication bandwidth, researchers are investigating the use of high-speed optical interconnect architectures. Unlike their electrical counterparts, optical interconnects offer high bandwidth and negligible frequency-dependent loss, making possible per-channel data rates of more than 10 Gb/s. High-Speed Photonics Interconnects explores some of the groundbreaking technologies and applications that are based on photonics interconnects. From the Evolution of High-Speed I/O Circuits to the Latest in Photonics Interconnects Packaging and Lasers Featuring contributions by experts from academia and industry, the book brings together in one volume cutting-edge research on various aspects of high-speed photonics interconnects. Contributors delve into a wide range of technologies, from the evolution of high-speed input/output (I/O) circuits to recent trends in photonics interconnects packaging. The book discusses the challenges associated with scaling I/O data rates and current design techniques. It also describes the major high-speed components, channel properties, and performance metrics. The book exposes readers to a myriad of applications enabled by photonics interconnects technology. Learn about Optical Interconnect Technologies Suitable for High-Density Integration with CMOS Chips This richly illustrated work details how optical interchip communication links have the potential to fully leverage increased data rates provided through complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology scaling at suitable power-efficiency levels. Keeping the mathematics to a minimum, it gives engineers, researchers, graduate students, and entrepreneurs a comprehensive overview of the dynamic landscape of high-speed photonics interconnects.

Nanophotonics is a field of science and technology based on the manipulation of light with equally miniscule structures, in the same way that computer chips are used to route and switch electrical signals. By enabling new high bandwidth, high speed optoelectronic components, nanophotonics has the potential to revolutionize the fields of telecommunications, computation and sensing. In this book, Zalevsky and Abdulhalim explore one of the key technologies emerging within nanophotonics, that of nano-integrated photonic modulation devices and sensors. The attempt to integrate photonic dynamic devices with microelectronic circuits is becoming a major scientific as well as industrial trend due to the fact that currently processing is mainly achieved using microelectronic chips but transmission, especially for long distances, takes place via optical links. Unlocks the technologies that will turn the rapidly growing research area of nanophotonics into a major area of commercial development, with applications in telecommunications, computing, security and sensing Nano-integrated photonic modulation devices and sensors are the components that will see nanophotonics moving out of the lab into a new generation of products and services By covering the scientific fundamentals alongside technological applications, the authors open up this important multidisciplinary subject to readers from a range of scientific backgrounds

Current data centre networks, based on electronic packet switches, are experiencing an exponential increase in network traffic due to developments such as cloud computing. Optical interconnects have emerged as a promising alternative offering high throughput and reduced power consumption. Optical Interconnects for Data Centers reviews key developments in the use of optical interconnects in data centres and the current state of the art in transforming this technology into a reality. The book discusses developments in optical materials and components (such as single and multi-mode waveguides), circuit boards and ways the technology can be deployed in data centres. Optical Interconnects for Data Centers is a key reference text for electronics designers, optical engineers, communications engineers and R&D managers working in the communications and electronics industries as well as postgraduate researchers. Summarizes the state-of-the-art in this emerging field Presents a comprehensive review of all the key aspects of deploying optical interconnects in data centers, from materials and components, to circuit boards and methods for integration Contains contributions that are drawn from leading international experts on the topic

Providing an eclectic snapshot of the current state of the art and future implications of the field, Nanomaterials, Polymers, and Devices: Materials Functionalization and Device Fabrication presents topics grouped into three categorical focuses: The synthesis, mechanism and functionalization of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, silica, and quantum dots Various functional devices which properties and structures are tailored with emphasis on nanofabrication. Among discussed are light emitting diodes, nanophotonic, nano-optical, and photovoltaic devices Nanoelectronic devices, which include semiconductor, nanotube and nanowire-based electronics, single-walled carbon-nanotube based nanoelectronics, as well as thin-film transistors

The new edition of the most detailed and comprehensive single-volume reference on major semiconductor devices The Fourth Edition of Physics of Semiconductor Devices remains the standard reference work on the fundamental physics and operational characteristics of all major bipolar, unipolar, special microwave, and optoelectronic devices. This fully updated and expanded edition includes approximately 1,000 references to original research papers and review articles, more than 650 high-quality technical illustrations, and over two dozen tables of material parameters. Divided into five parts, the text first provides a summary of semiconductor properties, covering energy band, carrier concentration, and transport properties. The second part surveys the basic building blocks of semiconductor devices, including p-n junctions, metal-semiconductor contacts, and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. Part III examines bipolar transistors, MOSFETs (MOS field-effect transistors), and other field-effect transistors such as JFETs (junction field-effect-transistors) and MESFETs (metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors). Part IV focuses on negative-resistance and power devices. The book concludes with coverage of photonic devices and sensors, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells, and various photodetectors and semiconductor sensors. This classic volume, the standard textbook and reference in the field of semiconductor devices: Provides the practical foundation necessary for understanding the devices currently in use and evaluating the performance and limitations of future devices Offers completely updated and revised information that reflects advances in device concepts, performance, and application Features discussions of topics of contemporary interest, such as applications of photonic devices that convert optical energy to electric energy Includes numerous problem sets, real-world examples, tables, figures, and illustrations; several useful appendices; and a detailed solutions manual for Instructor's only Explores new work on leading-edge technologies such as MODFETs, resonant-tunneling diodes, quantum-cascade lasers, single-electron transistors, real-space-transfer devices, and MOS-controlled thyristors Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Fourth Edition is an indispensable resource for design engineers, research scientists, industrial and electronics engineering managers, and graduate students in the field.