Light beams flowing through a silicon chip

Silicon Photonics: The Future of Integrated Circuitry is Here

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Jordan Keane in Tech & Innovation April 2025 • 4 min read.

"Explore how integrating micro-photonic systems and MOEMS into standard silicon CMOS is revolutionizing data processing and optical communication."


The relentless push for smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronic systems has driven researchers to explore the integration of optical communication and micro-systems directly into silicon fabrication technology. This approach, known as silicon photonics, promises to overcome the limitations of traditional electronic interconnects, particularly in high-speed data processing and optical signal processing.

Silicon photonics is quickly gaining momentum as a solution for advanced data processing at ultra-high speeds. By analyzing diverse optical data directly on a chip, this technology can address the increasing demands of interconnect density in modern microprocessor systems. While current silicon photonics technology is primarily established at 1550 nm to align with long-haul telecommunication bands, the realization of waveguides, modulators, and resonators on silicon platforms is becoming increasingly feasible.

Currently, there are two main application areas being developed: high-speed optical communication (reaching speeds up to THz using Si-Ge technology), and "Lab on a chip" systems (optical micro-systems that analyze environments or attached media).

The Benefits of CMOS Integration

Light beams flowing through a silicon chip

One of the significant challenges in silicon photonics has been the absence of an efficient on-chip light source at 1550 nm, which forces systems to rely on external light sources. In addition, many systems incorporate Si-Ge detectors, which are incompatible with mainstream silicon technology, and often require complex and expensive processing procedures. A Ge-on-Si laser source has recently been developed, offering coherent optical emission on a chip, but it uses complex strained Si-Ge layer technology.

The use of CMOS optical sources alongside silicon detectors could pave the way for new optical communication and integrated systems directly onto CMOS silicon. While the optical communication bandwidth of these systems may not compete with Si-Ge technology, the benefits of an all-silicon and CMOS-compatible system include lower complexity, reduced fabrication costs, easier integration into mainstream CMOS technology, and higher system integration capabilities.
  • Lower complexity of the technology
  • Lower cost of fabrication
  • Ease of integration into the mainstream CMOS technology
  • Higher system integration capabilities
Micro-photonic systems on CMOS chips could lead to new products and markets, creating low-cost, all-silicon opto-electronic technologies and intelligent CMOS chips. Potential applications range from CMOS-based micro-systems analyzing environmental or biological substances to sensors on chips that can detect vibration, inertia, and acceleration. This could create new products in the medical and biological markets, including sensor systems that measure color, optical intensities, absorption, and distances.

Looking Ahead

The development of silicon photonics is an ongoing journey, with each step bringing us closer to realizing its full potential. As research continues and new innovations emerge, silicon photonics promises to reshape the landscape of microelectronics and optical technology.

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