Objective
Our vision is to integrate light-emitting devices, based on hexagonal silicon-germanium (Hex-SiGe), with existing Si electronics and passive Si-photonics circuitry. This establishes a silicon-compatible technology platform, with full optoelectronic functionality.
Silicon dominates the electronics industry for more than half a century. However, silicon, germanium, and SiGe-alloys are all indirect bandgap semiconductors. Their inability to efficiently emit light has adversely shaped the semiconductor industry we know today. Accordingly, achieving efficient light emission from SiGe has been a holy grail in silicon technology for decades.
Hexagonal crystal phase SiGe (Hex-SiGe) recently emerged as a new direct bandgap semiconductor with excellent light emission capabilities. Hex-SiGe will provide additional functionality like light generation (light-emitting diode, laser), light amplification (semiconductor optical amplifier), and efficient light detection to silicon technology.