POET Technologies Inc of Toronto, Canada – which, through subsidiary OPEL Defense Integrated Systems (ODIS Inc) of Storrs, CT, USA, has developed the proprietary planar-optoelectronic technology (POET) platform for monolithic fabrication of integrated III-V-based electronic and optical devices on a single semiconductor wafer – has issued a progress update on its 100nm initiative, on the upgrade of its molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system, and on its technology design kit for the Planar Electronic Technology (PET) subset of the POET process.
100nm initiative
This milestone (M-8) is associated with reducing the feature size of key POET devices to the 100nm range in scale. POET had previously achieved sub-200nm scaling, as announced in first-quarter 2014. “While work progresses to drive down feature size further, our technical team now believes that it will achieve this milestone in the near-term,” says the firm.
Among the technical challenges addressed by the team are short-channel effects and the development and implementation of a novel technique based on using a non-gold-based contact, without liftoff, to achieve selfalignment. This results in a general digital device format for III-V technologies. Many of these processes have been captured as new intellectual property for the firm by the submission of patent applications.
“The team has worked relentlessly through multiple hurdles on its way to completion of the 100nm milestone,” notes executive chairman & interim CEO Peter Copetti. “The scale-down to sub100nm scale will demonstrate our ability to fabricate competitive digital devices with III-V materials to a point that has never been demonstrated before,” he believes.
The technical team has targeted the end of second-quarter 2014 for completion of this milestone.
Upgraded MBE
The MBE system is a key piece of process equipment on the POET pilot line. Earlier this year, the firm announced that there was a requirement for the MBE system to be taken off-line for maintenance, as well as for source material replenishment and a major upgrade. In anticipation of this, the firm used it to produce all material required for the 100nm initiative, ahead of the scheduled outage.
As anticipated, the upgrade work required a total of two months of off-line work. This scheduled work is now completed, and the MBE system is back in service, growing wafers for use in further POET device work.
“With the old MBE system, we had demonstrated the short-wavelength optical capabilities of our process, mainly for data-center applications,” notes chief scientist Dr Geoff Taylor. “With our newly upgraded MBE system, our capabilities have expanded to fabricating optical devices with long wavelengths. This is critical for our POET offerings in the long-haul, networking and optical equipment market.”
PET technology design kit (TDK)
This PET/TDK milestone (MS-12) focuses on devices requiring only the electronic subset of the POET process; PET offers lower-cost and simpler process fab options for applications that do not require the full POET optical feature set. The PET/TDK allows the firm to deliver its technology to fab partners and customers, and enable further innovation to integrate both analog and digital functions together – an application that is not possible currently using silicon CMOS.
The PET/TDK milestone is progressing well, and as planned, says the firm. As noted previously, the addition of Daniel DeSimone to the team has allowed this activity to remain on track, while other activities progress in parallel.
Moving PET/TDK forward requires optimizing the process technologies and devices using computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. Specific TCAD efforts focus on complementary heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) and bipolar transistors (HBTs). This design basis will support complementary HFET (CHFET), bi-CHFET, bipolar and thyristor device fabrication.
For CMOS technologies, both existing and on the industry roadmap, PET/TDK models will be available to third parties around the end of third-quarter 2014.
“While timelines have had to accommodate challenges in our drive to 100nm, I am encouraged by the significant recent progress, especially in parallel with our PET/TDK achievements,” says Copetti. “Our potential partners and customers have noted this significant progress, and this has allowed me and my executive team to have very detailed discussions with them under non-disclosure agreements, many of them ongoing at this time.”
