Silicon-on-insulator (SOI): a path to high-density silicon optoelectronics?

With the greatly enhanced light-emission efficiencies in bulk silicon light emitting diodes (LEDs), they have investigated prospects for applying these improvements to the co-integration of optical and electronic functions into silicon-based microelectronics. One mitigating factor is the perceived need for microelectronics to move to SOI to maintain present rates of progress, with benefits for ultra-thin Si layers. For further investigation, optical properties of ultra-thin SOI are studied.