Djeber soutiendra sa thèse, le 8 novembre 2022 à 9h30, dans l'amphi JP. DOM du Laboratoire IMS sur le sujet : "Development of the first compact model for ultra-fast UTC (Uni-travelling carrier photodiode) photodiodes towards monolithic integration of photonic and nanoelectronics technologies".

In the current era of information technology, we are witnessing a tremendous increase in global internet and mobile traffic. Continuous innovation in optical communication technologies have contributed significantly to the enhancement of high-speed data traffic. However, the continuous demand for bandwidth requires the designing and implementation of new circuits and systems capable of supporting the rising need of data traffic. In wireless communications, traditional radio frequency communication technologies face significant challenges to meet the increase in bandwidth requirements. Hence, the higher RF bands, including millimeter wave (0.3-100 GHz) and terahertz (0.1-10 THz), which offer greater bandwidths, must be exploited to support future ultra-fast wireless communication systems to support the expected data traffic.  High bandwidth receivers with less complex architectures, are hence essential in optical communications. Efficient, compact, low-power transmitters and receivers will be key elements in the implementation of high-performance wireless communication systems. A viable and efficient solution to this challenges comes in the form of monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs). Uni-Traveling Carrier Photodiodes (UTC-PDs) are key components for OEICs, and have been widely studied for ultrafast optoelectronic applications. High performances have been reported, demonstrating bandwidths of over 600 GHz. As a first step towards the development of OEI circuits and systems, a unified modelling and co-designing solution must be implemented. In this context, we propose a scalable, compact and multi-physics model for the UTC-PDs. The model is written in Verilog-A and is compatible with existing electronic circuit design methodology/tool/flow. The model is developed based on the physics of carrier transport in the UTC-PDs. To validate the model, we performed electro-optical characterizations on the UTC-PDs. On-wafer optoelectronic characterizations were performed at the IMS laboratory for the first time, thanks to the measurement setup that we developed during this thesis. The complete validation of the compact model has been performed against measurements under a wide range of operating conditions (bias and frequency) on UTC-PD technologies on InP substrates provided by three different foundries. We have also developed de-embedding methods for the test structures and a parameter extraction flow for the proposed UTC-PD compact model. The compact model has been validated first against DC and RF on-wafer measurements up to 67 GHz and 110 GHz without optical illumination. Next, responsivity under different optical powers and bandwidth measurements up to 67 GHz, were performed on UTC-PDs and were also validated against the compact model simulations. This model has demonstrated excellent versatility and scalability for the three types of UTC-PDs studied in this work, for several geometries and over a wide range of bias conditions. The proposed modelling framework is comprehensive, accurate and physics-based, while remaining compatible with the existing electronic circuit design infrastructure.