Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Modulator
Application Notes
This application note demonstrates a simulation of an SOI-based optical modulator using a mixed-level solution that combines RSoft Photonic Device Tools and Sentaurus TCAD. Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) modulators are complex devices that require accurate modeling of electronic, process and optical physics. While individual tools can simulate parts of the system, this approach incorporates all aspects of SOI modulator design.
Sentaurus TCAD SDevice is used to compute the carrier distribution and index perturbation due to free-carrier effects. These results are imported into RSoft, where optical mode solvers calculate the mode profiles and effective index changes.
The simulation shows a clear change in modal effective index, and the perturbation to the mode effective index due to applied voltage is accurately measured using the RSoft-TCAD interface.