As PhotoGeNIC enters its final phase, the project has achieved a major milestone: successfully demonstrating high-performance 940 nm VCSELs grown on germanium substrates.
Several 940nm VCSEL on Ge wafers were produced using MOCVD and MBE technologies, with three already showing clear laser action at a low threshold current of around 1 mA after commercial processing. These results prove that complex III-V laser structures can be integrated on group IV substrates while overcoming key material challenges.
Beyond the scientific breakthrough, germanium offers significant industrial advantages, including larger and more stable wafers, improved manufacturing yields, and a promising path toward silicon-compatible photonic integration.
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