Hey Disco!

So I was looking at this article last night before bed, here's my conclusion:

What really stood out for me was that NXP caused the industry to change development methods relatively easily, that is good news for POET, although NXP is huge.. but still.

http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=57099

"Detection of light

Because silicon is transparent at optical frequencies in the 1300- to 1500-nm region, it is not well suited for photodetectors. It has to be coupled with other materials, but it must still fit nicely into a CMOS production process for the silicon photonics to be successful. These are the specifications to look for:

• Compatibility with silicon-based materials: large wafer-scale technology; possibility of electronics integration (transimpedance amplifier, or TIA); low-cost integration schemes.

• Broadband detection (1.3-1.6 μm): high absorption coefficient.

• Low dark current: depends on the electrical configuration and the quality of the absorbing layer.

• High bandwidth (frequency operation >10 GHz): low carrier transit time; low RC constant, depending on the considered electrical (pin receiver, for example).

• High responsivity: Determine the configuration to achieve the best light interaction with absorbing layer.

• Compactness: strong absorption coefficient in the complete wavelength range.

In this context, as material compatibility must be ensured, the group IV silicon-germanium technology is important due to the energy band engineering that it allows, with the integration of silicon/silicon-germanium heterostructures into the existing silicon technology.

Silicon-germanium alloys can extend the absorption of light toward longer wavelengths. Pure germanium would allow the realization of high-speed, low-dark-current devices, but the manufacturing process would need to be adapted to grow germanium on silicon. Efficient optical coupling of light into the absorbing region is important to guarantee a high yield. Surface waveguide illuminations have been proposed. For integration with optical micro-waveguides in a silicon-compatible planar technology, the second option is preferred, while surface-illuminated devices have fewer optical alignment problems.

Photodetectors can be built also by integrating direct-bandgap materials from the III-V group (InP, GaAs, etc.) with silicon, but process complications such as a mismatch in lattice constant make this a less appealing solution."

-POET can run higher clock speeds than 10Ghz with a lower voltage than SiGe
-POET doesn't have ANY alignment problems due to Dr. Taylors monolithic fabrication process.
-Plus, you can't run your clock through the entire chip with SiGe, not yet anyways, not that I know of..

Remember this question at the EC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Qrsm1Zb3M&t=351

Plus, like FJ said. They're maybe integrating all the radar components in CMOS form but it's far from integrating all of that on on IC with your processor, memory, IF, IR, Radar, etc..