A Methodology for the Accurate SPICE-compatible Modelling of MSM Photodetectors for Nanophotonic Interconnects

On-chip global nanophotonic interconnects are promising alternative to traditional copper-based interconnects in giga-scale integrated circuits. The design and optimization of nanophotonic interconnects require the modelling and simulation of optoelectronic devices with irregular 3D geometries. In this paper, a methodology for the accurate SPICE-compatible modelling of such devices, without relying on S-parameter measurement, is proposed that couples the optics and electronics domains of such devices. The proposed methodology has been applied to the modelling of a waveguide-coupled integrated Metal-Semiconductor-Metal PhotoDetector (MSM PD) with quadratic nanotapers. We have performed optics domain simulation in 3D field-solver MEEP and device simulations using Silvaco Atlas TCAD tool. Results are compared with measurement data and excellent agreement with less than 12% error at all bias voltages is observed.