Fully Integrated Coherent LiDAR in 3D-Integrated Silicon Photonics/65nm CMOS

Abstract

We present the first integrated coherent LiDAR system with experimental ranging demonstrations operating within the eye-safe 1550nm band. Leveraging a unique wafer-scale 3D integration platform which includes customizable silicon photonics and nanoscale CMOS, our system seamlessly combines a high-sensitivity optical coherent detection front-end, a large-scale optical phased array for beamforming, and CMOS electronics in a single chip. Our prototype, fabricated entirely in a 300mm wafer facility, shows that low-cost manufacturing of high-performing solid-state LiDAR is indeed possible, which in turn may enable extensive adoption of LiDARs in consumer products, such as self-driving cars, drones, and robots.