INTEGRATED OPTOELECTRONICS.

This article presents information on optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC). An OEIC is typically made from a direct bandgap semiconductor. Direct bandgap semiconductors are strong absorbers and emitters of light, unlike the indirect bandgap semiconductors, such as silicon and germanium, which are widely used in pure electronic devices. An important parameter of any semiconductor is the size of its bandgap. Semiconductor injection lasers serve as the primary source of light in an OEIC. In addition to the active elements described previously, passive waveguides are often needed to interconnect the actives and serve as the optical "wiring" of the OEIC.