Abstract
Silicon (Si) photonics technology, which has a DNA of Si electronics technology, would provide a
promising photonics-electronics integration platform with superior mass-productivity and cost
performance. Using this technology, various photonic devices, such as fi lters, modulators and detectors,
have been developed and are now monolithically integrated on a Si chip. Moreover, photonicselectronics
convergence is now being developed intensively. Ultra-compact photonics-electronics
module based on this technology would signifi cantly contribute to the construction of energy-effi cient,
cost-effective information trading systems. Considering material characteristics of Si and present
fabrication technology, however, these advantages show trade-off relation to device performances. In
this paper, at fi rst, we review the present status of Si photonics technology, and reveal its pros and cons.
Then, we discuss about technological obstacles to the practical applications of Si photonics as a multipurpose
photonic integration platform.
