Patent ID: 7613369

Claim:
An integrated waveguide photodiode system comprising: a silicon waveguide formed from the top silicon layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate; an integrated waveguide photodiode, disposed on the substrate and optically coupled to the silicon waveguide wherein the integrated waveguide photodiode comprises: a silicon layer comprising substantially silicon, formed from the top silicon layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, at least partially contiguous with the silicon waveguide; and a germanium layer comprising substantially germanium for conducting light, disposed on top of the silicon layer; and, at least one electrode comprising at least one contact in electrical contact with the germanium layer, positioned in proximity to predicted low optical field regions in the region of the top surface of the germanium layer, thereby reducing optical losses associated with the contacts, wherein the predicted low optical field regions are based on two dominant modes of the integrated waveguide photodiode substantially coupled to under operational conditions.