A semiconductor-based Raman ring amplifier is disclosed. A method according to aspects of the present invention includes directing a pump optical beam having a pump wavelength and an input pump power level from an optical waveguide into a ring resonator. The optical waveguide and ring resonator are comprised in semiconductor material. A signal optical beam having a signal encoded thereon at a signal wavelength is directed from the optical waveguide into the ring resonator. The pump optical beam is resonated within the ring resonator to increase a power level of the pump optical beam to a power level sufficient to amplify the signal optical beam via stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) within the ring resonator. A free carrier concentration in the optical waveguide and the ring resonator is reduced to reduce attenuation of the pump optical beam and the signal beam.