# US 10,871,663 B2 · Integrated electro-optical device

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- Number: US 10,871,663 B2
- Document ID: US10871663B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/401,956
- Filed: 2019-05-02
- Published: 2019-11-07
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-03
- Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS; Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Etaux Energies Alternatives
- Applicants: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS; Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
- Inventors: Patrick Le Maitre; Nicolas Michit; Jean-Francois Carpentier; Benoit Charbonnier
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871663B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/12004: {Combinations of two or more optical elements}
- G02F 1/025: in an optical waveguide structure (G02F1/017, {G02F1/2257} take precedence)
- G01R 19/30: Measuring the maximum or the minimum value of current or voltage reached in a time interval (G01R19/04 takes precedence)
- G02F 1/0147: {based on thermo-optic effects (G02F1/132 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/3133: {the optical waveguides being made of semiconducting materials}
- H10F 30/221: the potential barrier being a PN homojunction
- H10F 30/223: the potential barrier being a PIN barrier
- H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies}
- G02B 6/12007: {forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer}
- G02B 2006/12061: {Silicon}
- G02B 2006/12097: {Ridge, rib or the like}
- G02B 2006/12123: {Diode}
- G02B 2006/12142: {Modulator}
- G02B 2006/12145: {Switch}
- G02F 2201/58: Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector
- G02F 2203/15: involving resonance effects, e.g. resonantly enhanced interaction
- G02F 2203/21: Thermal instability, i.e. DC drift, of an optical modulator; Arrangements or methods for the reduction thereof
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION

## Abstract

A device, includes: a ring waveguide; a diode comprising a junction extending at least partly in the ring waveguide; and a first circuit configured to supply a signal representative of a leakage current in the diode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a ring waveguide;
a diode comprising a junction extending at least partly in the ring waveguide;
a measurement circuit coupled to the diode, the measurement circuit configured to generate a signal representative of a leakage current in the diode; and
a control circuit coupled to the measurement circuit, the control circuit comprising:
a memory element storage comprising instructions and a resonance wavelength target value; and
a processor in communication with the memory element storage, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:
determine a maximum value of the leakage current from the signal representative of the leakage current in the diode,
determine a value of a resonance wavelength of the ring waveguide based on the maximum value of the leakage current; and
calculate a difference between the determined value of the resonance wavelength of the ring waveguide and the resonance wavelength target value and, based thereon, modify a temperature of the ring waveguide.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the junction of the diode and the ring waveguide are concentric.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the diode is a PN-type diode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the diode is a PiN-type diode having a junction corresponding to an intrinsic region of the diode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the junction of the diode fully extends into the ring waveguide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising a heating element coupled to the control circuit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the heating element is controlled according to the signal representative of the leakage current.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein modifying the temperature of the ring waveguide comprises supplying,
to the heating element, a control signal determined by the calculated difference.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising at least another waveguide optically coupled to the ring waveguide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein a width of the ring waveguide is in a range from 200 nm to 500 nm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer, and wherein the ring waveguide rests on top of and is in contact with the insulating layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein a height of the ring waveguide from the insulating layer is in a range from 200 to 500 nm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the ring waveguide is configured to transmit signals having wavelengths in a range from approximately 1 μm to approximately 2 μm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the signal representative of the leakage current in the diode takes a plurality of values, each of which is representative of the leakage current in the diode for a given wavelength of the signal supplied to an input of the ring waveguide.

### Claim 15

A device comprising:
a ring waveguide;
a diode comprising a p/n junction, the p/n junction comprising a region disposed in the ring waveguide;
a transimpedance amplifier coupled to the diode; and
a processing circuit comprising:
a memory element storage comprising instructions; and
a microprocessor in communication with the memory element storage, wherein the microprocessor executes the instructions to
receive an output from the transimpedance amplifier,
determine a value of a resonance wavelength of the ring waveguide by determining a wavelength corresponding to a maximum value of the output from the transimpedance amplifier, and
calculate a difference between the determined value of the resonance wavelength of the ring waveguide and a resonance wavelength target value and, based thereon, modify a temperature of the ring waveguide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the device further comprises a heating element coupled to the output of the processing circuit, wherein the microprocessor executes the instructions to
output a control signal to the heating element based on the calculated difference.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein the heating element comprises a resistor arranged proximate a portion of the ring waveguide, wherein the microprocessor is coupled between an analog-to-digital converter and a digital-to-analog converter.

### Claim 18

A device comprising:
a ring waveguide;
a heater configured to heat the ring waveguide;
a diode comprising a p/n junction, the p/n junction comprising a region disposed in the ring waveguide;
an operational amplifier coupled to the diode, the operational amplifier configured to supply a signal representative of a leakage current in the diode; and
a processing circuit comprising:
a memory element storage comprising instructions; and
a microcontroller in communication with the memory element storage, wherein the microcontroller executes the instructions to
receive the signal from the operational amplifier,
determine a value of a resonance wavelength of the ring waveguide by determining a wavelength corresponding to a maximum value of the leakage current, and
calculate a difference between the determined value of the resonance wavelength of the ring waveguide and a resonance wavelength target value and, based thereon, modify a temperature of the ring waveguide.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the heater is controlled according to the signal representative of the leakage current.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller executes the instructions to
provide, to the heater, a control signal determined by the calculated difference.