Optical power splitters with a multiple-level arrangement
AssigneeGlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
InventorYusheng Bian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Structures for an optical power splitter and methods of forming a structure for an optical power splitter. A first waveguide core includes a portion positioned over a multimode interference region, a second waveguide core includes a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and a third waveguide core includes a portion positioned over the multimode interference region. The first waveguide core provides an input port to the optical power splitter. The second waveguide core provides a first output port from the optical power splitter, and the third waveguide core provides a second output port from the optical power splitter.
Claims20
A structure for an optical power splitter, the structure comprising:
- a multimode interference region;
- a first dielectric layer over the multimode interference region;
- a first waveguide core on the first dielectric layer, the first waveguide core including a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and the first waveguide core providing a first input port to the optical power splitter;
- a second waveguide core on the first dielectric layer, the second waveguide core including a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and the second waveguide core providing a first output port from the optical power splitter;
- and
- a third waveguide core on the first dielectric layer, the third waveguide core including a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and the third waveguide core providing a second output port from the optical power splitter,
- wherein the multimode interference region is located in a first level, the first waveguide core, the second waveguide core, and the third waveguide core are located in a second level, the second level is positioned in a vertical direction within a different plane than the first level, and the first dielectric layer is positioned as a solid layer between the multimode interference region in the first level and the first waveguide core, the second waveguide core, and the third waveguide core in the second level.
A method of forming an optical power splitter, the method comprising:
- forming a multimode interference region;
- forming a dielectric layer over the multimode interference region;
- forming a first waveguide core on the dielectric layer, wherein the first waveguide core includes a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and the first waveguide core provides an input port to the optical power splitter;
- forming a second waveguide core on the dielectric layer, wherein the second waveguide includes a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and the second waveguide core provides a first output port from the optical power splitter;
- and
- forming a third waveguide core on the dielectric layer, wherein the third waveguide core includes a portion positioned over the multimode interference region, and the third waveguide core provides a second output port from the optical power splitter,
- wherein the multimode interference region is located in a first level, the first waveguide core, the second waveguide core, and the third waveguide core are located in a second level, the second level is positioned in a vertical direction within a different plane than the first level, and the dielectric layer is positioned as a solid layer between the multimode interference region in the first level and the first waveguide core, the second waveguide core, and the third waveguide core in the second level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.