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US 11,540,357 B2Granted
Photonic heater
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorHui Yu Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photonic heater is provided. The photonic heater includes a current source and a transfer circuit. The transfer circuit connected to the current source. The photonic heater further includes a heating element. The heating element is connected to the transfer circuit. The transfer circuit is operable to regulate an amount of current being transferred from the current court to the heating element.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a current source;
- a first switch connected in series to the current source;
- a second switch connected wherein the second switch is connected in series with a heating element;
- a charge storage device connected to a common node of the first switch and the second switch;
- and
- a photonic heater comprising the heating element, wherein the first switch and the second switch are configured to regulate an amount of current being transferred from the current source to the heating element, wherein the first switch and the second switch being configured to regulate the amount of current being transferred from the current source to the heating element comprises the first switch and the second switch being configured to operate in an interleaf switching sequence, and wherein in the interleaf switching sequence, the first switch and the second switch are not switched on at a same time.
3 more elements
A photonic heater comprising:
- a current source;
- a first switch connected to the current source;
- a second switch connected to the first switch at a common node;
- a heating element connected to the second switch;
- a charge storage device connected to the common node;
- and
- a switch control circuit connected to the first switch and the second switch, wherein the switch control circuit is configured to regulate an amount of current being transferred from the current source to the heating element, wherein the switch control circuit being configured to regulate the amount of current being transferred from the current source to the heating element comprises the switch control circuit being configured to:
- switch on the first switch for a first amount of time in a duty cycle, and
- switch on the second switch for a second amount of time in the duty cycle, wherein the first switch and the second switch are not switched on at a same time.
6 more elements
A method of providing heating of a photonic circuit, the method comprising:
- determining a duty cycle of each of a first switch and a second switch, wherein the first switch is connected to a current source, wherein the second switch is connected to the first switch at a common node, wherein the second switch is connected to a heating element, wherein a first end of a charge storage device is connected between the common node of the first switch and the second switch, wherein a second end of the charge storage device is connected to the ground, and wherein the first switch and the second switch are operable to transfer a time invariant current from the current source to the heating element;
- switching on the first switch for a first amount of time based on the duty cycle;
- and
- switching on the second switch for a second amount of time based on the duty cycle, wherein both the first switch and the second switch are not in a switched on state at a same time.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.