# US 11,906,777 B2 · Integrated photonic transceiver

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- Number: US 11,906,777 B2
- Document ID: US11906777B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/797,657
- Filed: 2020-02-21
- Published: 2020-06-18
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-21
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: John Heck; Lina He; Sungbong Park; Olufemi Isiade Dosunmu; Harel Frish; Kelly Christopher Magruder; Seth M. Slavin; Wei Qian; Ansheng Liu; Nutan Gautam; Mark Isenberger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906777B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/12007: {forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer}
- G02B 6/131: {by using epitaxial growth (epitaxial growth for semiconductors H10P14/20)}
- G02B 6/12004: {Combinations of two or more optical elements}
- G02B 6/1228: {Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers (for coupling with fibres G02B6/305)}
- H04J 14/02: Wavelength-division multiplex systems
- G02B 2006/12061: {Silicon}
- G02B 2006/12164: {Multiplexing; Demultiplexing}
- G02B 2006/12173: {Masking}
- G02B 2006/12176: {Etching}
- G02B 2006/12178: {Epitaxial growth}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S)

## Abstract

Embodiments may relate to a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transceiver that has a silicon waveguide layer coupled with a silicon nitride waveguide layer. In some embodiments, the silicon waveguide layer may include a tapered portion that is coupled with the silicon nitride waveguide layer. In some embodiments, the silicon waveguide layer may be coupled with a first oxide layer with a first z-height, and the silicon nitride waveguide layer may be coupled with a second oxide layer with a second z-height that is greater than the first z-height. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transceiver, comprising:
a substrate with a first z-height measured in a z-direction at a first portion of the substrate and a second z-height measured in the z-direction at a second portion of the substrate that is different than the first portion;
a first insulator layer over the first portion of the substrate;
a second insulator layer over the second portion of the substrate;
a first waveguide over the first insulator layer, the first waveguide having a first thickness measured in the z-direction at a first portion of the first waveguide and a second thickness measured in the z-direction at a second portion of the first waveguide, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness; and
a second waveguide over the second insulator layer, wherein the second waveguide is coupled with a portion of the first waveguide, wherein the first waveguide includes silicon, and the second waveguide includes silicon and nitrogen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, further comprising a photodetector, a modulator, or a laser coupled with the first waveguide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein the second waveguide is adjacent to the first waveguide in the z-direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein the second waveguide is adjacent to the first waveguide in a direction that is perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein the second insulator layer is coupled with the first insulator layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein the second z-height is smaller than the first z-height.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first waveguide is tapered in a direction that is perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein:
the second waveguide has a first end and a second end,
the second end of the second waveguide is closer to the first waveguide than the first end of the second waveguide, and
the first portion of the second waveguide is closer to the first end of the second waveguide than the second portion of the first waveguide.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The WDM transceiver of claim 8, wherein:
a portion of the second waveguide overlaps with a portion of the first waveguide, and
in the z-direction, the portion of the second waveguide that overlaps with the portion of the first waveguide is conformal to the portion of the first waveguide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein:
the second waveguide has a first end and a second end,
the second end of the second waveguide is closer to the first waveguide than the first end of the second waveguide, and
the second portion of the first waveguide is closer to the first end of the second waveguide than the first portion of the first waveguide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The WDM transceiver of claim 1, wherein:
the second waveguide has a first end and a second end,
the second end of the second waveguide is closer to the first waveguide than the first end of the second waveguide,
the second waveguide has a first portion and a second portion,
the first portion of the second waveguide is closer to the first end of the second waveguide than the second portion of the second waveguide,
the second portion of the second waveguide overlaps, in the z-direction, with a portion of the first waveguide,
the first portion of the second waveguide tapers in a direction perpendicular to the z-direction, and
the second portion of the second waveguide does not taper in the direction perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 12

A method of forming a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) transceiver, the method comprising:
providing a substrate with a first z-height measured in a z-direction at a first portion of the substrate and a second z-height measured in the z-direction at a second portion of the substrate that is different than the first portion;
providing a first insulator layer over the first portion of the substrate;
providing a second insulator layer over the second portion of the substrate;
providing a first waveguide over the first insulator layer, the first waveguide having a first thickness measured in the z-direction at a first portion of the first waveguide and a second thickness measured in the z-direction at a second portion of the first waveguide, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness; and
providing a second waveguide over the second insulator layer, wherein the second waveguide is coupled with a portion of the first waveguide, wherein the first waveguide includes silicon, and the second waveguide includes silicon and nitrogen.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein providing the first waveguide includes tapering a portion of the first waveguide in the z-direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein providing the first waveguide includes tapering a portion of the first waveguide in a direction perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the second waveguide is adjacent to a portion of the first waveguide in a direction parallel to a face of the first insulator layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein a portion of the first waveguide is between the second waveguide and the first insulator layer.

### Claim 17

A wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transceiver, comprising:
a substrate with a first z-height measured in a z-direction at a first portion of the substrate and a second z-height measured in the z-direction at a second portion of the substrate that is different than the first portion;
a first insulator layer over the first portion of the substrate;
a second insulator layer over the second portion of the substrate;
a first waveguide over the first insulator layer, wherein a portion of the first waveguide tapers in a direction perpendicular to the z-direction; and
a second waveguide over the second insulator layer, wherein the second waveguide is coupled with a portion of the first waveguide, the first waveguide includes silicon, the second waveguide includes silicon and nitrogen, and the second waveguide does not taper in the direction perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The WDM transceiver of claim 17, wherein:
the second waveguide has a first end and a second end,
the second end of the second waveguide is closer to the first waveguide than the first end of the second waveguide,
the first waveguide has a first portion and a second portion,
the first portion of the first waveguide is closer to the first end of the second waveguide than the second portion of the first waveguide,
a portion of the second waveguide overlaps, in the z-direction, with the first portion of the first waveguide, and
the first portion of the first waveguide includes the portion of the first waveguide that tapers in the direction perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The WDM transceiver of claim 18, wherein the second portion of the first waveguide does not taper in the direction perpendicular to the z-direction.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The WDM transceiver of claim 19, wherein the second waveguide does not overlap with the second portion of the first waveguide.