Photonic device and methods of forming same
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYuan-Sheng Huang, Wei-Kang Liu
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Abstract
A photonic device and related method for forming a photonic device. In some embodiments, a method of fabricating a photonic device includes forming a layer stack over a substrate. In some cases, the layer stack includes a lower cladding layer, a core layer disposed over the lower cladding layer, and an upper cladding layer disposed over the core layer. In some examples, the method further includes patterning the layer stack to form a waveguide for the photonic device. In some cases, the waveguide includes the core layer, and the core layer includes a lateral surface having a convex profile.
Claims20
A method of fabricating a photonic device, comprising:
- forming a layer stack over a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a lower cladding layer, a core layer disposed over the lower cladding layer, and an upper cladding layer disposed over the core layer;
- and
- patterning the layer stack to form a waveguide for the photonic device;
- wherein the waveguide includes the lower cladding layer, the core layer, and the upper cladding layer, wherein the core layer includes a lateral sidewall having a convex profile, and wherein the lower and upper cladding layers include respective lateral surfaces having different surface profiles;
- and
- wherein the patterning the layer stack comprises:
- etching the upper cladding layer;
- etching the core layer to expose the lateral sidewall and to form a re-entrant surface profile along the lateral sidewall;
- and
- etching the lower cladding layer, wherein the etching the lower cladding layer simultaneously etches a top portion of the core layer, while a bottom portion of the core layer retains the re-entrant surface profile.
A method, comprising:
- forming a waveguide heterostructure including a first cladding layer disposed over a substrate, a waveguide core layer disposed over the first cladding layer, and a second cladding layer disposed over the waveguide core layer;
- etching the second cladding layer to expose the waveguide core layer;
- etching the waveguide core layer to expose the first cladding layer;
- and
- etching the first cladding layer to expose the substrate;
- wherein the etching the first cladding layer simultaneously etches the waveguide core layer to form a convex profile at an output facet of the waveguide core layer;
- wherein the etching the waveguide core layer forms a re-entrant surface profile along the output facet of the waveguide core layer;
- and
- wherein the etching the first cladding layer simultaneously etches a top portion of the waveguide core layer, while a bottom portion of the waveguide core layer retains the re-entrant surface profile, to form the convex profile at the output facet of the waveguide core layer.
A photonic device, comprising:
- a lower cladding layer disposed over a substrate, wherein the lower cladding layer includes a first oxide layer;
- a waveguide core layer disposed over the lower cladding layer, wherein the waveguide core layer includes silicon (Si);
- and
- an upper cladding layer disposed over the waveguide core layer, wherein the upper cladding layer includes a second oxide layer;
- wherein a lateral surface of the waveguide core layer has a convex profile, wherein the lateral surface of the waveguide core layer includes slanted, oppositely oriented, top and bottom surfaces, wherein the top surface is slanted at a first angle measured between the upper cladding layer and the top surface, and wherein the bottom surface is slanted at a second angle measured between the lower cladding layer and the bottom surface;
- and
- wherein the upper cladding layer includes a slanted lateral surface having a same orientation as the top surface of the lateral surface of the waveguide core layer, and wherein the slanted lateral surface of the upper cladding layer includes a planar surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.