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US 12,742,994 B2Granted
Optical device and method of fabricating thereof
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsTzu-Hsiang Yen, Yung-Jr Hung, Tai-Chun Huang
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Abstract
Optical devices and methods of fabricating thereof that include providing two different optical paths: a first optical path including a first waveguide core and a first cladding layer adjacent the first waveguide core; and a second optical path including a second waveguide core and a second cladding layer adjacent the second waveguide core. A thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) of the first waveguide core and a TOC of the first cladding layer have a same sign, for example positive, and a sign of a TOC of the second waveguide core is different than a sign of a TOC of the second cladding layer, for example, one positive and one negative. The paths may be in an Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI).
Claims20
An optical device comprising:
- a first optical path including a first waveguide core of a first material and a first cladding layer of a second material adjacent and over the first waveguide core, wherein the first optical path includes a first arm having a first leg of the first waveguide core and a second leg of the first waveguide core, wherein the first cladding layer of the second material covers a top surface and an entirety of each sidewall of the first leg, the first cladding layer of the second material covers a top surface and an entirety of each sidewall of the second leg, the first cladding layer extending fills a distance between the first leg to the second leg in a first cross-sectional view;
- and
- a second optical path including a second waveguide core of the first material and a second cladding layer of a third material, the second cladding layer adjacent and over the second waveguide core, wherein the second material and the third material are different, the third material being amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the second material being another dielectric, and wherein the second optical path includes a second arm having a third leg of the second waveguide core and a fourth leg of the second waveguide core, wherein the second cladding layer of the third material fills a distance between the third leg to the fourth leg in a second cross-sectional view, the third material covering a top surface and an entirety of each sidewall of the third leg and the fourth leg, and the first cross-sectional view being parallel to the second cross-sectional view.
An optical device, comprising:
- an input region and an output region;
- a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) between the input region and the output region, wherein the MZI includes:
- a first arm having a first waveguide comprising a lower cladding layer, a core layer, and an upper cladding layer, wherein the upper cladding layer comprises a first material, wherein the first material of the upper cladding layer is disposed on the core layer and extends along an extent of a sidewall of the core layer from a top surface of the core layer to the lower cladding layer;
- and
- a second arm having a second waveguide comprising a lower cladding layer, a core layer, and an upper cladding layer wherein the upper cladding layer comprises a second material different than the first material, wherein the second material of the upper cladding layer is disposed on the core layer and extends along an extent of a sidewall of the core layer from a top surface of the core layer to the lower cladding layer;
- and
- wherein the first arm is opposing and symmetrical to the second arm in the MZI and wherein the first arm and the second arm each include a gap within the core layer, the second material of the upper cladding layer entirely filling the gap.
4 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a lower cladding layer on a substrate;
- a first arm comprising a first leg and a second leg each having a first waveguide core layer on the lower cladding layer;
- a second arm opposing the first arm, wherein the second arm includes a third leg and a fourth leg each having a second waveguide core layer on the lower cladding layer;
- a first upper cladding layer;
- and
- a second upper cladding layer;
- wherein
- the first upper cladding layer is disposed on a first region of the first leg of the first waveguide core layer, wherein the first region of the first waveguide core layer includes a first segment and a second segment, a first distance extending between a first sidewall of the second segment and a second sidewall of the first segment in a first cross-sectional view, wherein the first upper cladding layer is disposed within the first distance;
- and
- the second upper cladding layer on a second region of the second leg of the first waveguide core layer, wherein the second upper cladding layer is different than the first upper cladding layer, wherein the second region of the second leg of the first waveguide core layer includes a third segment and a fourth segment, a second distance extending between a first sidewall of the third segment and a second sidewall of the fourth segment in a second cross-sectional view, wherein the second upper cladding layer is disposed within the second distance;
- and wherein the second upper cladding layer covers the third leg of the second waveguide core layer and covers the fourth leg of the second waveguide core layer.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.