# US 12,769,156 B2 · Electro-optic modulator and electro-optic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,769,156 B2 - Document ID: US12769156B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/688,108 - Filed: 2022-07-08 - Published: 2024-11-28 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-15 - Assignees: Nanjing Lycore Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nanjing Lycore Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hanxiao Liang; Yipin Song; Yingcong Zhou; Haicang Wu; Wenhao Mao; Shiwei Song; Weiqi Sun; Qingyang Yu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12769156B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/035: in an optical waveguide structure - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract Provided are an electro-optic modulator and an electro-optic device. The electro-optic modulator includes: a substrate; an isolation layer located on the substrate; a thin film layer, used to form a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide, an arrangement of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide causing the thin film layer to include a first edge region, a first optical waveguide, an intermediate region, a second optical waveguide, and a second edge region; and an electrode, including a first ground electrode, a signal electrode and a second ground electrode which are sequentially arranged at intervals. The first ground electrode at least includes a first main electrode, the second ground electrode at least includes a second main electrode, and the signal electrode at least includes a third main electrode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electro-optic modulator, comprising: a substrate; an isolation layer located on the substrate; a thin film layer configured to form a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide, an arrangement of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide causing the thin film layer to comprise a first edge region, the first optical waveguide, an intermediate region, the second optical waveguide and a second edge region; an electrode, the electrode comprising a first ground electrode, a signal electrode and a second ground electrode, wherein the first ground electrode, the signal electrode, and the second ground electrode are sequentially arranged at intervals, the first ground electrode comprising at least a first main electrode, the second ground electrode comprising at least a second main electrode, the signal electrode comprising at least a third main electrode, the first optical waveguide being arranged in a first gap between the first main electrode and the third main electrode, the second optical waveguide being arranged in a second gap between the second main electrode and the third main electrode, the first main electrode and the second main electrode being arranged on a horizontal plane having a first height, the third main electrode being arranged on a horizontal plane having a second height, and the first height being different from the second height; and a covering layer, the covering layer at least partially covering an upper surface of the thin film layer, and a refractive index of the covering layer being lower than a refractive index of the thin film layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is formed on a side of the thin film layer away from the substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the first main electrode and the second main electrode are embedded into the thin film layer, and penetrate through the thin film layer to be in direct contact with the isolation layer; or the first main electrode and the second main electrode are embedded into the thin film layer, and do not penetrate through the thin film layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the third main electrode is embedded into the thin film layer, and penetrates through the thin film layer to be in direct contact with the isolation layer; or the third main electrode is embedded into the thin film layer, and does not penetrate through the thin film layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the covering layer covers an upper surface of the intermediate region, wherein the first main electrode and the second main electrode are located on the thin film layer, and the third main electrode is located on the covering layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the third main electrode is embedded into the covering layer, and penetrates through the covering layer to be in direct contact with the thin film layer; or the third main electrode is embedded into the covering layer, and does not penetrate through the covering layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the covering layer covers upper surfaces of the first edge region and the second edge region, wherein the first main electrode and the second main electrode are located on the covering layer, and the third main electrode is located on the thin film layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the first main electrode and the second main electrode are embedded into the covering layer, and penetrate through the covering layer to be in direct contact with the thin film layer; or the first main electrode and the second main electrode are embedded into the covering layer and do not penetrate through the covering layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the covering layer covers the upper surface of the thin film layer, wherein the first main electrode, the second main electrode and the third main electrode are located on the covering layer, and a portion of the covering layer provided with the first main electrode and the second main electrode has a different thickness from a portion of the covering layer provided with the third main electrode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the covering layer has a dielectric constant less than dielectric constants of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the covering layer is an insulation layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein each of the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode further comprises at least one electrode extension portion, the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode extends into the first gap from a side of the first main electrode facing the third main electrode, and the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode extends into the second gap from a side of the second main electrode facing the third main electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 12, wherein the electro-optic modulator further comprises a covering layer, the covering layer covering at least the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide, and a refractive index of the covering layer being lower than a refractive index of the thin film layer; wherein the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode extends from a side of the first main electrode facing the third main electrode onto the covering layer on the first optical waveguide, and the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode extends from a side of the second main electrode facing the third main electrode onto the covering layer on the second optical waveguide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein the signal electrode further comprises at least one electrode extension portion that extends into the first gap and the second gap respectively from a side of the third main electrode facing the first main electrode and a side of the third main electrode facing the second main electrode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 14, wherein the electro-optic modulator further comprises a covering layer, the covering layer covering at least the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide, and a refractive index of the covering layer being lower than a refractive index of the thin film layer; and the at least one electrode extension portion of the signal electrode extends respectively from a first side of the third main electrode facing the first main electrode and a second side of the third main electrode facing the second main electrode onto the covering layer on the first optical waveguide and the covering layer on the second optical waveguide. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 1, wherein each of the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode further comprises at least one electrode extension portion, the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode extends into the first gap from a side of the first main electrode facing the third main electrode, and the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode extends into the second gap from a side of the second main electrode facing the third main electrode; and the signal electrode further comprises at least one electrode extension portion that extends into the first gap and the second gap respectively from a side of the third main electrode facing the first main electrode and a side of the third main electrode facing the second main electrode; wherein a terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode close to the third main electrode, a terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode close to the third main electrode, and a terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the signal electrode away from the third main electrode are arranged on horizontal planes having the same height. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 16, wherein the electro-optic modulator further comprises a covering layer formed on a side of the thin film layer away from the substrate, the covering layer comprising a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a fourth portion, wherein the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the fourth portion are sequentially arranged at intervals, wherein the second portion covers the first optical waveguide, and the third portion covers the second optical waveguide; the first main electrode is located on the first portion, the second main electrode is located on the fourth portion, and the third main electrode is located on the thin film layer; and the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode close to the third main electrode is located on the second portion, the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode close to the third main electrode is located on the third portion, a portion of the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the signal electrode away from the third main electrode is located on the second portion, and the other portion thereof is located on the third portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 16, wherein the electro-optic modulator further comprises a covering layer formed on a side of the thin film layer away from the substrate, the covering layer comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are sequentially arranged at intervals, wherein the first portion covers the first optical waveguide, and the third portion covers the second optical waveguide; the first main electrode is located on the thin film layer, the second main electrode is located on the thin film layer, and the third main electrode is located on the second portion; and the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode close to the third main electrode is located on the first portion, the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode close to the third main electrode is located on the third portion, a portion of the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the signal electrode away from the third main electrode is located on the first portion, and the other portion thereof is located on the third portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The electro-optic modulator according to claim 16, wherein the electro-optic modulator further comprises a covering layer formed on a side of the thin film layer away from the substrate, the covering layer comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are sequentially arranged at intervals, wherein the first portion covers the first optical waveguide, and the third portion covers the second optical waveguide; the first main electrode is located on the thin film layer, the second main electrode is located on the thin film layer, and the third main electrode is located on the second portion; and the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the first ground electrode close to the third main electrode, the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the second ground electrode close to the third main electrode, and the terminal of the at least one electrode extension portion of the signal electrode away from the third main electrode are all located on the thin film layer.