Integrated optical device
AssigneeAlcatel Optronics UK Limited
InventorsRussell Childs, Mark Volanthen, Johannes Bos, Daniel Ortega Gonzalez, Graeme Gordon, Antoine Pujol
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Abstract
An integrated optical device includes a substrate, at least a face of the substrate providing a first cladding layer, the first cladding layer including a mesa formation; a waveguide core formed on the first cladding layer so that the waveguide core substantially covers the mesa formation; and a second cladding layer formed over the waveguide core and the first cladding layer.
Claims20
A method of fabricating an integrated optical device on a substrate, at least a face of the substrate providing a first cladding layer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) forming a core material layer on the first cladding layer;
- (ii) etching the device in regions forming the complement of a desired waveguide core, the etching step removing material from the core material layer and at least some material from the first cladding layer so that the first cladding layer forms a mesa formation substantially covered by the waveguide core;
- and
- (iii) forming a second cladding layer over the first cladding layer and waveguide core;
- wherein
- the height of the mesa formation is selected so as to give a substantially zero birefringence in the waveguide core.
A method of fabricating an integrated optical device on a substrate, at least a face of the substrate providing a first cladding layer, the method comprising the steps of;
- (i) forming a core material layer on the first cladding layer;
- (ii) etching the device in regions forming the complement of a desired waveguide core, the etching step removing material form the core material layer and at least some material from the first cladding layer so that the first cladding layer forms a mesa formation substantially covered by the waveguide core;
- and
- (iii) forming a second cladding layer over the first cladding and waveguide core;
- wherein the height of the mesa formation is selected to give a desired reduced level of birefringence in the waveguide core.
An integrated optical device comprising:
- a substrate, at least a face of the substrate providing a first cladding layer, the first cladding layer including a mesa formation;
- a waveguide core formed on the first cladding layer so that the waveguide core substantially covers the mesa formation;
- and
- a second cladding layer formed over the waveguide core and the first cladding layer;
- wherein
- the height of the mesa formation is such that there is substantially zero birefringence in the waveguide core.
An arrayed waveguide comprising:
- a substrate, at least a face of the substrate providing a first cladding layer, the first cladding layer including a mesa formation;
- a plurality of array waveguides provided on the substrate, each array waveguide having a waveguide core formed on the first cladding layer so that the waveguide core substantially covers the mesa formation;
- a second cladding layer formed over the waveguide cores and the first cladding layer;
- and wherein
- the height of the mesa formation is selected to give a reduced level of birefringence in the waveguide core and is in the range of about 2 to about 4 μm;
- the stress in the second cladding layer is in the range of −20 to +10 MPascals;
- and
- the width of the waveguide cores in a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate is in the range of 5.80 to 6.20 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.