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US 2010/0304514 A1Published application
Efficient light coupler from off-chip to on-chip waveguides
OwnerBruce A. Block, Paul Davidsinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an embodiment, light from a single mode light source may be deflected into a low index contrast (LIC) waveguide in an opto-electronic integrated circuit (OEIC) (or “opto-electronic chip”) by a 45 degree mirror. The mirror may be formed by polishing an edge of the die at a 45 degree angle and coating the polished edge with a metal layer. Light coupled into the LIC waveguide may then be transferred from the LIC waveguide to a high index contrast (HIC) waveguide by evanescent coupling.
Claims6
A method comprising:
- fabricating an integrated optical waveguide on a substrate;
- polishing an edge of the integrated optical waveguide at an angle;
- and
- coating the polished edge of the integrated optical waveguide with a reflective material to form a mirror positioned to couple light unto the integrated optical waveguide.
1 more element
The method of claim 10, wherein:
- fabricating the integrated optical waveguide comprises fabricating a low index contrast waveguide;
- and
- the method further comprises fabricating a high index contrast waveguide adjacent to the low index contrast waveguide, wherein the high index contrast waveguide is separated from the low index contrast waveguide by a distance that allows light to evanescently couple from the low index contrast waveguide into the high index contrast waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.