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US 2011/0217018 A1Published application
Compact thermal actuated variable optical attenuator
AssigneeAgiltron, Inc.
InventorsYi He, Luzhong Yin, Guixiong Zhong, Jun Yan, Jing Zhao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A MEMS variable optical attenuator (VOA) chip includes a frame having a planar surface, a micro-electric actuator with a movable optical shutter arranged with respect to the planar surface of the frame, where the VOA is actuated by thermal expansion. The micro-electric actuator comprises semiconductor conductors (“wires”) that can be moved, upon applying an electrical current, by thermal expansion. In one embodiment, the MEMS VOA chip is configured in a multiple wire arrangement that restricts the shutter movement in a plane.
Claims15
A variable optical attenuator comprising:
- an optical shutter;
- a frame surrounding an area in which said optical shutter is disposed;
- said frame comprising a first electrode and a second electrode;
- a first conductor having a first end fixedly attached to said first electrode;
- said first conductor being disposed at an angle from a line connecting said first electrode and said second electrode;
- said first conductor being characterized by one thermal expansion coefficient;
- a second conductor having a first end fixedly attached to said second electrode;
- said second conductor being disposed at an angle from a line connecting said first electrode and said second electrode;
- said first conductor and said second conductor being the two sides of a triangle;
- a second end of said first conductor being connected to a second end of said second conductor;
- said optical shutter being attached to said second end of said first conductor and said second end of said second conductor;
- motion of said second end of the first conductor and said second end of the second conductor resulting in motion of said optical shutter;
- dimensions and characteristics of said first and said second conductor being selected such that said motion of said second end of the first conductor and said second end of the second conductor results from conduction of electrical current;
- said optical shutter being disposed over input/output optical ports.
11 more elements
A method for providing variable optical attenuation of one or more optical beams, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a variable optical attenuator comprising:
- an optical shutter;
- a frame surrounding an area in which the optical shutter is disposed;
- the frame comprising a first electrode and a second electrode;
- a first conductor having a first end fixedly attached to the first electrode;
- the first conductor being disposed at an angle from a line connecting the first electrode and the second electrode;
- said first conductor being characterized by one thermal expansion coefficient;
- a second conductor having a first end fixedly attached to the second electrode;
- the second conductor being disposed at an angle from a line connecting the first electrode and the second electrode;
- the first conductor and the second conductor being the two sides of a triangle;
- a second end of the first conductor being connected to a second end of the second conductor;
- the optical shutter being attached to the second end of the first conductor and the second end of the second conductor;
- motion of the second end of the first conductor and the second end of the second conductor resulting in motion of the optical shutter;
- the optical shutter being disposed over/between input/output optical ports;
- applying a voltage between the first electrode and the first electrode;
- wherein applying the voltage causes displacement of the optical shutter, the displacement resulting in attenuation of one or more optical beams from the input/output optical ports.
13 more elements
A method of fabricating a variable optical attenuator, the method comprising the steps of:
- patterning the front and back sides of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer;
- said front side being patterned to form a variable optical attenuator structure comprising:
- an optical shutter;
- a frame surrounding an area in which the optical shutter is disposed;
- the frame comprising a first electrode and a second electrode;
- a first conductor having a first end fixedly attached to the first electrode;
- the first conductor being disposed at an angle from a line connecting the first electrode and the second electrode;
- a second conductor having a first end fixedly attached to the second electrode;
- the second conductor being disposed at an angle from a line connecting the first electrode and the second electrode;
- the first conductor and the second conductor being the two sides of a triangle;
- a second end of the first conductor being connected to a second end of the second conductor;
- the optical shutter being attached to the second end of the first conductor and the second end of the second conductor;
- deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) the front side of the SOI wafer;
- deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) the back side of the SOT wafer;
- releasing a buried oxide layer (box) oxide of the SOI wafer;
- the release resulting in a variable optical attenuator structure;
- and
- depositing material on predetermined portions of the variable optical attenuator structure.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.