Slotted optical waveguide with electro-optic material
AssigneeOracle International Corporation
InventorsGuoliang Li, Jin Yao, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical waveguide is described. This optical waveguide may be defined in a semiconductor layer, and may include a vertical slot that includes an electro-optic material having an electric-field-dependent index of refraction, and the electro-optic material may be other than a semiconductor in the semiconductor layer. Alternatively, the optical waveguide may include a vertical stack with two semiconductor layers that surround and partially overlap an intermediate layer, which includes the electro-optic material.
Claims20
An integrated circuit, comprising an optical waveguide,
- wherein the optical waveguide includes:
- a first semiconductor layer;
- an intermediate layer disposed over a portion of the first semiconductor layer, wherein the intermediate layer includes an electro-optic material having an electric-field-dependent index of refraction, and wherein the electro-optic material differs from a semiconductor in the first semiconductor layer;
- and
- a second semiconductor layer disposed over the intermediate layer and substantially overlapping the portion of the first semiconductor layer.
A method for fabricating an optical waveguide, comprising:
- depositing a first semiconductor layer;
- defining an intermediate layer disposed over a portion of the first semiconductor layer, wherein the intermediate layer includes an electro-optic material having an electric-field-dependent index of refraction, and wherein the electro-optic material differs from a semiconductor in the first semiconductor layer;
- and
- depositing a second semiconductor layer disposed over the intermediate layer and substantially overlapping the portion of the first semiconductor layer.
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a ridge optical waveguide, having a height and a width, defined in a semiconductor layer, wherein the height exceeds a thickness of the semiconductor layer adjacent and proximate to the ridge optical waveguide, and wherein the ridge optical waveguide includes a vertical slot approximately in the middle of the width and extending over the height;
- and
- an electro-optic material, disposed in the vertical slot, having an electric-field-dependent index of refraction, wherein the electro-optic material differs from a semiconductor in the semiconductor layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.