# US 2013/0156368 A1 · System for managing thermal conduction on optical devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156368 A1 - Document ID: US20130156368A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/507,491 - Filed: 2012-07-03 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15 - Assignees: Kotura, Inc. - Inventors: Amir Hanjani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156368A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/122: Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths - H01S 5/02469: {Passive cooling, e.g. where heat is removed by the housing as a whole or by a heat pipe without any active cooling element like a TEC} - H01S 5/4012: {Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms} - H01S 5/4062: {with an external cavity or using internal filters, e.g. Talbot filters} - H01S 5/4087: {emitting more than one wavelength} - H01S 5/02326: Arrangements for relative positioning of laser diodes and optical components, e.g. grooves in the mount to fix optical fibres or lenses - H01S 5/0237: by soldering - H01S 5/0287: {Facet reflectivity} - H01S 5/50: Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30 - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract The system includes an optical device having both optical components and one or more waveguides on a base. The system also includes a heat sink and a zone definer contacting the base and the heat sink. The zone definer is configured to conduct thermal energy from the optical device to the heat sink. The zone definer includes a thermal insulator having a lower thermal conductivity than both the heat sink and the base. The zone definer also includes a thermal via that extends through the thermal insulator. A via medium is positioned in the thermal via and has a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulator. The via medium is located under one of the optical components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: an optical device that includes optical components on a base and one or more waveguides on the base; a heat sink; and a zone definer contacting the base and the heat sink such that the zone definer conducts thermal energy from the optical device to the heat sink, the zone definer including a thermal insulator having a lower thermal conductivity than both the heat sink and the base, the zone definer including a thermal via extending through the thermal insulator and being located under one of the optical components, a via medium being positioned in the thermal via and having a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein one of the components is a heat-generating component that generates thermal energy that is injected into the base during operation of the heat-generating component, and the component under which the thermal via is located is the heat-generating component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the heat-generating component includes a gain medium included in a laser cavity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the thermal insulator is positioned under a portion of the components that does not include the component under which the thermal via is located. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the optical device includes a back cavity that extends from the heat sink up into the base, the back cavity being located under one or more of the optical components, a medium inside the back cavity having a thermal conductivity that is less than the thermal conductivity of the base. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein at least component under which the cavity is located is a temperature sensitive component in that the performance of the temperature sensitive component changes in response to a change in the temperature of the temperature sensitive component. ### Claim at position 7 7-8. (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the optical device includes one or more heaters positioned so as to heat the temperature sensitive component and the back cavity is positioned under the one or more heaters. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising: electronics configured to maintain a temperature of the temperature sensitive component in a range of temperatures. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the temperature sensitive component includes one or more components selected from a group consisting of an attenuator, a modulator, and a combiner. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the temperature sensitive component includes an echelle grating. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the optical device is constructed on a silicon-on-insulator wafer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the optical device includes a layer of silicon and the waveguides are defined by a ridge of the silicon extending upward from slabs of the silicon, the base includes an optical insulator and a silicon substrate, the optical insulator is positioned between the layer of silicon and the silicon substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the optical device includes a back cavity that extends from the heat sink up into the silicon substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the waveguides guide light signals between at least a portion of the optical components. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the optical device includes a back cavity that extends from the heat sink up into the base, the back cavity being located under one or more of the optical components, the one or more optical components under which the back cavity is positioned being different from the heat generating component under which the thermal via is positioned. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein at least component under which the cavity is located is a temperature sensitive component in that the performance of the temperature sensitive component changes in response to a change in the temperature of the temperature sensitive component. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the thermal insulator is positioned between the temperature sensitive component and the heat sink. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the thermal via is one of a plurality of thermal vias included in the zone definer, the thermal vias each extending through the thermal insulator and being located under one of the optical components, a via medium being positioned in each of the thermal vias and having a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulator, more than one of the components is a heat-generating component, and one or more of the thermal vias is under one or more of the heat generating components. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a projection of the thermal via onto the optical component under which the thermal via is positioned has the thermal via surrounding the optical component under which the thermal via is positioned. ### Claim 22 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the medium inside the back cavity is air.