Edge coupler
AssigneeElenion Technologies, LLC
InventorsAri Novack, Ruizhi Shi, Michael J. Hochberg, Thomas Baehr-Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A composite optical waveguide is constructed using an array of waveguide cores, in which one core is tapered to a larger dimension, so that all the cores are used as a composite input port, and the one larger core is used as an output port. In addition, transverse couplers can be fabricated in a similar fashion. The waveguide cores are preferably made of SiN. In some cases, a layer of SiN which is provided as an etch stop is used as at least one of the waveguide cores. The waveguide cores can be spaced away from a semiconductor layer so as to minimize loses.
Claims21
1-37. (canceled)
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) comprising:
- a substrate;
- an optical device layer supported over the substrate;
- a coupler capable of coupling light vertically away from the optical device layer, thereby reducing loss due to substrate coupling;
- the coupler comprising a plurality of waveguide cores vertically offset from the optical device layer and each other, each waveguide core comprising a propagation axis for propagating light in a propagation direction parallel to each other, and capable of coupling light sequentially and evanescently between adjacent vertically offset waveguide cores.
A method of manufacturing a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) comprising:
- providing an optical device layer including a first waveguide on a substrate;
- depositing a first stop layer above the optical device layer;
- depositing a first metal layer on the first stop layer;
- depositing a second stop layer on the first metal layer;
- depositing a second metal layer on the second stop layer;
- depositing a third stop layer on the second metal layer;
- and
- patterning the first, second and third stop layers into a plurality of waveguide cores forming a coupler for vertically coupling light away from the optical device layer, thereby reducing loss due to substrate coupling;
- the coupler comprising a plurality of waveguide cores vertically offset from the optical device layer and each other, each waveguide core comprising a propagation axis for propagating light in a propagation direction parallel to each other, and capable of coupling light sequentially and evanescently between adjacent vertically offset waveguide cores.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.