US 2019/0196101 A1 · HYBRID PHOTONIC AND ELECTRONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

Abstract

A sequence of processing steps presented herein is used to embed an optical signal path within an array of nanowires, using only one lithography step. Using the techniques disclosed, it is not necessary to mask electrical features while forming optical features, and vice versa. Instead, optical and electrical signal paths can be created substantially simultaneously in the same masking cycle. This is made possible by a disparity in the widths of the respective features, the optical signal paths being significantly wider than the electrical ones. Using a damascene process, the structures of disparate widths are plated with metal that over-fills narrow trenches and under-fills a wide trench. An optical cladding material can then be deposited into the trench so as to surround an optical core for light transmission.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A structure, comprising:

a substrate;
a first dielectric layer over the substrate, the dielectric layer including a first recess region;
an electrically conductive layer in the first recess region;
a second dielectric layer over the electrically conductive layer and in the first recess region, the second dielectric layer being separated from the first dielectric layer by the electrically conductive layer;
and
a transparent layer over the second dielectric layer and in the first recess region, the transparent layer being separated from the electrically conductive layer by the second dielectric layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/292,047Filed 4 Mar 2019

Priority

3 Oct 2013

Published

27 Jun 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

G02B 6/132
Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method: by deposition of thin films
G02B 6/122
Of the integrated circuit kind: basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
G02B 6/1225
Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths: comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
G02B 6/13
Of the integrated circuit kind: integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method

Family

Application14/045,640Division · filed 3 Oct 2013

Application14/983,078Continuation · filed 29 Dec 2015

Application15/491,718Continuation · filed 19 Apr 2017

Application16/292,047Continuation

Application14/983,078Division

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