Automated silicon photonics bonding interface enhancement
AssigneeOpenLight Photonics, Inc.
InventorsJaehyuk Shin, Mark Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A silicon photonic device includes a substrate formed from a silicon-containing material and patterned to comprise a first waveguide and a second waveguide defining a first trench extending between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The first waveguide and second waveguide have upper surfaces exposed for bonding to an epitaxially grown layer. The first trench being exposed to the epitaxially grown layer. A support structure is formed within the first trench and extends upward to an upper surface at a height of the upper surfaces of the first waveguide and second waveguide. The support structure is optically non-functional.
Claims20
A silicon photonic device, comprising:
- a substrate formed from a silicon-containing material, the substrate being patterned to comprise:
- a first waveguide and a second waveguide defining a first trench extending between the first waveguide and the second waveguide, the first waveguide and second waveguide having upper surfaces exposed for bonding to an epitaxially grown layer, the first trench being exposed to the epitaxially grown layer;
- and
- a support structure formed within the first trench and extending upward to an upper surface at a height of the upper surfaces of the first waveguide and second waveguide, the support structure being optically non-functional.
A computer-implemented method for manufacturing a silicon photonic device, comprising:
- obtaining a silicon substrate layout comprising a pattern for patterning a substrate formed from a silicon-containing material;
- processing the silicon substrate layout to automatically identify a first trench defined between a first waveguide and a second waveguide, the first waveguide and second waveguide having upper surfaces exposed for bonding to an epitaxially grown layer, the first trench being exposed to the epitaxially grown layer;
- and
- modifying the silicon substrate layout to generate a modified silicon substrate layout by automatically adding a support structure formed within the first trench and extending upward to an upper surface at a height of the upper surfaces of the first waveguide and second waveguide, the support structure being optically non-functional.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a processor of a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
- obtaining a silicon substrate layout comprising a pattern for patterning a substrate formed from a silicon-containing material;
- processing the silicon substrate layout to automatically identify a first trench defined between a first waveguide and a second waveguide, the first waveguide and second waveguide having upper surfaces exposed for bonding to an epitaxially grown layer, the first trench being exposed to the epitaxially grown layer;
- and
- modifying the silicon substrate layout to generate a modified silicon substrate layout by automatically adding a support structure formed within the first trench and extending upward to an upper surface at a height of the upper surfaces of the first waveguide and second waveguide, the support structure being optically non-functional.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.