Optical device and method therefor
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorSebastian M. Csutak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photedetector uses a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate having an optical grating over the silicon semiconductor to change the direction of incident light to divert it into the silicon which functions as waveguide. The underlying insulator operates as one boundary of the waveguide and the overlying grating operates as the other. Photodetector electrodes are placed in the silicon, which puts them in close proximity to the carriers that are generated by the light entering the silicon waveguide.
Claims23
An optical device comprising:
- a substrate comprising an insulating layer, an active semiconductor region above the insulating layer and a non-active semiconductor region below the insulating layer;
- a detector within the active semiconductor region and over a first portion of the insulating layer;
- and
- a grating over at least a portion of the detector.
A method for operating an optical device comprising:
- providing a light at an angle to a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises an insulating region and an active region above the insulating region;
- directing the light to the semiconductor device in the active region;
- biasing a detector having doped regions in the active region;
- collecting carriers in the active region to define a signal, wherein the carriers are generated by the light in the active region;
- and
- processing the signal.
A method of forming an optical device comprising:
- providing a semiconductor substrate wherein the substrate comprises an insulating layer;
- forming a detector over a first portion of the insulating layer;
- forming a grating over a portion of the detector;
- and
- forming process circuitry over a second portion of the insulating layer.
An optical device comprising:
- a substrate comprising a silicon-on-insulator region comprising an insulating region and a silicon region over the insulating region;
- a waveguide portion within at least a portion of the silicon region;
- a detector within the waveguide portion, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of heavily-doped regions;
- and
- a diffraction grating comprising a plurality of features over at least a portion of the detector.
A diffraction grating coupler structure comprising:
- a first material, with a first refractive index;
- a second material over the first material, wherein the second material has a second refractive index and the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index;
- and
- a third material over the second material with a third refractive index, wherein the third material comprises a plurality of features, wherein the plurality of features are approximately equidistant from each other and have an approximate shape selected from the group containing a pyramid and a hemisphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.