Method for cleaving integrated optic waveguides to provide a smooth waveguide endface
AssigneeShipley Company, L.L.C.
InventorsDan A. Steinberg, Mindaugas F. Dautartas
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Abstract
In an integrated optical waveguide device including a first top portion on the substrate, and a plurality of juxtaposed waveguide cores within cladding layers on a second top portion of the substrate, the waveguide cores having respective inner endfaces parallel to a longitudinal open slotway formed in the substrate between the first and second top portions, the substrate being undercut from the slotway to produce a cantilevered section of the waveguide cores and cladding layers, for permitting the plurality of waveguide cores and associated cladding layers to be simultaneously cleaved, thereby providing a smooth endface thereacross.
Claims62
A method for providing a smooth endface in an integrated optical waveguide, the integrated optical waveguide including a semiconductor substrate, a linear open slotway dividing said substrate into first and second portions, a plurality of spaced apart first waveguides formed on said second portion of the substrate in a common first cladding layer, with longitudinal axes of said plurality of first waveguides being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said slotway, and with inner endfaces of said plurality of first waveguides being parallel to the longitudinal axes of said slotway, said method comprising the steps of:
- undercutting said substrate from a sidewall of said slotway and under said plurality of first waveguides for a predetermined distance, thereby forming a first cantilevered waveguide section overlying the undercut portions of said substrate;
- and
- applying a force upon said first cantilevered waveguide section to cleave it and the common first cladding layer from said substrate, thereby producing smooth inner endfaces for said plurality of first waveguides.
An integrated optical waveguide device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a linear slotway dividing the substrate into a first portion and a second portion;
- a plurality of first waveguides formed on said second portion, said plurality of first waveguides each having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the slotway;
- and
- a single smooth cleaved edge adjacent to the slotway and intersecting said plurality of first waveguides, thereby providing smooth inner endfaces for said plurality of first waveguides, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.