Tunable thin film optical devices and fabrication methods for tunable thin film optical devices
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJames A. Misewich, Alejandro Gabriel Schrott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thin film structures include electro-optic materials and transparent conducting materials which are combined to fabricate vertical optical devices. The electro-optic materials are responsive to an electric field to change an optical characteristic. For example, a modulator can be fabricated by making a dielectric mirror from such materials by alternating the electro-optic material with the transparent conducting material. The mirror reflection band can then be tuned by applying an electric field between the transparent conducting layers.
Claims14
An electro-optical device comprising:
- a first electrode layer;
- a first electro-optic material layer on the first electrode layer;
- a second electrode layer on the first electro-optic material layer;
- a second electro-optic material layer on the second electrode layer;
- and
- a third electrode layer on the second electro-optic material layer,
- wherein at least one of the first electro-optical material layer and the second electro-optic material layer is responsive to an electric field to change an optical characteristic,
- wherein at least one of the first electro-optic material layer and the second electro-optic material layer comprises a piezo-electric material, and
- wherein at least one of the first and third electrode layers comprises a high reflectivity electrode layer.
A method for producing an electro-optical device, comprising:
- forming a first electrode layer on a transparent substrate;
- forming a first electro-optic material layer on the first electrode layer;
- forming a second electrode layer on the first electro-optic material layer;
- forming a second electro-optic material layer on the second electrode layer;
- and
- forming a third electrode layer on the second electro-optic material layer,
- wherein at least one of said first electro-optical material layer and the second electro-optic material layer is responsive to an electric field to change an optical characteristic,
- wherein at least one of the first electro-optic material layer and the second electro-optic material layer comprises a piezo-electric material, and
- wherein at least one of the first and third electrode layers comprises a high reflectivity electrode layer.
An electro-optical device comprising:
- a transparent oxide substrate;
- a first patterned and milled high-reflectivity electrode layer on said transparent oxide substrate;
- a first Lead Lanthanum Zirconate layer on the first high-reflectivity electrode layer and being responsive to an electric field to change an optical characteristic;
- a second patterned and milled electrode layer on the first Lead Lanthanum Zirconate layer;
- a second Lead Lanthanum Zirconate layer on the second electrode layer and being responsive to an electric field to change an optical characteristic;
- a third patterned and milled high-reflectivity electrode layer on the second Lead Lanthanum Zirconate layer;
- interconnections for independently addressing each of said first high-reflectivity electrode layer, said second electrode layer and said third high-reflectivity electrode layer;
- and
- a power supply having a first pole connected to said first high-reflectivity electrode layer and said third high-reflectivity electrode layer through corresponding interconnections and a second pole connected to said second electrode layer through a corresponding interconnection,
- wherein each of said first high-reflectivity electrode layer, said second electrode layer, and said third high-reflectivity electrode layer has an index of refraction of about 1.5 and a thickness of about 400 nm, and
- wherein each of said first Lead Lanthanum Zirconate layer and said second Lead Lanthanum Zirconate layer has an index of refraction of about 2.3 and a thickness of about 400 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.