# US 7,609,932 B1 · Slot waveguide structure

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- Number: US 7,609,932 B1
- Document ID: US7609932B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 11/481,687
- Filed: 2006-07-06
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2006-07-06
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Sean Spillane
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609932B1

## CPC

- G02B 6/122: Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
- G02B 6/105: {having optical polarisation effects}
- G02B 6/12007: {forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer}
- G02F 1/365: in an optical waveguide structure (G02F1/377, {G02F1/395} take precedence)
- G01D 5/353: influencing the transmission properties of an optical fibre
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A nanometer slot waveguide includes a nanometer slot waveguide structure with vertically stacked layers. The vertically stacked layers include a substrate, a first waveguide layer defining a first rail, a spacer layer defining a slot, and a second waveguide layer defining a second rail.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nanometer slot waveguide with vertically stacked layers, wherein the vertically stacked layers comprise:
a first substrate;
a first waveguide layer defining a first rail;
a spacer layer defining a slot; and
a second waveguide layer defining a second rail, wherein the spacer layer defining a slot is located between the first waveguide layer and the second waveguide layer, and wherein a roughness of surfaces of the first and second rails interfacing the slot have substantially atomically flat surfaces.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nanometer slot waveguide of claim 1, wherein a roughness of surfaces of the first and second rails interfacing the slot varies a width of the slot by less than about 2 nanometers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The nanometer slot waveguide of claim 1, wherein the spacer layer and the second waveguide layer are located on the first waveguide layer.

### Claim 4

A method of fabricating a nanometer slot waveguide comprising:
applying a spacer layer to a first waveguide structure, wherein the first waveguide structure includes a first waveguide layer and a first substrate layer, the first waveguide layer having a refractive index greater than the first substrate layer;
applying a second waveguide structure to the spacer layer to create an intermediate waveguide structure, wherein the second waveguide structure includes a second waveguide layer, the second waveguide layer having a refractive index greater than the second substrate layer; and
removing portions of the intermediate waveguide structure to create a nanometer slot waveguide structure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the first waveguide layer forms a first rail, the second waveguide layer forms a second rail, and the spacer layer forms a slot between the first waveguide layer and the second waveguide layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein a width of the slot is less than about 100 nanometers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein surfaces of the first and second rails interfacing the slot are substantially atomically flat.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein a roughness of surfaces of the first and second rails interfacing the slot varies a width of the slot by less than about 2 nanometers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:
at least partially removing the spacer layer that forms the slot.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:
inserting a material into the at least partially removed spacer layer, wherein the material inserted into the at least partially removed spacer layer comprises at least one selected from a nonlinear optic material, a laser gain medium, and a quantum information processing medium.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the nanometer slot waveguide is operable to detect the presence of a material that has entered the slot.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the slot is operable to be monitored to detect a change in at least one of a dielectric index or an optical absorption.

### Claim 13 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:
increasing or decreasing a width of the slot by an external means including at least one of temperature, pressure, stress, and vibration.

### Claim 14 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the nanometer slot waveguide has microcavities.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the second waveguide structure includes a second substrate layer and the method further comprises:
removing the second substrate layer of the second waveguide structure to create the intermediate waveguide structure.

### Claim 16

A microchannel sensor comprising:
a microchannel forming a path for the flow of a material; and
a nanometer slot waveguide intersecting the path formed by the microchannel, wherein the nanometer slot waveguide comprises a first waveguide layer defining a first rail, a second waveguide layer defining a second rail, and a slot between the first and second waveguide layers, wherein the material is operable to flow through the path in the microchannel to contact at least a portion of the nanometer slot waveguide.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The microchannel sensor of claim 15, wherein the first and second rails have substantially atomically flat surfaces.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The microchannel sensor of claim 15, wherein the material is operable to flow through the path in the microchannel and through the slot.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The microchannel sensor of claim 15, wherein a roughness of surfaces of the first and second rails interfacing the slot varies a width of the slot by less than about 2 nanometers.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The microchannel sensor of claim 15, wherein a width of the slot is operable to be altered through external means including at least one of thermal, pressure, vibration, electrical, and stress.