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US 8,542,957 B2Granted
Optical waveguide sensor and manufacturing method of the same
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsShuichi Yamashita, Yukihiro Takeuchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical waveguide sensor includes a substrate and an optical waveguide. The optical waveguide includes a core and a lateral clad. The core extends in a spiral shape above a surface of the substrate. The lateral clad is disposed in a same layer as the core above the surface of the substrate and is in contact with either side surfaces of the core. At least a part of a surface of the core located opposite from the substrate is a transmission surface from which light leaks and is absorbed by a detected object.
Claims8
An optical waveguide sensor comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- an optical waveguide including a core and a lateral clad, the core extending in a spiral shape above a surface of the substrate, the lateral clad disposed in a same layer as the core above the surface of the substrate and being in contact with either side surfaces of the core, at least a part of a surface of the core located opposite from the substrate being a transmission surface from which light leaks and is absorbed by a detected object, wherein
- the substrate has a removed section that opens on the surface of the substrate,
- portions of the core and the lateral clad bridging the removed section form a membrane, and
- both the surface of the core located opposite from the substrate and a surface of the core facing the substrate are the transmission surfaces, and further comprising:
- a support layer disposed on at least one of the transmission surfaces of the core for reinforcing the membrane, wherein
- when the light guided in the optical waveguide has a wavelength λ, the support layer has a refractive index ns at the wavelength λ, and the support layer has a thickness ts, the support layer satisfies a relationship of ns×ts≦λ.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.