US 9,002,156 B2Granted

Vertically curved waveguide

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsJohn J. Ellis-Monaghan, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Mark D. Jaffe, Kirk D. Peterson, Jed H. Rankin

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Abstract

An optical waveguide structure may include an optical waveguide structure located within a semiconductor structure and an optical coupler. The optical coupler may include a metallic structure located within an electrical interconnection region of the semiconductor structure, whereby the metallic structure extends downward in a substantially curved shape from a top surface of the electrical interconnection region and couples to the optical waveguide structure. The optical coupler may further include an optical signal guiding region bounded within the metallic structure, whereby the optical coupler receives an optical signal from the top surface and couples the optical signal to the optical waveguide structure such that the optical signal propagation is substantially vertical at the top surface and substantially horizontal at the optical waveguide structure.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A waveguide structure comprising:

an optical waveguide structure located within a semiconductor structure;
and
an optical coupler including:
a metallic structure located within an electrical interconnection region of the semiconductor structure, the metallic structure extending downward in a substantially curved shape from a top surface of the electrical interconnection region and coupling to the optical waveguide structure, the metallic structure including a portion of a plurality of metallization layers and a portion of a plurality of via layers, the portion of the plurality of metallization layers interleaved with the portion of the plurality of via layers in a substantially vertically stacked configuration, and
an optical signal guiding region bounded within the metallic structure,
wherein the optical coupler receives an optical signal from the top surface and couples the optical signal to the optical waveguide structure such that the optical signal propagation is substantially vertical at the top surface and substantially horizontal at the optical waveguide structure.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/872,396Filed 29 Apr 2013
Published: US 2014/0321802 A130 Oct 2014
Granted: 7 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G02B 6/122
Of the integrated circuit kind: basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
G02B 6/13
Of the integrated circuit kind: integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
G02B 6/136
Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method: by etching
G02B 6/4214
The coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms: the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective…