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US 9,519,163 B2Granted
Tunable silicon grating couplers
AssigneeOracle International Corporation
InventorsXuezhe Zheng, Jin Yao, Guoliang Li, Ying L. Luo, John E. Cunningham, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy
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Abstract
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is described. This PIC includes a grating coupler for surface-normal coupling that has an alternating pattern of grating teeth and grating trenches, where the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material. By applying an electric potential to the grating teeth, the index of refraction of the electro-optical material can be modified.
Claims16
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a buried-oxide layer disposed on the substrate;
- a semiconductor layer, disposed on the buried-oxide layer, having a top surface;
- and
- a grating coupler, disposed in the semiconductor layer, having an alternating pattern of grating trenches and grating teeth adjacent to the grating trenches, wherein the grating coupler is a portion of the semiconductor layer, and wherein the grating trenches extend all the way through the semiconductor layer from the top surface to the buried-oxide layer;
- wherein the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material;
- and
- wherein the grating teeth are configured as electrodes to apply an electric potential across the electro-optical material to modify an index of refraction of the electro-optical material.
5 more elements
A system, comprising an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit includes:
- a substrate;
- a buried-oxide layer disposed on the substrate;
- a semiconductor layer, disposed on the buried-oxide layer, having a top surface;
- and
- a grating coupler, disposed in the semiconductor layer, having an alternating pattern of grating trenches and grating teeth adjacent to the grating trenches, wherein the grating coupler is a portion of the semiconductor layer, and wherein the grating trenches extend all the way through the semiconductor layer from the top surface to the buried-oxide layer;
- wherein the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material;
- and
- wherein the grating teeth are configured as electrodes to apply an electric potential across the electro-optical material to modify an index of refraction of the electro-optical material.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.