Edge coupling device fabrication

• US 10,197,733 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pan, Huapu, Liu, Zongrong, Wei, Hongzhen, Chen, Hongmin
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US15/491,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20170219777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12061 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12097 Ridge, rib or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12195 Tapering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1223 high refractive index type, i.e. high-contrast waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/305 and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide

Abstract

An edge coupling device including a substrate, a buried oxide disposed over the substrate, a cladding material disposed over the buried oxide, where the cladding material includes a trench, an inversely tapered silicon waveguide disposed within the cladding material beneath the trench, and a ridge waveguide disposed within the trench, where the ridge waveguide and the inversely tapered silicon waveguide are vertically-aligned with each other.

Claims

1. An edge coupling device, comprising:

a substrate;

a buried oxide disposed over the substrate;

a cladding material disposed over the buried oxide, wherein the cladding material includes a trench;

an inversely tapered silicon waveguide disposed within the cladding material beneath the trench; and

a ridge waveguide disposed within the trench, wherein the ridge waveguide and the inversely tapered silicon waveguide are vertically-aligned with each other.

2. The edge coupling device of claim 1, further comprising an etch stop layer disposed over the inversely tapered silicon waveguide.

3. The edge coupling device of claim 1, wherein the cladding material comprises a silicon dioxide layer.

4. The edge coupling device of claim 1, wherein the cladding material comprises a silicon dioxide layer and at least one of silicon nitride layer and a silicon carbide layer.

5. The edge coupling device of claim 1, wherein a material used to form the ridge waveguide has a refractive index that is less than a refractive index of silicon.

6. The edge coupling device of claim 5, wherein the material is one of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and aluminum nitride (AlN).

7. The edge coupling device of claim 5, wherein a thickness of the material is between 2 micrometers (μ

m) and 20 μ

m.

8. The edge coupling device of claim 1, wherein a width of the trench is greater than a width of the inversely tapered silicon waveguide.

9. The edge coupling device of claim 8, wherein the width of the trench is greater than 5 μ

m.

10. The edge coupling device of claim 1, wherein the ridge waveguide has a single-mode condition.

11. The edge coupling device of claim 1, wherein a ridge waveguide width is equivalent to a ridge waveguide height.

12. An edge coupling device, comprising:

an inversely tapered silicon waveguide;

a cladding material disposed over the inversely tapered silicon waveguide;

a trench formed within the cladding material, wherein the trench is disposed over the inversely tapered silicon waveguide; and

a refractive index material disposed within the trench, wherein the refractive index material is patterned to form a ridge waveguide within the trench.

13. The edge coupling device of claim 12, wherein the refractive index material has a refractive index of about 1.445 to about 3.5.

14. The edge coupling device of claim 12, wherein the inversely tapered silicon waveguide and the ridge waveguide are vertically aligned with each other.

15. The edge coupling device of claim 12, further comprising an etch stop layer disposed over the inversely tapered silicon waveguide.

16. The edge coupling device of claim 12, wherein the cladding material comprises a silicon dioxide layer.

17. The edge coupling device of claim 12, wherein a material used to form the ridge waveguide has a refractive index that is less than a refractive index of silicon.

18. The edge coupling device of claim 12, wherein a width of the trench is greater than a width of the inversely tapered silicon waveguide.

19. An edge coupling device, comprising:

a buried oxide disposed over a semiconductor material;

an inversely tapered silicon waveguide disposed over the buried oxide;

a cladding material disposed over the inversely tapered silicon waveguide;

a trench formed within the cladding material, wherein the trench is disposed over the inversely tapered silicon waveguide; and

a refractive index material disposed within the trench, wherein the refractive index material is patterned to form a ridge waveguide within the trench,

wherein the refractive index of the refractive index material is less than a refractive index of silicon.

20. The edge coupling device of claim 19, wherein the width of the trench is greater than 5 micrometers (μ

m), and wherein a thickness of the material is between 2 μ

m and 20 μ

m.