Optical waveguide connecting device

• US 10,641,953 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arm Ltd. (United Kingdom) (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Arm Ltd. (United Kingdom) (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Vashishtha, Vinay, Bhargava, Mudit, Cline, Brian Tracy, Sinha, Saurabh Pijuskumar, Yeric, Gregory Munson
• Primary Examiner(s): Lepisto, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US16/172,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12002 Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12016 characterised by the input or output waveguides, e.g. tapered waveguide ends, coupled together pairs of output waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29341 Loop resonators operating in a whispering gallery mode evanescently coupled to a light guide, e.g. sphere or disk or cylinder evanescent coupling for sensing fluorescence G01N21/648
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4226 Positioning means for moving the elements into alignment, e.g. alignment screws, deformation of the mount

Abstract

Disclosed are devices and techniques for facilitating transmission of light signals between optical waveguides formed on integrated circuit (IC) devices. In an implementation, one or more first waveguides may be formed in a structure such that at least a portion of the one or more first waveguides are exposed for optical connectivity. The structure may comprise first features to enable the structure to be interlocked with an IC device comprising second features complementary with the first features, so as to align at least a portion of the one or more first waveguides exposed to optically couple with one or more second waveguides formed in the first integrated circuit device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a solid structure; and

one or more first waveguides formed in the solid structure, at least a first portion of the one or more first waveguides to be exposed on a first surface of the structure for optical connectivity,

wherein the solid structure to comprise first features to enable the solid structure to be interlocked with a first integrated circuit device, the first integrated circuit device to comprise second features complementary with the first features to include a first planar surface of the first integrated circuit device so as to align the exposed first portion of the one or more first waveguides to optically couple with one or more second waveguides formed in the first integrated circuit device, and

wherein the first integrated circuit device further to comprise circuitry to modulate a signal for transmission to at least one of the one or more first waveguides and/or to comprise circuitry to detect a signal to be transmitted on at least one of the one or more first waveguides.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a second portion of the one or more first waveguides are exposed on a second surface of the solid structure, and wherein the first features further to enable the solid structure to be interlocked with third features of a second integrated circuit device while the solid structure is interlocked with the first integrated circuit device to optically couple the one or more first waveguides on the first planar surface with the one or more second waveguides so as to align exposed second portion of the one or more first waveguides to optically couple with one or more third waveguides to be disposed in the second integrated circuit device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first and second integrated circuit devices to be vertically stacked on one another.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the first features to enable alignment and interlocking of the device with the first integrated circuit device, and wherein the second integrated circuit device to enable an optical coupling of the first portion of the one or more first waveguides with the one or more second waveguides and to enable an optical coupling of the second portions of the one or more first waveguides with the one or more third waveguides in the same plane while the solid structure is interlocked with the first integrated circuit device and the second integrated circuit device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the structure is to be formed from a rigid material.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the rigid material comprises silica.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the structure is to be formed from a flexible material capable of providing a cladding for the one or more first waveguides.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the flexible material comprises a polymer and the one or more first waveguides are to be formed from a material different from the polymer.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the exposed portions of the one or more first waveguides and second to be optically coupled responsive to an interlocking of the structure with the first integrated circuit in a passive alignment process.

10. A device comprising:

a structure comprising at least a first planar surface to mate with a first integrated circuit device and a second planar surface to mate with a second integrated circuit device; and

one or more first waveguides to have a first portion to be exposed on the first planar surface, a second portion to be exposed on the second planar portion and a third portion to connect the first and second portions to route optical signals between the first and second planar surfaces, wherein the structure to comprise dimensions or features to mate the first planar surface to the first integrated circuit device to align the first portion of the one or more first waveguides so as to optically couple with one or more second waveguides formed on the first integrated circuit, and mate the second planar surface to the second integrate circuit device to align the second portion of the one or more first waveguides so as to optically couple with one or more third waveguides formed on the second integrated circuit device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more first waveguides to route optical signals between the second and third waveguides while the first planar surface is mated with the first integrated circuit device and the second planar surface is mated with the second integrated circuit device.

12. The device of claim 10, and further comprising one or more micro-ring resonators to direct different wavelength components of a light signal to different portions of at least one of the one or more first waveguides.

13. A device comprising:

a structure comprising at least a first planar surface to mate with a first integrated circuit device and a second planar surface to mate with a second integrated circuit device; and

one or more first waveguides having a first portion to be exposed on the first planar surface, a second portion to be exposed on the second planar portion and a third portion to connect the first and second portions to route optical signals between the first and second planar surfaces, wherein the structure further to comprise features including the first and second planar surfaces complementary with features of the first and second integrated circuit devices to enable the structure to interlock with the first and second integrated circuit devices so as to passively align the first portion of the one or more waveguides with one or more waveguides exposed on a surface of the first integrated circuit device, and passively align the second portion of the one or more waveguides with one or more waveguides exposed on a surface of the second integrated circuit device.