Photonic crystal-based optical elements for integrated circuits and methods therefor

• US 20050281524A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Mouli, Chandra
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide photonic crystal-based optical elements for integrated circuits. A photonic crystal optical device comprises a substrate and a plurality of pillars forming a photonic crystal structure over the substrate. The pillars are spaced apart from each other. Each pillar has a height and a horizontal cross-sectional shape. A material with a different dielectric constant than the pillars is provided within the spacing between the pillars. According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the photonic crystal-based optical element can be an optical interconnect, a lens, or a filter. The photonic crystal-based optical element of the invention can be used to transmit solitons.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a substrate; and

at least one photonic crystal element over the substrate, the photonic crystal element comprising a plurality of pillars being spaced apart from each other.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least one photonic crystal element is a photonic crystal optical interconnect for transmitting electromagnetic radiation.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the photonic crystal optical interconnect comprises a first region having a first photonic crystal structure and a second region having a second photonic crystal structure.

4. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the photonic crystal optical interconnect comprises a first cladding layer over the substrate, a layer having a photonic crystal structure over the first cladding layer, and a second cladding layer over the photonic crystal layer.

5. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the photonic crystal optical interconnect has a photonic crystal structure configured such that optical response correlation length is larger than a diameter of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the photonic crystal optical interconnect.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the optical interconnect has a photonic crystal structure configured to permit the transmission of a soliton.

7. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an optical interconnect, wherein the at least one photonic crystal element is a photonic crystal lens associated with the optical interconnect and is configured to focus electromagnetic radiation onto the optical interconnect.

8. The circuit of claim 7, where the photonic crystal lens is a flat lens.

9. The circuit of claim 7, where the photonic crystal lens is configured to have a negative index of refraction.

10. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising an optical interconnect, wherein the at least one photonic crystal element is a photonic crystal filter associated with the optical interconnect and is configured to pass predetermined electromagnetic wavelengths to reach the optical interconnect.

11. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a least two photonic crystal elements, wherein a first photonic crystal element is a photonic crystal optical interconnect.

12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein a second photonic crystal element is a photonic crystal lens associated with the first photonic crystal optical interconnect and is configured to focus electromagnetic radiation onto the first photonic crystal optical interconnect.

13. The circuit of claim 11, wherein a second photonic crystal element is a photonic crystal filter associated with the first photonic crystal optical interconnect and is configured to selectively permit electromagnetic wavelengths to reach the first photonic crystal optical interconnect.

14. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal element further comprises a material within the spacing between the pillars, the material having a dielectric constant that is lower than a dielectric constant of the pillars.

15. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the pillars comprise aluminum oxide.

16. An integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate;

a first circuit on the substrate;

a second circuit on the substrate; and

at least one photonic crystal element over the substrate for affecting the transmission of electromagnetic radiation from the first circuit to the second circuit, the photonic crystal element comprising a plurality of pillars being spaced apart from each other.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the photonic crystal element further comprises a material within the spacing between the pillars, the material having a dielectric constant that is lower than a dielectric constant of the pillars.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the pillars comprise aluminum oxide.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the optical element is a photonic crystal optical interconnect.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the optical element is a photonic crystal lens.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 16, wherein the optical element is a photonic crystal photonic crystal filter.

22. A processor-based system comprising:

a processor; and

a circuit coupled to the processor, the circuit comprising;

a substrate, and

at least one photonic crystal element over the substrate,

the photonic crystal element comprising a plurality of pillars being spaced apart from each other.

23. A photonic crystal element for an circuit, the element comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pillars forming a photonic crystal structure over the substrate, the pillars being spaced apart from each other; and

a material within the spacing between the pillars having a dielectric constant that is lower than a dielectric constant of the pillars.

24. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars and low dielectric constant material together have an approximately flat top surface.

25. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars have a height within the range of approximately 100 Å

to approximately 5000 Å

.

26. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein a ratio of the spacing between the pillars to a height of the pillars is within the range of approximately 1 to approximately 10.

27. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the photonic crystal structure has at least one defect.

28. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars form a first region having a first photonic crystal structure and a second region having a second photonic crystal structure.

29. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars each have a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape.

30. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars each have a pentagonal horizontal cross-sectional shape.

31. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars each have a rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape.

32. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars comprise aluminum oxide.

33. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars comprise zirconium oxide.

34. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars comprise hafnium oxide.

35. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars comprise a silver halide.

36. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the pillars comprise a polymer material based on high density polyethylene.

37. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the low dielectric constant material is spun on glass.

38. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the low dielectric constant material is silicon dioxide.

39. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, further comprising a dielectric layer over the substrate, the pillars being formed on the dielectric layer.

40. The photonic crystal element of claim 39, wherein the dielectric layer is a first cladding layer and the photonic crystal element further comprises a second cladding layer on the pillars and low dielectric constant material.

41. The photonic crystal element of claim 40, wherein the photonic crystal structure is configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation.

42. The photonic crystal element of claim 40, wherein the photonic crystal structure is configured to transmit solitons.

43. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the photonic crystal structure is configured to focus electromagnetic radiation.

44. The photonic crystal element of claim 23, wherein the photonic crystal structure is configured to pass predetermined wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.

45. A method of forming a photonic crystal element for an circuit, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a layer of a photonic crystal material over the substrate;

patterning the photonic crystal material layer to form a plurality of pillars forming a photonic crystal structure, the pillars being formed spaced apart from each other and each having a height and a horizontal cross-sectional shape; and

placing a material having a lower dielectric constant than a dielectric constant of the pillars within the spacing between the pillars.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of forming a layer of a photonic crystal material comprises forming the photonic crystal material layer having a thickness within a range of approximately 100 Å

to approximately 5000 Å

.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming at least one defect in the photonic crystal structure.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming the pillars in a first region having a first photonic crystal structure and forming the pillars in a second region having a second photonic crystal structure.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming the pillars such that a ratio of the spacing between the pillars to the height of the pillars is within the range of approximately 1 to approximately 10.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming each of the pillars with a circular horizontal cross-sectional shape.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming each of the pillars with a rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming each of the pillars with a pentagonal horizontal cross-sectional shape.

53. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of forming the layer of a photonic crystal material comprises forming a layer of aluminum oxide.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of forming the layer of a photonic crystal material comprises forming a layer of polymer material based on high density polyethylene.

55. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of forming the layer of a photonic crystal material comprises forming a layer of zirconium oxide.

56. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of forming the layer of a photonic crystal material comprises forming a layer of hafnium oxide.

57. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of forming the layer of a photonic crystal material comprises forming a layer of a silver halide.

58. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of placing the low dielectric constant material comprises depositing spun on glass.

59. The method of claim 45, wherein the act of placing the low dielectric constant material comprises depositing silicon dioxide.

60. The method of claim 45, further comprising forming a dielectric layer over the substrate, wherein the layer of a photonic crystal material is formed on the dielectric layer.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the act of forming the dielectric layer comprises forming a first cladding layer.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising forming a second cladding layer on the pillars and low dielectric constant material.

63. The method of claim 61, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming the photonic crystal structure to transmit electromagnetic radiation.

64. The method of claim 61, wherein the act of patterning the photonic crystal material layer comprises forming the photonic crystal structure to transmit solitons.

65. The method of claim 45, wherein the photonic crystal structure is formed to focus electromagnetic radiation.

66. The method of claim 45, wherein the photonic crystal structure is formed to pass predetermined wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.