OPTICAL MODULE AND OPTICAL SWITCH

• US 20070154137A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Mino, Shinji, Ishii, Motohaya, Goh, Takashi, Okuno, Masayuki, Yamada, Takashi, Himeno, Akira, Souma, Shunichi, Kitagawa, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29355 Cascade arrangement of interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/31 Digital deflection, i.e. optical switchingG02F1/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3132 of directional coupler type
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3136 of interferometric switch type
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/16 series; tandem
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0013 using gating amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0015 using splitting combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0039 Electrical control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches

Abstract

An optical module controls its output characteristics electrically and an optical switch constitutes the optical module. An optical waveguide circuit (PLC) and an electronic circuit (IC) for driving the PLC are mounted on the same substrate. The IC is composed of a bare chip to be molded afterward. Wiring of the IC is grouped and integrated on the PLC substrate to achieve higher density and miniaturization of the optical module.

Claims

1. An optical module comprising:

a silica-based 3-dimensional optical waveguide circuit; and

a driving electronic circuit for modifying an optical output characteristic of said optical waveguide circuit by causing a refractive index variation of said waveguide circuit by using a thermal-optic effect,

wherein said driving electronic circuit is mounted on a silica-based substrate of said optical waveguide circuit together with said optical waveguide circuit.

2. The optical module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving electronic circuit is integrated on the silica-based substrate of said optical waveguide circuit in the form of a bare chip.

3. The optical module as claimed in claim 1, wherein wiring from said driving electronic circuit is grouped and integrated on the silica-based substrate of said optical waveguide circuit.

4. The optical module as claimed in claim 2, wherein wiring from said driving electronic circuit is grouped and integrated on the silica-based substrate of said optical waveguide circuit.

5. The optical module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of an optical switch.

6. The optical module as claimed in claim 2, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of an optical switch.

7. The optical module as claimed in claim 3, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of an optical switch.

8. The optical module as claimed in claim 4, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of an optical switch.

9. The optical module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of a variable optical attenuator.

10. The optical module as claimed in claim 2, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of a variable optical attenuator.

11. The optical module as claimed in claim 3, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of a variable optical attenuator.

12. The optical module as claimed in claim 4, wherein said optical waveguide circuit consists of a variable optical attenuator.