TECHNIQUES FOR MANUFACTURING A WAVEGUIDE WITH A THREE DIMENSIONAL LENS

• US 20070189668A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: POA Sana Liquidating Trust
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Payne, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/33
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/121 Channel; buried or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12102 Lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12173 Masking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1228 Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers for coupling with fibres G02B6/305
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 by using polymerisation

Abstract

Optical transmission structures include a waveguide and an optical lens wherein the optical lens has a sufficiently large thickness to allow the formation of a curved front lens surface that collimates transmitted light rays so that they travel within a plane that is coplanar to a working surface. The present invention also relates to a technique for manufacturing the optical transmission structure, which involves the use of a photopolymer material. The optical transmission structure can be implemented in various systems such as a system for optical data input.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a bottom cladding layer;

a photopolymer material formed on the bottom cladding layer, the photopolymer material being patterned to form a waveguide having a first height with an integrated optical lens having a second height, wherein the second height is greater than the first height; and

a top cladding layer formed over at least the waveguide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a substrate, the bottom cladding layer being formed on the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical lens has a three-dimensionally contoured shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical lens has an in-plane collimating lens curve that has an outline that is substantially defined within at least a plane that is perpendicular to a top surface of the bottom cladding layer, wherein light rays transmitted from the waveguide are collimated by the optical lens so that the light rays are emitted through the in-plane collimating lens curve in a plane that is substantially coplanar to the top surface of the bottom cladding layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the in-plane collimating lens curve defines a front lens surface that extends from the supporting surface to the second height of the optical lens.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical lens has a directionally collimating lens curve that has an outline that is substantially defined within at least a plane that is coplanar with the top surface of the bottom cladding layer, wherein the light rays transmitted from the waveguide are collimated such that substantially all of the light rays emitted through the directionally collimating lens curve are parallel to each other and travel in a single direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical lens has an inclined back surface that has a first edge that joins the waveguide and a second edge that extends to the second height of the optical lens.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the inclined back surface is substantially flat and is inclined at an angle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical lens has a width that expands as the optical lens extends away from the waveguide.