VERTICAL WAVEGUIDES WITH VARIOUS FUNCTIONALITY ON INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

• US 20100116976A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zena Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zena Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wober, Munib
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/227.230
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0425 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12138 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/1215 Splitter
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1013 for colour or multispectral image sensors, e.g. splitting an image into monochromatic image components on respective sensors spectral imaging systems G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/102 for infrared and ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/107 Subwavelength-diameter waveguides, e.g. nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/42 Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02573 Conductivity type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02653 Vapour-liquid-solid growth
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14629 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14632 Wafer-level processed structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14687 Wafer level processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/60 : Electrodes

Abstract

An embodiment relates to a device comprising an optical pipe comprising a core and a cladding, the optical pipe being configured to separate wavelengths of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a selective wavelength through the core and the cladding, wherein the core is configured to be both a channel to transmit the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength and an active element to detect the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength transmitted through the core. Other embodiments relate to a compound light detector.

Claims

1. An device comprising an optical pipe comprising a core and a cladding, the optical pipe being configured to separate wavelengths of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a selective wavelength through the core and the cladding, wherein the core is configured to be both a channel to transmit the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength and an active element to detect the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength transmitted through the core.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a waveguide.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the active element is configured to be a photodiode, a charge storage capacitor, or combinations thereof.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is an image sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a waveguide comprising a semiconductor material.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a passivation layer around the waveguide.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising a metal layer around the waveguide.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a metal layer around the passivation layer.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises no color or IR filter.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical pipe is circular, non-circular or conical.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the core has a core index of refraction (n₁), and the cladding has a cladding index of refraction (n₂), wherein n₁>

n₂, n₁=n₂, or n₁<

n₂.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein the selective wavelength is a function of the diameter of the waveguide.

13. The device of claim 2, further comprising at least a pair of metal contacts with at least one of the metal contacts being contacted to the waveguide.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the optical pipe is configured to separate wavelengths of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a selective wavelength through the core and the cladding without a color or IR filter.

15. The device of claim 5, wherein the waveguide is configured to convert energy of the electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the waveguide and to generate electron hole pairs (excitons).

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the waveguide comprises a PIN junction that is configured to detect the excitons generated in the waveguide.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising an insulator layer around the waveguide and a metal layer around the insulator layer to form a capacitor that is configured to collect the excitons generated in the waveguide and store charge in the capacitor.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising metal contacts that connect to the metal layer and waveguide to control and detect the charge stored in the capacitor.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the cladding is configured to be a channel to transmit the wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation beam that do not transmit through the core.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the cladding comprises a passive waveguide.

21. The device of claim 19, further comprising a peripheral photosensitive element, wherein the peripheral photosensitive element is operably coupled to the cladding.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic radiation beam receiving end of the optical pipe comprises a curved surface.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the peripheral photosensitive element is located on or within a substrate.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the core and the cladding are located on a substrate comprising an electronic circuit.

25. The device of claim 1, further comprising a lens structure or an optical coupler over the optical pipe, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler is operably coupled to the optical pipe.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler comprises a curved surface to channel the electromagnetic radiation into the optical pipe.

27. The device of claim 1, further comprising a color or IR filter.

28. The device of claim 1, further comprising a stack surrounding the optical pipe, the stack comprising metallic layers embedded in dielectric layers, wherein the dielectric layers have a lower refractive index than that of the cladding.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein a surface of the stack comprises a reflective surface.

30. The device of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a first waveguide and the cladding comprises a second waveguide.

39. The compound light detector of claim 28, wherein each of the first and second devices comprises a cladding comprising a photosensitive element.

40. The compound light detector of claim 39, further comprising a stack of metallic and non-metallic layers surrounding the first and second devices.

43. The device of claim 25, wherein the lens structure or the optical coupler comprises a first opening and a second opening with the first opening being larger than the second opening, and a connecting surface extending between the first and second openings.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein the connecting surface comprises a reflective surface.

50. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to resolve black and white or luminescence information contained in the electromagnetic radiation by appropriate combinations of energies of the electromagnetic radiation detected in the core and the cladding.

31. A compound light detector comprising at least two different devices, each device comprising a optical pipe comprising a core and a cladding, the optical pipe being configured to separate wavelengths of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a selective wavelength through the core and the cladding, wherein the core is configured to be both a channel to transmit the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength and an active element to detect the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength transmitted through the core, and the compound light detector is configured to reconstruct a spectrum of wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation beam.

32. The compound light detector of claim 31, wherein the core comprises a first waveguide having the selective wavelength such that electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths beyond the selective wavelength transmits through the cladding, further wherein the selective wavelength of the core of each of the at least two different devices is different such that the at least two different devices separate the electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the compound light detector at different selective wavelengths.

33. The compound light detector of claim 32, wherein the cladding comprises a second waveguide that permits electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths beyond the selective wavelength to remains within the cladding and be transmitted to a peripheral photosensitive element.

34. The compound light detector of claim 33, wherein a cross-sectional area of the cladding at an electromagnetic radiation beam emitting end of the cladding is substantially equal to an area of the peripheral photosensitive element.

35. The compound light detector of claim 31, further comprising a stack of metallic and non-metallic layers surrounding the optical pipe of each of the at least two different optical sensors.

42. The compound light detector of claim 31, wherein a plurality of light detectors are arranged on a square lattice, an hexagonal lattice, or in a different lattice arrangement.

45. The compound light detector of claim 31, wherein the two different devices comprise cores of different diameters.

46. The compound light detector of claim 31, wherein the spectrum of wavelengths comprises wavelengths of visible light, IR or combinations thereof.

48. The compound light detector of claim 31, wherein a plurality of light detectors are arranged on a regular tessellation.

51. The compound light detector of claim 31, wherein the compound light detector is configured to detect energies of the electromagnetic radiation of four different ranges of wavelengths.

52. The light detector of claim 51, wherein the energies of the electromagnetic radiation of the four different ranges of wavelengths are combined to construct red, green and blue colors.

36. A compound light detector comprising at least a first device and a second device, wherein the first device is configured to provide a first separation of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a first selective wavelength without any filter, the second device is configured to provide a second separation of the electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the optical pipe at a second selective wavelength without any filter, the first selective wavelength is different from the second selective wavelength, each of the first device and the second device comprises a core that is configured to be both a channel to transmit the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength and an active element to detect the wavelengths up to the selective wavelength transmitted through the core, and the compound light detector is configured to reconstruct a spectrum of wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation beam.

37. The compound light detector of claim 36, wherein the first device comprises a first waveguide having the first selective wavelength such that electromagnetic radiation of wavelength beyond the first selective wavelength will not be confined by the first waveguide, wherein the second device comprises a second waveguide having the second selective wavelength such that electromagnetic radiation of wavelength beyond the second selective wavelength will not be confined by the second waveguide, further wherein the first selective wavelength is different from the second selective wavelength.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the first device further comprises a first waveguide that permits electromagnetic radiation of wavelength of greater than the first selective wavelength to remains within the first waveguide and the second device further comprises a second waveguide that permits electromagnetic radiation of wavelength of greater than the second selective wavelength to remains within the second waveguide.

41. The compound light detector of claim 36, wherein the first device comprises a core of a different diameter than that of the second device and the spectrum of wavelengths comprises wavelengths of visible light.

47. The compound light detector of claim 36, wherein the first device comprises a core of a different diameter than that of the second device and the spectrum of wavelengths comprises wavelengths of visible light, IR or combinations thereof.

49. The compound light detector of claim 36, wherein a plurality of light detectors are arranged on a regular tessellation.

53. The compound light detector of claim 36, wherein the compound light detector is configured to detect energies of the electromagnetic radiation of four different ranges of wavelengths.

54. The light detector of claim 53, wherein the energies of the electromagnetic radiation of the four different ranges of wavelengths are combined to construct red, green and blue colors.