Apparatus for Optical Fiber-to-Photonic Chip Connection and Associated Methods
First Claim
1. A photonic chip, comprising:
- a substrate;
an electrical isolation region formed over the substrate;
a front end of line region formed over the electrical isolation region, the front end of line region including transistors and electro-optic devices; and
an optical coupling region defined within a horizontal area extending inward from an edge of the photonic chip, wherein the electrical isolation region and the front end of line region are removed within the optical coupling region,wherein a portion of the substrate is removed within the optical coupling region, and wherein a top surface of a remainder of the substrate within the optical coupling region includes a plurality of grooves configured to receive and align a corresponding plurality of optical fibers, the plurality of grooves formed to extend linearly across the optical coupling region from the edge of the photonic chip, wherein the plurality of grooves are formed at a vertical depth within the substrate to provide for alignment of optical cores of the plurality of optical fibers with the front end of line region when the plurality of optical fibers are positioned within the plurality of grooves within the optical coupling region.
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Abstract
A photonic chip includes a substrate, an electrical isolation region formed over the substrate, and a front end of line (FEOL) region formed over the electrical isolation region. The photonic chip also includes an optical coupling region. The electrical isolation region and the FEOL region and a portion of the substrate are removed within the optical coupling region. A top surface of a the substrate within the optical coupling region includes a plurality of grooves configured to receive and align a plurality of optical fibers. The grooves are formed at a vertical depth within the substrate to provide for alignment of optical cores of the plurality of optical fibers with the FEOL region when the plurality of optical fibers are positioned within the plurality of grooves within the optical coupling region.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A photonic chip, comprising:
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a substrate; an electrical isolation region formed over the substrate; a front end of line region formed over the electrical isolation region, the front end of line region including transistors and electro-optic devices; and an optical coupling region defined within a horizontal area extending inward from an edge of the photonic chip, wherein the electrical isolation region and the front end of line region are removed within the optical coupling region, wherein a portion of the substrate is removed within the optical coupling region, and wherein a top surface of a remainder of the substrate within the optical coupling region includes a plurality of grooves configured to receive and align a corresponding plurality of optical fibers, the plurality of grooves formed to extend linearly across the optical coupling region from the edge of the photonic chip, wherein the plurality of grooves are formed at a vertical depth within the substrate to provide for alignment of optical cores of the plurality of optical fibers with the front end of line region when the plurality of optical fibers are positioned within the plurality of grooves within the optical coupling region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A packaged photonic chip system, comprising:
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a photonic chip including a substrate and an electrical isolation region formed over the substrate, the photonic chip including a front end of line region formed over the electrical isolation region, the front end of line region including transistors and electro-optic devices, the photonic chip including a back end of line region formed over the front end of line region, the back end of line region including interlevel dielectric materials and metal interconnect structures, the photonic chip including an optical coupling region defined within a horizontal area extending inward from an edge of the photonic chip, wherein the electrical isolation region and the front end of line region and the back end of line region are removed within the optical coupling region, wherein a portion of the substrate is removed within the optical coupling region, and wherein a top surface of a remainder of the substrate within the optical coupling region includes a plurality of grooves configured to receive and align a corresponding plurality of optical fibers, the plurality of grooves formed to extend linearly across the optical coupling region from the edge of the photonic chip, wherein the plurality of grooves are formed to provide for optical alignment of the plurality of optical fibers with corresponding optical couplers within the front end of line region when the plurality of optical fibers are positioned within the plurality of grooves within the optical coupling region; a package substrate including electrical connection pads; and an electrical connection disposed between the photonic chip and the package substrate, the electrical connection configured to electrically connect some of the metal interconnect structures within the back end of line region to electrical connection pads of the package substrate, wherein at least a portion of the package substrate is removed to accommodate positioning of the plurality of optical fibers within the optical coupling region. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification