Hybrid optical IC with optical axes at different levels
First Claim
1. An integrated optical device comprising:
- a silicon substrate having a surface;
a planar optical waveguide which is formed on a first portion of said silicon substrate and has a light guiding core region of a first, high refractive index surrounded by a cladding layer of a second, lower-refractive index and a flat top surface;
a bonding pedestal which is formed on a second portion of said silicon substrate, different from the first portion, and has a flat top surface, the respective heights of said top flat surface, of said bonding pedestal and said planar optical waveguide, measured from the surface of said silicon substrate, being the same;
an edge input/output type optical semiconductor device bonded on said top flat surface of said bonding pedestal, said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device being mounted on an imaginary line extending from a light input/output end of said planar optical waveguide so that said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device is aligned with said planar optical waveguide, the respective levels of the optical axes of said planar optical waveguide and said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device from the surface of said silicon substrate being different; and
means for optically coupling said planar optical waveguide and said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device by changing a level of an optical axis, from a first to a second end thereof relative to the surface of said silicon substrate, the first and second end levels corresponding to the respective levels of the optical axes of said planar optical waveguide and said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device, relative to the surface of said silicon substrate.
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Abstract
An integrated optical device including: a silicon substrate (1 ); an optical waveguiding core (4 ) formed on the silicon substrate (1); a clad layer formed encircling the optical waveguiding core (4): an optical fiber groove (5) having a V-character shaped cross section for position-aligning an optical fiber so as to optically couple the optical waveguiding core and the optical fiber, the optical fiber groove being formed on the surface of the silicon substrate along an optical axis in one direction from one end plane of the optical waveguiding core; an edge input/output type optical semiconductor device (8) having an active region bonded to the clad layer, the optical semiconductor device being mounted on a line extending from the other end plane of the optical waveguiding core along the optical axis; and an optical axis level changing member (10, 11, 12) for optically coupling the optical waveguiding core and the optical semiconductor device by changing the heights of optical axes relative to the surface of the silicon substrate at both the optical semiconductor device and the optical waveguiding core.
183 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An integrated optical device comprising:
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a silicon substrate having a surface; a planar optical waveguide which is formed on a first portion of said silicon substrate and has a light guiding core region of a first, high refractive index surrounded by a cladding layer of a second, lower-refractive index and a flat top surface; a bonding pedestal which is formed on a second portion of said silicon substrate, different from the first portion, and has a flat top surface, the respective heights of said top flat surface, of said bonding pedestal and said planar optical waveguide, measured from the surface of said silicon substrate, being the same; an edge input/output type optical semiconductor device bonded on said top flat surface of said bonding pedestal, said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device being mounted on an imaginary line extending from a light input/output end of said planar optical waveguide so that said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device is aligned with said planar optical waveguide, the respective levels of the optical axes of said planar optical waveguide and said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device from the surface of said silicon substrate being different; and means for optically coupling said planar optical waveguide and said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device by changing a level of an optical axis, from a first to a second end thereof relative to the surface of said silicon substrate, the first and second end levels corresponding to the respective levels of the optical axes of said planar optical waveguide and said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device, relative to the surface of said silicon substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of forming an integrated optical device comprising the steps of:
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forming an optical fiber guide groove and first and second lens guiding grooves for position-aligning lenses by selectively and anisotropically etching a main surface of a first silicon substrate; bonding a second silicon substrate, having a planarizing layer formed on a main surface thereof to said first silicon substrate, by directing said planarizing layer to the main surface of said first silicon substrate; removing said second silicon substrate and leaving said planarizing layer on said main surface of first silicon substrate; forming a deposited layer planar optical waveguide by depositing, in succession, a lower cladding material layer and a core region material layer on said planarizing layer, patterning said deposited core region material layer by photolithography and depositing an upper cladding material layer; forming bonding pads, for bonding thereto an optical semiconductor device, at a location on a top surface of said deposited layer planar optical waveguide thereby defining the location of a bonding pedestal for the optical semiconductor device; selectively removing portions of said planar optical waveguide deposited layer and of said planarizing layer and thereby exposing said optical fiber guide groove and said first and second lens guiding grooves; and forming an optical member guide groove for position-aligning an optical member for shifting the levels of optical axes, relatively to the main surface of said first silicon substrate between said first and second lens guiding grooves. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An integrated optical device comprising:
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a silicon substrate having a main surface; a planar optical waveguide which is formed on a first portion of the main surface of said silicon substrate , and has a plurality of light guiding core regions, each of a first, high refractive index, a cladding layer of a second, lower index surrounding the core regions and having a flat top surface, said plurality of light guiding core regions having light input/output ports at first and second opposite sides thereof disposed at first and second, different constant pitches, respectively; a bonding pedestal which is formed on a second portion of said silicon substrate, different from the first portion thereof, and has a flat top surface, the respective heights of said top flat surfaces of said bonding pedestal and said planar optical waveguide, measured from the surface of said silicon substrate, being the same; a plurality of edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices bonded on said top surface of said bonding pedestal and mounted in a line with the same pitch as that of said light input/output ports of said planar waveguide facing the plurality of edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices, said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices being mounted on optical axes extending from said light input/output ports of said light guiding core regions so that said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices align with said light input/output ports of said light guiding core regions respectively, respective heights of optical axes of said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices being the same, and respective heights of optical axes of said light guiding core regions being the same, and respective heights of said optical axes of said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices and said light guiding core regions being different; means for changing a level of an optical axis, thereby for optically coupling said light guiding core regions of said planar optical waveguide and said optical semiconductor devices, by changing the respective heights of optical axes, relative to the surface of said silicon substrate, at each said edge input/output type optical semiconductor device and said light guiding core regions of said planar optical waveguide; and a plurality of V grooves having a V-shaped cross-section for position-aligning optical fibers, formed on the surface of said silicon substrate along optical axes extending in one direction from other input/output ports of said planar optical waveguide respectively, said V grooves being arranged at a constant pitch which is smaller than that of said edge input/output semiconductor devices; and optical fibers which are fitted in, and fixed to, said V grooves to provide position alignment between said optical fibers and said light guiding core regions of said planar optical waveguide, respectively.
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29. An integrated optical device comprising:
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a silicon substrate having a main surface; a planar optical waveguide which is formed on a first portion of the main surface of said silicon substrate, and has a plurality of light guiding core regions, each of a first, high refractive index and surrounded, in common, by a cladding layer of a second, lower refractive index and having a flat top surface, said plurality of light guiding core regions having respective light input/output ports at the opposite, first and second ends thereof and spaced respectively at first and second, different pitches; a plurality of edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices positioned in a line at the same first pitch of, and facing, said light input/output ports of said first ends of said planar waveguide, said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices being positioned with optical axes thereof aligned with respective optical axes of said first end light input/output ports of said light guiding core regions so that said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices are aligned with said light input/output ports of said first ends of said light guiding core regions, respectively; a plurality of V grooves, each having a V-shaped cross section for position-aligning optical fibers, formed on the surface of said silicon substrate along optical axes extending in a first common direction from the first input/output ports of said planar optical waveguide, respectively, said V grooves being arranged at a second, constant pitch which is smaller than the first pitch of said edge input/output semiconductor devices; optical fibers which are fitted in, and fixed to, said V grooves to provide position alignment between said optical fibers and said light guiding core regions of said planar optical waveguide, respectively; first lenses for collimating light beams emitted from said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices or converging collimated light beams into said edge input/output type optical semiconductor devices; first lens guide holes on the main surface of said silicon substrate for position-aligning respective said first lenses on the main surface of said silicon substrate; second lenses for converging collimated light beams into said planar optical waveguide or collimating light beams emitted from said planar optical waveguide; second lens guide holes on the main surface of said silicon substrate for position-aligning respective said second lenses on the main surface of said silicon substrate; and a rectangular plate between said first and second lenses and made of a material which is transparent, relatively to the wavelength of a transmission light beam, the light incident and light output planes of said rectangular plate being disposed so as to be inclined by a predetermined angle from an optical axis.
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Specification