Transistor utilizing photonic band-gap material and integrated circuit devices comprising same

• US 6,278,105 B1
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Mattia, John Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/236,763
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.1, 359/245, 359/237, 359/247, 359/321, 359/322, 359/299, 359/332, 359/326, 343/786, 343/772
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0126 Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3515 All-optical modulation, gating, switching, e.g. control of a light beam by another light beam G02F1/353, G02F1/37, G02F1/39 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3556 Semiconductor materials, e.g. quantum wells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/13 photorefractive
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/14 photochromic
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/32 Photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/144 Devices controlled by radiation

Abstract

A tunable photonic band-gap device is disclosed which utilizes photoresponsive materials and is tunable over a range of wavelengths with the application of light. The device comprises a structure having a plurality of photoresponsive regions arranged in a matrix whereby the behavior of the device in preventing electromagnetic radiation from propagating through the structure may be modified by applying light to the photoresponsive regions. In one embodiment, a photonic band-gap transistor has a light propagation path defined by a plurality of dielectric and photoresponsive rods disposed in a substrate for the routing of a signal through the structure from an inlet to an outlet. The path comprises an input signal path beginning at the inlet, an output signal path terminating at the outlet, and a control signal path which merges with the input signal path to be joined with the output signal path at a common intersection point. In this embodiment, photoresponsive rods are disposed at the common intersection point so that a control signal may be selectively passed to the photoresponsive rods to alter the optical properties of the photoresponsive rods and thereby tune the output signal generated by the device at the outlet.

Claims

1. An article including a photonic band-gap device adapted for substantially preventing electromagnetic radiation having one or more select wavelengths from propagating within the device, the photonic-band gap device comprising a substrate having a light propogation path therein, and a photoresponsive region disposed within a portion of the light propogation path in the substrate so that the wavelength of radiation propogated alone the light propogation path may be controllably modified by applying light to the photoresponsive region to define a tunable photonic band-gap device.

2. The article of claim 1, in which the photoresponsive region is fabricated with photorefractive material.

3. The article of claim 1, in which the photoresponsive region is fabricated with photoabsorptive material.

4. The article of claim 1, in which the photoresponsive region comprises a plurality of quantum well regions.

5. The article of claim 1, in which the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer.

6. The article of claim 1 in which the photonic band gap device may be tuned without having to physically change the device dimensions.

7. An article including a photonic band-gap device for substantially preventing electromagnetic radiation having one or more wavelengths from propagating within the device, the photonic-band gap device comprising a substrate and a photoresponsive region disposed in the substrate so that the behavior of the photonic band-gap device in substantially preventing the propagation of radiation may be modified by applying light to the photoresponsive region, in which the photoresponsive region comprises a plurality of rods of photoresponsive materials disposed in the substrate.

8. The article of claim 7, in which the substrate of the device is fabricated with a material having a first dielectric constant and further comprising a plurality of dielectric regions disposed in the substrate, the dielectric regions being fabricated with a material having a dielectric constant different than the first dielectric constant.

9. The article of claim 8, in which the substrate has a plurality of holes therein to define voids.

10. The article of claim 9, in which the voids define a light propagation path for the routing of a light signal through the structure, the light propagation path comprising an input signal path, an output signal path, and a control signal path, in which the input signal path merges with the control signal path at a common intersection point to be joined with the output signal path, and the photoresponsive rods are disposed within the light propagation path at the common intersection point.

11. The article of claim 10 comprising a transistor.

12. An integrated circuit device comprising a plurality of transistors according to claim 11.

13. The integrated circuit device of claim 12, in which the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer and the plurality of transistors are defined in the semiconductor wafer.

14. A communications system comprising a transmitter, an N-channel multiplexer/demultiplexer, and a receiver connected by a trunk optical fiber, in which at least one of the transmitter and the receiver comprises a photonic band-gap device for substantially preventing electromagnetic radiation having one or more wavelengths from propagating within the device, the photonic-band gap device comprising a substrate and a photoresponsive region disposed in the substrate so that the behavior of the photonic band-gap device in substantially preventing the propagation of radiation may be modified by applying light to the photoresponsive region.

15. A photonic band-gap transistor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of dielectric rods and a plurality of photoresponsive rods arranged in a matrix in the substrate, and

a light propagation path defined in the substrate by the arrangement of the plurality of dielectric rods for the routing of a light signal through the structure from an inlet to an outlet, the light propagation path comprising an input signal path beginning at the inlet, an output signal path ending at the outlet, and a control signal path, in which the input signal path and the control signal path merge at a common intersection point to be joined with the output signal path, and the photoresponsive rods are disposed within the light propagation path at the common intersection point, whereby as the signal is routed through the photonic band-gap transistor along the light propagation path from the inlet to the outlet, a control signal may be selectively passed through the control signal path to the photoresponsive rods to alter the optical properties of the photoresponsive rods and thereby change the signal generated by the photonic band-gap transistor at the outlet.

16. The transistor according to claim 15, in which the plurality of dielectric rods comprise first dielectric rods and second dielectric rods, the first dielectric rods having a different dielectric constant than the second dielectric rods, and the light propagation path is defined by the arrangement of the first and second dielectric rods.

17. The transistor according to claim 15, in which along a predetermined path within the substrate there is an absence of dielectric rods, and the light propagation path is defined by the absence of dielectric rods.

18. An integrated circuit device comprising a plurality of transistors according to claim 15.

19. A method for modifying the photonic bandgap behavior of a photonic band-gap device comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a photonic band-gap device for substantially preventing electromagnetic radiation having one or more wavelengths from propagating within the device, the photonic-band gap device comprising a substrate and a photoresponsive region disposed in the substrate so that the behavior of the photonic band-gap device in substantially preventing the propagation of radiation may be modified by applying light to the photoresponsive region;

and (b) applying light to the device to alter the optical properties of the photoresponsive region.