Monolithic integration of control elements and micro-mirror in an optical switch

• US 6,470,110 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rembrandt Communications LP (Rembrandt IP Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tellium, Inc. (DZS, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Lih Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/691,193
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 385/16, 385/17, 385/18, 385/15, 385/14, 385/20, 385/21, 385/22, 385/23, 385/24
• US Class Current: 385/18
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3518 the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3556 NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3584 constructional details of an associated actuator having a MEMS construction, i.e. constructed using semiconductor technology such as etching MEMS per se B81B, B81C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3588 of the processed beams, i.e. controlling during switching of orientation, alignment, or beam propagation properties such as intensity, size or shape

Abstract

An optical device includes a compact and low cost integration of a movable micro-mirror and control mechanisms. The optical devices may be manufactured using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. The optical device may be used in a high port count optical switch, such as an optical cross connect for use in an optical telecommunication system, that uses beam steering to couple light from input fibers to selected output fibers.

Claims

1. An optical switch comprising:

a plurality of input optical fibers carrying a plurality of input optical signals;

a plurality of input optical fibers; and

an optical switching mechanism for selectively coupling input optical signals from said plurality of input optical fibers to said plurality of output optical fibers, said optical switching mechanism including a substrate having a movable micro-mirror and further including a sub-mount having a plurality of electrodes for controlling the angular position of said movable micro-mirror, wherein said substrate is mounted on said submount.

2. The optical switch according to claim 1, wherein said submount further comprises a radiation-emitting device.

3. The optical switch according to claim 2, wherein said substrate comprises a radiation-transmissive window through which radiation from said radiation-emitting device passes.

4. The optical switch according to claim 3, wherein said radiation-emitting device comprises a light-emitting diode.

5. The optical switch according to claim 3, wherein said radiation-emitting device comprises a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

6. The optical switch according to claim 1, wherein said movable micro-mirror is pivotable relative to said substrate in two orthogonal directions.

7. An optical device comprising:

a submount having a top surface;

a movable micro-mirror formed on a substrate, said substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, said substrate being mounted on said submount such that the bottom surface of said substrate is proximal the top surface of said submount; and

a plurality of electrodes formed on the top surface of said submount for controlling the angular position of said movable micro-mirror.

8. The optical device according to claim 7, further including a radiation-emitting device formed on the top surface of said submount adjacent to said electodes.

9. The optical device according to claim 8, wherein said substrate further includes a radiation-transmissive window, said radiation-transmissive window being aligned with said radiation-emitting device when said substrate is mounted on said submount such that radiation from said radiation-emitting device passes through said radiation-transmissive window and away from the top surface of said substrate.

10. The optical device according to claim 7, wherein said movable micro-mirror comprises a mirror mount pivotable about a first axis with respect to said substrate and a micro-mirror mounted to said mirror mount.

11. The optical device according to claim 10, wherein said micro-mirror is pivotable relative to said mirror mount about a second axis orthogonal to said first axis.

12. The optical device according to claim 7, wherein said submount further includes alignment features on its top surface and said substrate includes alignment features on its bottom surface.

13. The optical device according to claim 12, wherein the alignment features on the top surface of the submount comprise posts and the alignment features on the bottom surface of said substrate comprise grooves.

14. An optical switch comprising:

a plurality of input optical fibers carrying a plurality of input optical signals;

a plurality of output optical fibers; and

an optical switching mechanism for selectively coupling input optical signals from said plurality of input optical fibers to said plurality of output optical fibers, said optical switching mechanism including a substrate including movable micro-mirrors, a submount including a plurality of electrodes for controlling the angular position of said movable micro-mirrors, and at least one target radiation emitting-element formed in one of the substrate and the submount.

15. The optical switch according to claim 14, wherein said optical switching mechanism includes a first optical switching device and a second optical switching device, said first optical switching device includes a first substrate having adjustable micro-mirrors and a first submount having a plurality of electrodes for controlling the angular position of said micro-mirrors, and said second optical switching device including a second substrate having adjustable micro-mirrors and a second submount having a plurality of electrodes for controlling the angular position of said micro-mirrors, wherein at least the second optical switching device includes the at least one target radiation emitting element.

16. The optical switch according to claim 15, further comprising a radiation-sensitive detector positioned between the input optical fibers and the first optical switching device.

17. The optical switch according to claim 16, wherein said radiation-sensitive detector detects radiation reflected by an adjustable micro-mirror of the first optical switching device, the radiation originating from the target radiation-emitting element.

18. The optical switch according to claim 17, wherein said radiation-sensitive detector is fixed relative to said first optical switching device, and the radiation detected by said radiation-sensitive detector generates detection information for determining the angular position of the adjustable micro-mirror of the first optical switching device.

19. The optical switch according to claim 18, wherein said adjustable micro-mirrors of the first optical switching device pivot relative two orthogonal directions under control of said electrodes.