Optical switch device having movable switching member

• US 7,016,561 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishida, Naoki, Hatano, Takuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rojas, Omar
• Application Number:
  US10/354,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 385 16- 23, 385/39, 385/40
• US Class Current: 385/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12109 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29361 Interference filters, e.g. multilayer coatings, thin film filters, dichroic splitters or mirrors based on multilayers, WDM filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29395 configurable, e.g. tunable or reconfigurable switching G02B6/35
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array 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 6/3596 With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate

Abstract

Disclosed herewith is an optical switch provided on an optical path of an optical waveguide and which switches an advancing direction of a light passed through the optical path. The optical switch includes a movable switching member which switches the advancing direction of the light, and a driving member which electrostatically drives said switching member to move in an arbitrary position so that the light passed through the optical path is guided to different directions.

Claims

1. An optical switch provided on an optical path of an optical waveguide and which switches an advancing direction of a light passed through the optical path, said optical switch comprising:

a movable switching member including a moving element, said switching member switching the advancing direction of the light; and

a driving member including a plurality of electrodes in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element, said moving element being opposed to said plurality of electrodes through an insulating layer, said moving element having a surface resistivity of 10¹⁰ Ω

/□

to 10¹⁶ Ω

/□

, said moving element and said plurality of electrodes oriented such that said moving element is selectively moved so that the light passed through the optical path is guided to different directions in response to a switchable voltage applied selectively to said plurality of electrodes.

2. An optical switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said switching member includes at least one interference filter which transmits light having a first predetermined wavelength and reflects light having a second predetermined wavelength.

3. An optical switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein said switching member includes a micromirror.

4. An optical switch which switches an advancing direction of a light passed through an optical path of an optical waveguide, said optical switch comprising:

a main body;

an optical waveguide provided on a surface of said main body;

a groove section formed on a surface of the main body so as to cross the optical waveguide;

a switching member put into said groove section and including a moving element and which switches the advancing direction of the light passed through the optical path; and

a plurality of electrodes provided in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element of the switching member, said moving element being opposed to said plurality of electrodes through an insulating layer, said moving element having a surface resistivity of 10¹⁰ Ω

/□

to 10¹⁶ Ω

/□

, said plurality of electrodes moving the moving element so that the light passed through the optical path is guided to different directions in response to a switchable voltage applied selectively to said plurality of electrodes.

5. An optical switch as claimed in claim 4 wherein said plurality of electrodes are provided on the surface of the main body.

6. An optical switch as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

an electrode layer opposed to the surface or a bottom of the main body through an insulating layer wherein said plurality of electrodes are provided on said electrode layer so as to be opposed to the moving element.

7. An optical switch as claimed in claim 4 wherein said switching member includes at least one interference filter which transmits light having a first predetermined wavelength and reflects light having a second predetermined wavelength.

8. An optical switch as claimed in claim 4 wherein said switching member includes a micromirror.

9. An optical switch as claimed in claim 4 wherein the optical switch is provided at plural portions along the optical path of the optical waveguide.

10. An optical switch which switches an advancing direction of a light passed through an optical path of an optical waveguide, said optical switch comprising:

a main body;

an optical waveguide provided on a surface of said main body;

a groove section formed on a surface of the main body so as to cross the optical waveguide;

a switching member put into said groove section and including a moving element and which switches the advancing direction of the light passed through the optical path;

a plurality of electrodes provided in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element of the switching member, said plurality of electrodes moving the moving element so that the light passed through the optical path is guided to different directions in response to a switchable voltage applied selectively to said plurality of electrodes; and

a plate section with electrodes provided on a surface of the main body wherein said moving element of the switching member protrudes from the groove section and said plurality of electrodes are provided so as to be opposed to the moving element.

11. An optical switch which switches an advancing direction of a light passed through an optical path of an optical waveguide, said optical switch comprising:

a main body;

an optical waveguide provided on a surface of said main body;

a groove section formed on a surface of the main body so as to cross the optical waveguide;

a switching member put into said groove section and including a moving element and which switches the advancing direction of the light passed through the optical path; and

a plurality of electrodes provided in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element of the switching member, said plurality of electrodes moving the moving element so that the light passed through the optical path is guided to different directions in response to a switchable voltage applied selectively to said plurality of electrodes,

wherein the electrodes are made of metal films with a thickness of 1000 Å and

a width of 5 μ

m, and gaps between the electrodes are 5 μ

m.

12. An optical switch which switches an advancing direction of a light passed through an optical path of an optical waveguide, said optical switch comprising:

a main body;

an optical waveguide provided on a surface of said main body;

a groove section formed on a surface of the main body so as to cross the optical waveguide;

a switching member put into said groove section and including a moving element and which switches the advancing direction of the light passed through the optical path; and

a plurality of electrodes provided in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element of the switching member, said plurality of electrodes moving the moving element so that the light gassed through the optical path is guided to different directions in response to a switchable voltage applied selectively to said plurality of electrodes,

wherein a different voltage is applied to at least one electrode in the plurality of the electrodes.

13. An optical switch, said optical switch comprising:

a moving element for changing a direction of a guided light beam;

a driving member including a plurality of electrodes in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element, said plurality of electrodes moving said moving element in response to time-phased driving voltages applied to said plurality of electrodes to one of a plurality of positions such that the guided light beam is guided in at least one of a plurality of different directions; and

an insulating film covering at least one of said plurality of electrodes.

14. An optical switch as claimed in claim 13,

wherein said guided light beam includes light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength, said first wavelength being different than said second wavelength, and

wherein the moving element is adapted to guide the light having the first wavelength in a first direction of the plurality of different directions and said light having a second wavelength in a second direction of the plurality of directions, said first direction being different than said second direction.

15. An optical switch as claimed in claim 14, wherein said moving element includes:

at least one interference filter for transmitting or reflecting light having said first wavelength; and

at least one interference filter for transmitting or reflecting light having said second wavelength.

16. An optical switch as claimed in claim 13 wherein said plurality of positions includes at least three positions.

17. An optical switch comprising:

a moving element for changing a direction of a guided light beam; and

a driving member including a plurality of electrodes in proximity to, and separate from, said moving element, said plurality of electrodes moving said moving element in response to time-phased driving voltages applied to said plurality of electrodes to one of a plurality of positions such that the guided light beam is guided in at least one of a plurality of different directions,

wherein each of the plurality of electrodes has a width of 5 μ

m and wherein a spacing between adjacent ones of said plurality of electrodes is 5 μ

m.