Electro-optical modulator with a vertical capacitor structure
First Claim
1. An optical device, comprising:
- a right crystalline silicon waveguide disposed on a dielectric substrate;
a left crystalline silicon waveguide disposed on the dielectric substrate, wherein the right and left waveguides are disposed on a same plane defined by the dielectric substrate, and wherein the right and left waveguides have respective, opposing first and second sides; and
a vertical region separating the right and left waveguides, the vertical region extending vertically from the dielectric substrate to an upper surface of one of the right and left waveguides opposite a lower surface contacting the dielectric substrate, wherein the vertical region is filled with a dielectric material contacting the respective first sides of the left and right waveguides,wherein the left and right waveguides comprise respective raised wing portions that extend in a direction away from the dielectric substrate, the wing portions are located at the respective second sides of the left and right waveguides,wherein the left waveguide is doped a first conductivity type and the right waveguide is doped a second, different conductivity type.
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Abstract
An optical modulator may include a leftmost waveguide, a rightmost waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. In one embodiment, the waveguides may be disposed on the same plane. When a voltage potential is created between the rightmost and leftmost waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) structure that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. As opposed to a horizontal SISCAP structure where the dielectric layer is disposed between upper and lower waveguides, arranging the dielectric layer between waveguides disposed on the same plane results in a vertical SISCAP structure. In one embodiment, the leftmost and rightmost waveguide are both made from crystalline silicon.
18 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An optical device, comprising:
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a right crystalline silicon waveguide disposed on a dielectric substrate; a left crystalline silicon waveguide disposed on the dielectric substrate, wherein the right and left waveguides are disposed on a same plane defined by the dielectric substrate, and wherein the right and left waveguides have respective, opposing first and second sides; and a vertical region separating the right and left waveguides, the vertical region extending vertically from the dielectric substrate to an upper surface of one of the right and left waveguides opposite a lower surface contacting the dielectric substrate, wherein the vertical region is filled with a dielectric material contacting the respective first sides of the left and right waveguides, wherein the left and right waveguides comprise respective raised wing portions that extend in a direction away from the dielectric substrate, the wing portions are located at the respective second sides of the left and right waveguides, wherein the left waveguide is doped a first conductivity type and the right waveguide is doped a second, different conductivity type. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An optical device, comprising:
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a right waveguide disposed on a dielectric substrate; a left waveguide disposed on the dielectric substrate, wherein the right and left waveguides are disposed on a same plane defined by the dielectric substrate, wherein the left waveguide is doped a first conductivity type and the right waveguide is doped a second, different conductivity type, and wherein the right and left waveguides have respective, opposing first and second sides; a vertical region separating the right and left waveguides, the vertical region extending vertically from the dielectric substrate to an upper surface of one of the right and left waveguides opposite a lower surface contacting the dielectric substrate, wherein the vertical region is filled with a dielectric material contacting the respective first sides of the left and right wavequides, wherein the left and right wavequides comprise respective raised wing portions that extend in a direction away from the dielectric substrate, the wing portions are located at the respective second sides of the left and right waveguides; and a dielectric ridge at least partially overlapping the vertical region, wherein a width of the dielectric ridge is equal to or greater than a width of the vertical region. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification