Three dimensional engineering of planar optical structures

• US 20050264811A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiruvolu, Shivkumar, Kumar, Sujeet, Bi, Xiangxin, Mosso, Ronald J., Euvrard, Eric, Horne, Craig Richard, Nevis, Elizabeth Anne, Chapin, Michael Edward, Bryan, Michael A., Huy, Nguyen Tran The, Lopez, Herman Adrian, Khan, Sardar Hyat
• Granted Patent: US 8,673,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/338
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0632 Thin film lasers in which light propagates in the plane of the thin film
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0635 provided with a periodic structure, e.g. using distributed feed-back, grating couplers controlling, e.g. modulating distributed feed-back lasers H01S3/102
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0637 Integrated lateral waveguide, e.g. the active waveguide is integrated on a substrate made by Si on insulator technology (Si/SiO2)
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0941 of a laser diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/176 silica or silicate glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2308 Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA

Abstract

Three dimensional optical structures are described that can have various integrations between optical devices within and between layers of the optical structure. Optical turning elements can provide optical pathways between layers of optical devices. Methods are described that provide for great versatility on contouring optical materials throughout the optical structure. Various new optical devices are enabled by the improved optical processing approaches.

Claims

1. A method for forming a patterned coating on a surface, the method comprising:

a) reacting a reactant flow to form product particles in a product stream; and

b) directing the product particle stream through a first discrete mask at a surface to form the patterned coating on the surface, the first discrete mask not being bonded to the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant flow intersects a radiation beam to form a reaction zone at which the product particle stream is formed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the radiation beam is generated by an infrared laser.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant stream is formed by an inlet nozzle that is elongated in one dimension relative to the orthogonal dimension.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the inlet nozzle has an aspect ratio of the elongated dimension to the orthogonal dimension of at least about 5.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the inlet nozzle has an elongated dimension longer than a width across the surface resulting in the formation of a coating across the entire surface with one linear pass of the surface through the product particle stream.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant stream comprises vapor/gas precursors of the product particles.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant stream comprises aerosol precursors of the product particles.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant stream comprises a silicon precursor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the reactant stream further comprises a silicon oxide glass dopant precursor.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the patterned coating consolidates into optical material and wherein the optical material comprises a glass.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the patterned coating consolidates into optical material and wherein the optical material comprises a crystalline material.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first discrete mask comprises a sheet with a plurality of cut-outs through which the product particle stream pass to form the patterned coating.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the first discrete mask to leave the patterned coating separate from the mask.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

a) placing a second discrete mask adjacent the surface;

b) reacting a reactant flow to form product particles in a product stream wherein the product particles, when the second discrete mask is located adjacent the surface, are different from the product particles when the first discrete mask is located adjacent the surface; and

c) directing the product particle stream through the second discrete mask at a surface to form an additional patterned coating on the surface, the second discrete mask not being bonded to the surface.

16. A method for forming coating(s) comprising a first coating on a surface with varying composition in the first coating at different locations along the surface, the method comprising:

a) reacting a reactant flow to form a product particle stream; and

b) directing the product particle stream at a surface to form each of the coating(s), wherein the first coating is formed over at least about 5 square centimeters of the surface and forms a pattern of different compositions at different locations and is formed in less than about 5 minutes.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the product particles are directed through a mask.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the product particle stream and the surface are moved relative to each other and wherein composition of the product particle stream is changed over time resulting in deposition of different compositions at different locations along the surface.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the product particle stream is produced by a plurality of nozzles with different reaction precursors flowing to the nozzles, wherein the nozzles are oriented to deposit different compositions at different locations on the surface.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the first coating has a thickness of at least about 100 nanometers and is deposited in less than about 1 minute.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the product particle stream is altered while directing the product particle stream at the surface.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the coating process forms a material with a gradual composition transition from a first composition to a second composition.

23. A method for forming at least one coating on a surface with varying composition areas at different locations along the surface, the method comprising:

a) reacting a reactant flow to form a product particle stream; and

b) directing the product particle stream at a surface wherein the product particle stream sequentially coats portions of the surface and wherein the product particle stream is altered during the coating process to deposit different product particle compositions at different locations along the surface.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the reactant flow intersects a radiation beam to form a reaction zone at which the product particle stream is formed.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the reactant stream is formed by an inlet nozzle that is elongated in one dimension relative to the orthogonal dimension, the inlet nozzle having an elongated dimension longer than a width across the surface resulting in the formation of a coating across the entire surface with one linear pass of the surface through the product particle stream.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the reactant stream comprises aerosol precursors of the product particles and wherein the composition of the reactant stream is varied by adjusting the flow to an aerosol generator that produces at least a portion of the aerosol precursors of the reactant stream.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the composition variation comprises approximately step-wise changes.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the composition variation involves gradual composition changes.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the surface and the reactant flow/product particle stream are moved relative to each other to coat the surface.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein a discrete mask is used to selectively direct the particle stream to portions of the surface to coat the surface.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the directing of a product particle stream at a surface comprises depositing a plurality of product particle streams having different particle compositions from each other.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one coating is formed in less than about 5 minute.

34. A method for coating the surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

a) reacting a plurality of reactant flows to form a plurality of product particle streams, wherein at least two of the plurality of product particle stream have different particle compositions from each other; and

b) simultaneously depositing the at least two of the plurality of product particle streams on a surface wherein the product particle streams are directed to different locations on the substrate surface.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the plurality of product particle streams comprises two product particle streams that contact adjacent locations on the substrate surface.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the two product particle stream overlap at the substrate surface.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein at least one of the product particle streams is elongated in one dimension relative to the orthogonal direction and wherein the at least one of the product particle streams is aligned with axes oriented along the elongated direction of the product particle streams being generally parallel.

38. A method for coating the surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

a) reacting a reactant flow to form a product particle stream directed toward a substrate surface;

b) blocking the product particle stream with a shutter to prevent coating of the substrate surface; and

c) opening the shutter a first period of time to deposit the product particle stream on a surface of the substrate.

26. The method of claim 38 wherein the reactant stream comprises vapor/gas precursors of the product particles and wherein the composition of the reactant stream is varied by adjusting the flow through mass flow controllers.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising opening the shutter a second period of time to deposit product particles onto the substrate surface wherein the substrate is moved relative to product particle stream between the first period of time and the second period of time.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising opening the shutter a second period of time to deposit product particles onto the substrate surface wherein the product particle stream is changed between the first period of time and the second period of time.