CN112904481B - End-face coupler and semiconductor device - Google Patents
End-face coupler and semiconductor device Download PDFInfo
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- CN112904481B CN112904481B CN202110077861.XA CN202110077861A CN112904481B CN 112904481 B CN112904481 B CN 112904481B CN 202110077861 A CN202110077861 A CN 202110077861A CN 112904481 B CN112904481 B CN 112904481B
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B6/122—Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
- G02B6/1228—Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B6/122—Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
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- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B2006/12133—Functions
- G02B2006/12147—Coupler
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Abstract
An end face coupler and a semiconductor device are disclosed. The end face coupler includes: a substrate having a recess therein; an isolation layer on the substrate; a cover layer on the isolation layer; a first optical waveguide located over the recess and including a portion of the isolation layer and a portion of the cladding layer; and a second optical waveguide located within the cover layer and formed symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the first optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide including a first sub optical waveguide and a second sub optical waveguide formed on and aligned with the first sub optical waveguide. The first sub optical waveguide comprises a first gradual change region, a first linear region, a second gradual change region and a flat plate region which are connected in sequence. The second sub optical waveguide includes a third tapered region and a second linear region connected in sequence.
Description
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to semiconductor technology, and more particularly, to an end-face coupler and a semiconductor device.
Background
The coupling technology of optical fiber and optical waveguide has very wide and important application in the fields of optical communication, microwave photoelectron, laser beam deflection, wave front modulation and the like. End-coupling is a common way of coupling optical fibers to waveguides. However, for some optical waveguides, the coupling efficiency of the two is generally not high due to the large difference in size and shape between the mode spot of the waveguide and the mode spot of the light in the optical fiber.
Disclosure of Invention
It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism that alleviates, mitigates or even eliminates one or more of the above-mentioned problems.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an end face coupler comprising: a substrate having a recess therein; an isolation layer on the substrate; a cover layer on the isolation layer; a first optical waveguide located over the trench and including a portion of the isolation layer and a portion of the cladding layer; and a second optical waveguide located within the cladding and formed symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the first optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide including a first sub optical waveguide and a second sub optical waveguide formed on the first sub optical waveguide and aligned with the first sub optical waveguide. The first sub optical waveguide comprises a first gradual change area, a first linear area, a second gradual change area and a flat area which are sequentially connected, the width of the first gradual change area and the width of the second gradual change area are gradually increased in the direction far away from the end face, close to the optical fiber, of the first optical waveguide, and the width of the first linear area is kept unchanged. The second sub optical waveguide comprises a third gradual change region and a second linear region which are sequentially connected, the width of the third gradual change region is gradually increased in the direction far away from the end face of the first optical waveguide, and the width of the second linear region is kept unchanged.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a semiconductor device including the end-face coupler as described above.
These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.
Drawings
Further details, features and advantages of the disclosure are disclosed in the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
fig. 1 is a perspective view of an end-face coupler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a second optical waveguide according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a top view of an end-face coupler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a top view of an end-face coupler according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
5A-5E are schematic cross-sectional views of different positions of an end-face coupler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of an end-face coupler according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second optical waveguide according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 8 is a top view of an end-face coupler according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
fig. 9 is a top view of an end-face coupler according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.
Spatially relative terms such as "below …," "below …," "lower," "below …," "above …," "upper," and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" or "under" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary terms "below …" and "below …" may encompass both an orientation above … and below …. Terms such as "before …" or "before …" and "after …" or "next to" may similarly be used, for example, to indicate the order in which light passes through the elements. The devices may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being "between" two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and the phrase "at least one of a and B" refers to a alone, B alone, or both a and B.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to," "coupled to" or "adjacent to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, coupled to or adjacent to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," "directly coupled to," or "directly adjacent to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. However, neither "on … nor" directly on … "should be construed as requiring that one layer completely cover an underlying layer in any event.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to schematic illustrations (and intermediate structures) of idealized embodiments of the present disclosure. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present specification and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
As used herein, the term "substrate" may refer to a substrate of a diced wafer, or may refer to a substrate of an unslit wafer. Similarly, the terms chip and die may be used interchangeably unless such interchange causes a conflict. It should be understood that the term "layer" includes films and, unless otherwise specified, should not be construed as indicating a vertical or horizontal thickness.
Although the existing end-face coupler can realize the coupling between the optical fiber and the waveguide, the coupling efficiency between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber is not high because the mode spot of the optical waveguide is greatly different from the mode spot of the light in the optical fiber in terms of size and shape. For example, an optical waveguide may have dimensions on the order of a hundred nanometers, so its mode field is typically on the order of a hundred nanometers, but some optical fibers, such as flat-head fibers, typically have mode field dimensions on the order of ten microns. Therefore, the difference between the two makes the efficiency of direct coupling very low.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved end-face coupler that facilitates mode-spot matching between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber, thereby improving optical coupling efficiency.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an end-face coupler 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1, the end-face coupler 100 may include: a substrate 11, an isolation layer 12 on the substrate 11, a cladding layer 13 on the isolation layer 12, a first optical waveguide 14 and a second optical waveguide 15. The substrate 11 has a recess therein. The first optical waveguide 14 is located above the groove and comprises a portion of the spacer layer 12 and a portion of the cladding layer 13. The second optical waveguide 15 is located within the cladding layer 13 and is formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the first optical waveguide 14.
Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the second optical waveguide 15 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 2, the second optical waveguide 15 includes a first sub optical waveguide 151 and a second sub optical waveguide 152. The second sub optical waveguide 152 is formed on the first sub optical waveguide 151 and aligned with the first sub optical waveguide 151. It should be understood that the meaning of "aligned" described herein means that the second sub optical waveguide 152 is positioned with respect to the first sub optical waveguide 151 such that light can be transmitted from the first sub optical waveguide 151 to the second sub optical waveguide 152.
According to some exemplary embodiments, the first sub optical waveguide 151 and the second sub optical waveguide 152 collectively constitute a ridge waveguide.
According to some exemplary embodiments, a central axis of the first sub optical waveguide 151 along the light transmission direction substantially coincides with a central axis of the second sub optical waveguide 152 along the light transmission direction. The term "substantially coincident" encompasses "coincident" and deviations from "coincident" due to errors caused by the manufacturing process. Of course, the alignment manner of the first sub optical waveguide 151 and the second sub optical waveguide 152 is not limited thereto, and other manners may be employed as long as light can be transmitted from the first sub optical waveguide 151 to the second sub optical waveguide 152.
Illustratively, the first and second sub optical waveguides 151 and 152 may be formed through two photolithography processes, respectively.
Fig. 3 is a top view of the end-face coupler 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3, the first sub optical waveguide 151 includes a first taper region 1511, a first linear region 1512, a second taper region 1513, and a slab region 1514, which are connected in this order. The width of the first tapered region 1511 and the width of the second tapered region 1513 gradually increase in a direction away from the end face of the first optical waveguide 14 close to the optical fiber, and the width of the first linear region 1512 remains unchanged. The second sub optical waveguide 152 includes a third tapered region 1521 and a second linear region 1522 which are connected in this order. The width of the third graded region 1521 gradually increases in a direction away from the end face of the first optical waveguide 14, and the width of the second graded region 1522 remains unchanged.
According to the end-face coupler 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the mode spot matching between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber can be realized, thereby improving the optical coupling efficiency. In particular, by providing the second gradation region between the first linear region and the flat plate region, it is possible to contribute to improvement in the stability of the spot conversion.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the refractive index of second optical waveguide 15 is greater than the refractive index of isolation layer 12 and the refractive index of cladding layer 13. By making the refractive index of the second optical waveguide 15 larger than the refractive index of the material on the upper and lower sides of the second optical waveguide 15, light can be efficiently transmitted while being concentrated in the second optical waveguide 15, thereby performing an effective wave guiding function.
With continued reference to fig. 1, in some embodiments, the end-face coupler 100 further includes a plurality of support arms 16. A plurality of support arms 16 are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the first optical waveguide 14 for supporting the first optical waveguide 14. Illustratively, a pair of support arms 16 may be provided at intervals as desired to avoid settling of the waveguide.
In some embodiments, the first transition region 1511, the second transition region 1513, and the third transition region 1521 in the end-face coupler may be linear transition regions or nonlinear transition regions.
Exemplarily, taking the second gradation region 1513 as an example, a linear gradation may be selected as the gradation pattern of the second gradation region 1513, as shown in fig. 3. The linear gradual change area can ensure the conversion stability and complete the template conversion process in a shorter distance, thereby reducing the loss.
Exemplarily, taking the second gradation region 1513 as an example, a non-linear gradation may be selected as the gradation pattern of the second gradation region 1513, as shown in fig. 4. The nonlinear transition region enables a more gradual mode spot conversion process, which helps to reduce coupling loss.
With continued reference to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the width of the first linear region 1512 in the end-face coupler is greater than or equal to the width of the widest portion of the first tapered region 1511 and less than or equal to the width of the narrowest portion of the second tapered region 1513. As the width of the first graded region 1511 gradually increases, the optical field gradually gathers, and the size of the mode spot decreases, and after the normal optical waveguide transmission is performed in the first linear region 1512, the mode spot enters the second graded region 1513, and the size of the mode spot may further decrease. The second transition region 1513 is equivalent to providing a buffer region to increase the stability of the speckle transition. Eventually, the light field enters the slab region 1514, where the width of the slab region 1514 is greater than or equal to the width of the widest portion of the second gradient region 1513. By providing the second graded region 1513 between the first linear region 1512 and the slab region 1514, a stable reduction in mode spot size is facilitated, thereby achieving efficient coupling of the waveguide mode field and the fiber mode field.
With continued reference to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the width of the second tapered region 1522 in the end-face coupler is greater than or equal to the width of the widest portion of the third tapered region 1521 to achieve a conversion of the spot size and improve the coupling efficiency.
Illustratively, the length of the first graded region 1511 is greater than 5 μm, and the length of the first linear region 1512 is greater than 5 μm. Illustratively, the length of the third tapered region 1521 is greater than 5 μm. The gradual transition of the mode field is facilitated by having the lengths of the first transition region 1511, the first linear region 1512, and the third transition region 1521 exceed a predetermined value, for example, 5 μm.
With continued reference to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the end face of the second linear region 1522 distal from the optical fiber in the end-face coupler is coplanar with the end face of the slab region 1514 distal from the optical fiber.
With continued reference to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the end face of the first sub optical waveguide 151 proximate to the optical fiber is a first predetermined distance L1 from the end face of the first optical waveguide 14 proximate to the optical fiber, the end face of the second sub optical waveguide 152 proximate to the optical fiber is a second predetermined distance L2 from the end face of the first optical waveguide 14 proximate to the optical fiber, and the second predetermined distance L2 is greater than the first predetermined distance L1. Therefore, after entering the first sub optical waveguide 151, light has a certain buffering distance, and the stability of spot-to-beam conversion is increased, thereby reducing the mode field loss.
According to some embodiments, the first predetermined distance L1 may be 0, i.e., the end surface of the first sub optical waveguide 151 near the optical fiber and the end surface of the first optical waveguide 14 near the optical fiber may be located on the same plane.
Illustratively, the distance between the end surface of the first sub optical waveguide 151 near the optical fiber and the end surface of the second sub optical waveguide 152 near the optical fiber is greater than 5 μm. The long enough distance can make the light stable enough and then start the next conversion, which is beneficial to increasing the stability of the spot conversion.
According to some embodiments, the second predetermined distance L2 may also be equal to the first predetermined distance L1, i.e., the end face of the second sub optical waveguide 152 near the optical fiber is located on the same plane as the end face of the first sub optical waveguide 151 near the optical fiber.
Fig. 5A-5E are schematic cross-sectional views of an end-face coupler 100 in various positions, according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.
Fig. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the end-face coupler 100 viewed at a in fig. 3.
As shown in FIG. 5A, in some embodiments, the width W1 of the end face of the first optical waveguide 14 near the optical fiber is in the range of 1 μm to 20 μm, and the height H1 of the end face is in the range of 1 μm to 20 μm, inclusive. By adjusting the dimensions of the first optical waveguide 14, the transmission of light in the first optical waveguide 14 can be controlled.
Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the end-face coupler 100 viewed at B in fig. 3.
As shown in fig. 5B, in some embodiments, the width W2 of the top of the second linear region 1522 is in the range of 100nm to 4 μm, inclusive.
According to some embodiments, the sidewall of the second linear region 1522 is angled in a range of 20 to 90 ° relative to the bottom of the second linear region 1522, and the above range includes both endpoints. For example, the sidewalls of the second linear region 1522 may be angled at 20 ° relative to the bottom of the second linear region 1522. For example, the sidewalls of the second linear region 1522 may be angled at 90 ° relative to the bottom of the second linear region 1522.
Fig. 5C is a cross-sectional schematic view of the resulting end-face coupler 100 taken at C in fig. 3.
Fig. 5D is a cross-sectional schematic view of the resulting end-face coupler 100 taken at D in fig. 3.
As shown in fig. 5D, in some embodiments, the sum of the height of the first sub optical waveguide 151 and the height of the second sub optical waveguide 152 is in the range of 100nm to 2 μm, which includes both endpoints.
Fig. 5E is a cross-sectional schematic view of the end-face coupler 100 taken at E in fig. 3.
Fig. 6-9 illustrate an end-face coupler 600 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Which will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 6-9.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an end-face coupler 600 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 6, the end-face coupler 600 may include: a substrate 61, an isolation layer 62 on the substrate 61, a cladding layer 63 on the isolation layer 62, a first optical waveguide 64 and a second optical waveguide 65. The substrate 61 has a recess therein. The first optical waveguide 64 is located over the recess and includes a portion of the spacer layer 62 and a portion of the cladding layer 63. The second optical waveguide 65 is located within the cladding layer 63 and is formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the first optical waveguide 64.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a second optical waveguide 65 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 2, the second optical waveguide 65 includes a first sub optical waveguide 651 and a second sub optical waveguide 652. The second sub optical waveguide 652 is formed on the first sub optical waveguide 651 and is aligned with the first sub optical waveguide 651. It should be understood that the meaning of "aligned" described herein means that the second sub optical waveguide 652 is positioned with respect to the first sub optical waveguide 651 such that light can be transmitted from the first sub optical waveguide 651 to the second sub optical waveguide 652.
According to some exemplary embodiments, a central axis along the light transmission direction of the first sub optical waveguide 651 substantially coincides with a central axis along the light transmission direction of the second sub optical waveguide 652. The term "substantially coincident" encompasses "coincident" and deviations from "coincident" due to errors caused by the manufacturing process. Of course, the alignment manner of the first sub optical waveguide 651 and the second sub optical waveguide 652 is not limited thereto, and other manners may be adopted as long as light can be transmitted from the first sub optical waveguide 651 to the second sub optical waveguide 652.
Illustratively, the first sub optical waveguide 651 and the second sub optical waveguide 652 may be formed through two photolithography processes, respectively.
Fig. 8 is a top view of an end-face coupler 600 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 8, the first sub optical waveguide 651 includes a first tapered region 6511, a first linear region 6512, a second tapered region 6513, and a slab region 6514, which are connected in this order. The width of the first tapered region 6511 and the width of the second tapered region 6513 gradually increase in a direction away from the end face of the first optical waveguide 64 near the optical fiber, and the width of the first linear region 6512 remains unchanged. As shown in fig. 8, unlike the end-face coupler 100 shown in fig. 1 to 4, in the end-face coupler 600, the first sub optical waveguide 651 may further include a third linear region 6515, the third linear region 6515 being adjacent to the first tapered region 6511 and being closer to the end face of the first optical waveguide 64 near the optical fiber than the first tapered region 6511. The width of the third linear region 6515 remains constant and is less than or equal to the width of the narrowest portion of the first tapered region 6511.
Illustratively, the first sub optical waveguide 651 and the second sub optical waveguide 652 may be formed through two photolithography processes, respectively, wherein a pattern in the second photolithography process needs to be aligned with a pattern in the first photolithography process. By adding the third linear region in the first sub optical waveguide 651, it is possible to contribute to a reduction in the sensitivity to alignment errors, thereby reducing the requirement for alignment accuracy required for the second photolithography. In addition, the third linear region with a certain length can increase the stability of light in the process of performing spot-size conversion, thereby contributing to the improvement of single-mode performance of the spot-size conversion process.
In some embodiments, the sidewall of the third linear region 6515 is angled relative to the bottom of the third linear region 6515 in the range of 20-90, inclusive. For example, the sidewall of the third linear region 6515 may be angled at 20 ° relative to the bottom of the third linear region 6515. For example, the sidewall of the third linear region 6515 may be angled at 90 ° relative to the bottom of the third linear region 6515.
With continued reference to fig. 8, in some embodiments, the second sub optical waveguide 652 includes a third graded region 6521 and a second linear region 6522 connected in series. The width of the third tapered region 6521 gradually increases in a direction away from the end face of the first optical waveguide 64 near the optical fiber, and the width of the second tapered region 6522 remains constant. As shown in fig. 8, unlike the end-face coupler 100 shown in fig. 1 to 4, in the end-face coupler 600, the second sub optical waveguide 652 may further include a fourth linear region 6523, the fourth linear region 6523 being adjacent to the third tapered region 6521 and being closer to the end face of the first optical waveguide 64 close to the optical fiber than the third tapered region 6521. The width of the fourth linear region 6523 remains constant and is less than or equal to the width of the narrowest portion of the third transition region 6521.
In the second optical waveguide, the entry of light from the first sub optical waveguide 651 into the second sub optical waveguide 652 is a key point for controlling the efficiency of the spot size conversion. The addition of the fourth linear region in the second sub optical waveguide 652 near the end face of the + optical fiber can increase the stability of light during the mode spot conversion process, thereby contributing to the improvement of the single mode of the mode spot conversion process and the reduction of the mode spot conversion loss.
In the end-face coupler 600, the first, second, and third taper regions 6511, 6513, 6521 may be linear taper regions or non-linear taper regions.
Exemplarily, taking the second gradation region 6513 as an example, a linear gradation may be selected as the gradation pattern of the second gradation region 6513, as shown in fig. 8. The linear graded region can reduce the alignment accuracy requirement required in the fabrication of the second sub optical waveguide 652, thereby reducing the process cost.
Exemplarily, taking the second gradation region 6513 as an example, a non-linear gradation may be selected as the gradation pattern of the second gradation region 6513, as shown in fig. 9. The nonlinear transition region enables a more gradual speckle conversion process, which helps to reduce coupling losses.
In some embodiments, the end face of the third linear region 6515 and the end face of the fourth linear region 6523 may be one of triangular, trapezoidal, or rectangular. When at least one of the end faces of the third linear region 6515 and the end face of the fourth linear region 6523 is triangular, that is, the top width of the third linear region 6515 may be made 0, the top width of the fourth linear region 6523 may be made 0, or both the top width of the third linear region 6515 and the top width of the fourth linear region 6523 may be made 0.
The above has been described for an end-face coupler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, there is also provided a semiconductor device, which may include the above-described end-face coupler.
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative and exemplary and not restrictive; the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed subject matter, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps not listed, the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, and the term "a plurality" means two or more. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
Claims (20)
1. An end-face coupler comprising:
a substrate having a recess therein;
an isolation layer on the substrate;
a cover layer on the isolation layer;
a first optical waveguide located over the trench and including a portion of the isolation layer and a portion of the cladding layer; and
a second optical waveguide located within the cladding and formed symmetrically about a central axis of the first optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide including a first sub optical waveguide and a second sub optical waveguide formed on and aligned with the first sub optical waveguide;
the first sub optical waveguide comprises a first gradual change area, a first linear area, a second gradual change area and a flat area which are sequentially connected, the width of the first gradual change area and the width of the second gradual change area are gradually increased in the direction far away from the end face, close to the optical fiber, of the first optical waveguide, the width of the first linear area is kept unchanged, and in addition, the first gradual change area, the first linear area and the flat area are sequentially connected
Wherein the second sub optical waveguide comprises a third tapered region and a second linear region which are connected in sequence, the width of the third tapered region is gradually increased in a direction away from the end face of the first optical waveguide, the width of the second linear region is kept unchanged,
wherein the first sub optical waveguide further comprises a third linear region adjoining the first tapered region and closer to the end face of the first optical waveguide than the first tapered region, and
wherein a width of the third linear region remains constant and is less than or equal to a width of a narrowest portion of the first gradation region.
2. The end-face coupler of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third tapered regions are linear tapered regions or non-linear tapered regions.
3. The end-face coupler of claim 1 wherein the width of the first linear region is greater than or equal to the width of the widest portion of the first tapered region and less than or equal to the width of the narrowest portion of the second tapered region, and wherein the width of the slab region is greater than or equal to the width of the widest portion of the second tapered region.
4. The end-face coupler of claim 1 wherein the width of the second linear region is greater than or equal to the width of the widest portion of the third tapered region.
5. The end-face coupler of claim 1, wherein the width of the top of the second linear region is in the range of 100nm to 4 μm.
6. The end-face coupler of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the second linear region is angled in the range of 20-90 ° relative to the bottom of the second linear region.
7. The end-face coupler of claim 1 wherein the length of the first tapered region is greater than 5 μ ι η, and wherein the length of the first linear region is greater than 5 μ ι η.
8. The end-face coupler of claim 1 wherein the length of the third tapered region is greater than 5 μm.
9. The end-face coupler of claim 1, wherein an end face of the second linear region distal from the optical fiber is on the same plane as an end face of the slab region distal from the optical fiber.
10. The end-face coupler of claim 1,
and the included angle of the side wall of the third linear area relative to the bottom of the third linear area is within the range of 20-90 degrees.
11. The end-face coupler of claim 1,
the second sub optical waveguide further includes a fourth linear region adjoining the third tapered region and closer to the end face of the first optical waveguide than the third tapered region, and
wherein a width of the fourth linear region remains constant and is less than or equal to a width of a narrowest portion of the third transition region.
12. The end-face coupler of claim 11, wherein the end-face of the third linear region and the end-face of the fourth linear region are one of triangular, trapezoidal, or rectangular.
13. The end-face coupler of any of claims 1-9,
an end face of the first sub optical waveguide close to the optical fiber is a first predetermined distance away from the end face of the first optical waveguide, an end face of the second sub optical waveguide close to the optical fiber is a second predetermined distance away from the end face of the first optical waveguide, and the second predetermined distance is greater than or equal to the first predetermined distance.
14. The end-face coupler of claim 13,
the first predetermined distance is 0.
15. The end-face coupler of claim 13,
the distance between the end face of the first sub optical waveguide and the end face of the second sub optical waveguide is greater than 5 μm.
16. The end-face coupler of any of claims 1-9,
the sum of the height of the first sub optical waveguide and the height of the second sub optical waveguide is in the range of 100nm to 2 μm.
17. The end-face coupler of any of claims 1-9,
the second optical waveguide has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the isolation layer and a refractive index of the cladding layer.
18. The end face coupler of any of claims 1-9, further comprising:
a plurality of support arms symmetrically disposed on both sides of the first optical waveguide for supporting the first optical waveguide.
19. The end-face coupler of any of claims 1-9,
the width of the end surface of the first optical waveguide close to the optical fiber is in the range of 1 μm to 20 μm, and the height of the end surface is in the range of 1 μm to 20 μm.
20. A semiconductor device, comprising:
the end-face coupler of any of claims 1 through 19.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202110077861.XA CN112904481B (en) | 2021-01-20 | 2021-01-20 | End-face coupler and semiconductor device |
| PCT/CN2021/131900 WO2022156345A1 (en) | 2021-01-20 | 2021-11-19 | End-face coupler and semiconductor device |
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| CN202110077861.XA CN112904481B (en) | 2021-01-20 | 2021-01-20 | End-face coupler and semiconductor device |
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| CN112904481B true CN112904481B (en) | 2022-09-02 |
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| CN112904481B (en) * | 2021-01-20 | 2022-09-02 | 苏州极刻光核科技有限公司 | End-face coupler and semiconductor device |
| CN115877509A (en) * | 2021-09-28 | 2023-03-31 | 苏州极刻光核科技有限公司 | Speckle conversion structure and photonic device |
| CN115113348B (en) * | 2022-06-30 | 2024-01-23 | 华进半导体封装先导技术研发中心有限公司 | Silicon optical device and preparation method thereof |
| CN117950110A (en) * | 2022-10-19 | 2024-04-30 | 苏州极刻光核科技有限公司 | Spot-converting structure and photonic device |
| CN115598764B (en) * | 2022-11-28 | 2023-03-14 | 之江实验室 | End face coupler, optoelectronic chip and manufacturing method of end face coupler |
| CN116840987B (en) * | 2023-08-30 | 2023-12-12 | 深圳市速腾聚创科技有限公司 | Optical chip, laser radar and mobile device |
| CN116840972B (en) * | 2023-08-30 | 2023-12-12 | 深圳市速腾聚创科技有限公司 | Optical chip, laser radar and mobile device |
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| US7164838B2 (en) * | 2005-02-15 | 2007-01-16 | Xponent Photonics Inc | Multiple-core planar optical waveguides and methods of fabrication and use thereof |
| US7643710B1 (en) * | 2008-09-17 | 2010-01-05 | Intel Corporation | Method and apparatus for efficient coupling between silicon photonic chip and optical fiber |
| US8326100B2 (en) * | 2010-09-27 | 2012-12-04 | Alcatel Lucent | Low loss broadband fiber coupler to optical waveguide |
| US9977188B2 (en) * | 2011-08-30 | 2018-05-22 | Skorpios Technologies, Inc. | Integrated photonics mode expander |
| KR20130069146A (en) * | 2011-12-16 | 2013-06-26 | 한국전자통신연구원 | Optical coupling devices and silicon photonics chips having the same |
| JP6107948B2 (en) * | 2013-06-07 | 2017-04-05 | 日本電気株式会社 | Waveguide mode conversion element, polarization separator, and optical device |
| CN109031518B (en) * | 2018-09-06 | 2020-01-03 | 南通赛勒光电科技有限公司 | Cantilever type end face coupler |
| CN211928243U (en) * | 2020-03-02 | 2020-11-13 | 苏州旭创科技有限公司 | Semiconductor optical coupling structure and silicon optical integrated chip |
| CN111367014B (en) * | 2020-03-12 | 2021-04-30 | 电子科技大学 | On-chip edge coupler with spot-size conversion function for optical interconnection |
| CN111665592B (en) * | 2020-05-07 | 2023-07-04 | 中国电子科技集团公司第五十五研究所 | LNOI (Low noise optical element) suspended spot-size converter and process implementation method thereof |
| CN112904481B (en) * | 2021-01-20 | 2022-09-02 | 苏州极刻光核科技有限公司 | End-face coupler and semiconductor device |
| CN113093333B (en) * | 2021-04-23 | 2023-04-11 | 南京刻得不错光电科技有限公司 | Spot size converter and photonic device |
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| WO2022156345A1 (en) | 2022-07-28 |
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