US20120141069A1

Waveguide Coupling Device with Properties of Forward and Backward Coupling as well as Manufacturing Method Thereof

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 1, the broadest

Abstract

The present invention relates to a waveguide coupling device with properties of forward coupling and backward coupling as well as a manufacturing method thereof, the waveguide coupling device comprises: a substrate, at least one inverted taper coupling structure, an intermediate layer, and at least one three-dimensional taper coupling structure. Wherein one end of the three-dimensional taper coupling structure is adopted for connecting to an external optical fiber, so as to couple the optical wave propagating in the optical fiber; Moreover, by way of the specific coupling sequence of (three-dimensional taper coupling structure)-(intermediate layer)-(inverted taper coupling structure), the optical wave may be efficiently coupled into, be confined in, and ultimately propagates in the inverted taper coupling structure connecting to waveguide devices. In addition, through the manufacturing method, the waveguide coupling device with properties of forward coupling and backward coupling can be massively fabricated by the present semiconductor process with low cost.

US20120141069A1, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 17

Term

Projected expiry 23 January 2032.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Published
  4. Today
  5. Projected expiry

18 claims: 2 independent, 16 dependent

  1. 1
    Broadest claimClaim Score 66, broad(NHIP)A waveguide coupling device with properties of forward coupling and backward coupling, comprising:a substrate;at least one inverted taper coupling structure, being formed on the substrate for confining and propagating an optical wave in the inside thereof;an intermediate layer, being formed on the substrate and covering the inverted taper coupling structure;and at least one three-dimensional taper coupling structure, being formed on the intermediate layer and used for connecting to an external fiber by one terminal thereof, so as to couple the optical wave transported by the fiber;wherein the refractive index of the intermediate layer is very close to the refractive index of the three-dimensional taper coupling structure, therefore, the optical wave would regard the intermediate layer and the three-dimensional taper coupling structure as the identical material when propagating in the three-dimensional taper coupling structure, such that the optical wave may be coupled into the inverted taper coupling structure through the intermediate layer.
  2. 11
    A manufacturing method for a waveguide coupling device with properties of forward coupling and backward coupling, comprising the steps of:(1) fabricating a substrate;(2) forming an inverted taper coupling layer on the substrate;(3) making the inverted taper coupling structure to a lateral wedge-shaped structure by way of photolithography and etching;(4) forming an intermediate layer on the substrate and making the intermediate layer cover the inverted taper coupling structure;(5) forming a three-dimensional taper coupling layer on the intermediate layer;(6) fabricating a mold;(7) using the mold to imprint the three-dimensional taper coupling layer, and making the three-dimensional taper coupling layer become a vertical wedge shape;and (8) respectively making the lateral sides of the three-dimensional taper coupling structure to a wedge shape by way of photolithography.