Suppression of stray light propagation in a substrate

1. An optical apparatus, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one optical device on a first substrate surface, at least one optical waveguide on the first substrate surface, or at least one optical element on the first substrate surface;

a reflection-suppressing layer on at least a portion of a second substrate surface opposite the first substrate surface;

a metal absorbing layer on at least a portion of the reflection-suppressing layer, so that over at least a portion of the second substrate surface the reflection-suppressing layer is between the second substrate surface and the metal absorbing layer,

wherein:

the metal absorbing layer absorbs light over at least a portion of an operative wavelength range of the optical apparatus; and

at least a portion of the second substrate surface, where the reflection-suppressing layer is between the second substrate surface and the metal absorbing layer, exhibits reflectivity that is reduced relative to reflectivity exhibited by a substrate surface having only the metal absorbing layer present, for internal reflection of light propagating within the substrate over at least a portion of the operative wavelength range of the optical apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operative wavelength range lies between about 1200 nm and about 1700 nm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a high-index semiconductor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon or doped silicon and the optical waveguide comprises silica or doped silica.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal absorbing layer comprises chromium or titanium.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal absorbing layer is greater than about 150 nm thick.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the reflection-suppressing layer comprises a metal sublayer on the second substrate surface and a dielectric sublayer between the metal sublayer and the metal absorbing layer; and

the thicknesses of the metal sublayer and the dielectric sublayer are arranged to provide said reduced reflectivity, said arrangement being determined based on the real and imaginary refractive indices of (i) the substrate, (ii) the metal absorbing layer, (iii) the metal sublayer, and (iv) the dielectric sublayer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the metal absorbing layer comprises chromium or titanium;

the reflection-suppressing layer comprises a metal sublayer on the second substrate surface and a dielectric sublayer between the metal sublayer and the metal absorbing layer;

the metal sublayer comprises chromium or titanium;

the dielectric sublayer comprises silicon, doped silicon, germanium, or doped germanium; and

the thicknesses of the metal sublayer and the dielectric sublayer are arranged to provide said reduced reflectivity.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the metal absorbing layer comprises chromium greater than about 150 nm thick;

the metal sublayer comprises chromium between about 5 nm thick and about 20 nm thick; and

the dielectric sublayer comprises silicon or doped silicon between about 50 nm thick and about 100 nm thick.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the reflection-suppressing layer comprises a first dielectric sublayer on the second substrate surface and a second dielectric sublayer between the first dielectric sublayer and the metal absorbing layer; and

the thicknesses of the first and second dielectric sublayers are arranged to provide said reduced reflectivity, said arrangement being determined based on the real and imaginary refractive indices of (i) the substrate, (ii) the metal absorbing layer, and (iii) the first and second dielectric sublayers.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the metal absorbing layer comprises chromium or titanium;

the reflection-suppressing layer comprises a first dielectric sublayer on the second substrate surface and a second dielectric sublayer between the first dielectric sublayer and the metal absorbing layer;

the first dielectric sublayer comprises silica, doped silica, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride;

the second dielectric sublayer comprises silicon, doped silicon, germanium, or doped germanium; and

the thicknesses of the first and second dielectric sublayers are arranged to provide said reduced reflectivity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

the metal absorbing layer comprises chromium greater than about 150 nm thick;

the first dielectric sublayer comprises silica, doped silica, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride between about 40 nm thick and about 150 nm thick; and

the second dielectric sublayer comprises silicon or doped silicon between about 40 nm thick and about 150 nm thick.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the reflection-suppressing layer comprises a single dielectric layer; and

the thickness of the dielectric layer is arranged to provide said reduced reflectivity, said arrangement being determined based on the real and imaginary refractive indices of (i) the substrate, (ii) the metal absorbing layer, and (iii) the dielectric layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a laser on the first substrate surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a photodetector on the first substrate surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a bidirectional optical apparatus, further comprising:

at least one optical waveguide formed on the first substrate surface;

at least one laser on the first substrate surface optically coupled to at least one optical waveguide thereon; and

at least one photodetector on the first substrate surface positioned for receiving an optical signal from at least one optical waveguide thereon.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical fiber received in a groove in the first substrate surface and positioned for optical coupling with at least one optical waveguide thereon.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical element on the first substrate surface.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a reflective layer on at least a portion of the first substrate surface.

20. An optical apparatus, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one optical device on a first substrate surface, at least one optical waveguide on the first substrate surface, or at least one optical element on the first substrate surface;

a reflection-suppressing layer on at least a portion of a second substrate surface opposite the first substrate surface;

a metal absorbing layer on at least a portion of the reflection-suppressing layer, so that over at least a portion of the second substrate surface the reflection-suppressing layer is between the second substrate surface and the metal absorbing layer,

wherein:

the metal absorbing layer comprises chromium or titanium;

the reflection-suppressing layer comprises a metal sublayer on the second substrate surface and a dielectric sublayer between the metal sublayer and the metal absorbing layer;

the metal sublayer comprises chromium or titanium;

the dielectric sublayer comprises silicon, doped silicon, germanium, or doped germanium; and

the thicknesses of the metal sublayer and the dielectric sublayer are arranged so that at least a portion of the second substrate surface, where the reflection-suppressing layer is between the second substrate surface and the metal absorbing layer, exhibits reflectivity that is reduced relative to reflectivity exhibited by a substrate surface having only the metal absorbing layer present, for internal reflection of light propagating within the substrate over at least a portion of the operative wavelength range of the optical apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein:

the metal absorbing layer is greater than about 150 nm thick;

the metal sublayer is between about 5 nm thick and about 20 nm thick; and

the dielectric sublayer is between about 50 nm thick and about 100 nm thick.