Vertical bend waveguide coupler for photonics applications

1. An optical waveguide structure, comprising:

a dielectric layer having a top surface;

an optical waveguide structure; and

an optical coupler disposed on the dielectric layer, the optical coupler having both a substantially vertical portion that couples to the top surface of the dielectric layer and a substantially horizontal portion that couples to the optical waveguide structure, the substantially vertical portion and the substantially horizontal portion being separated by a curved portion, wherein the optical coupler tapers in width from the substantially vertical portion to the substantially horizontal portion.

2. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical fiber having a core for guiding an optical signal,

wherein the optical fiber is coupled to the top surface of the dielectric layer such that the core is aligned with the substantially vertical portion of the optical coupler.

3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide structure comprises a silicon waveguide that couples to a photodetector device.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the substantially horizontal portion comprises a coupling region corresponding to a location at which the substantially horizontal portion couples to the optical waveguide structure, the coupling region having a length of about 1-10 μm.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the optical coupler comprises one of a polycrystalline silicon material having a thickness of about 1000 Å to about 1 μm and a single crystalline silicon material having a thickness of about 1000 Å to about 1 μm.

6. An optical waveguide structure, comprising:

a dielectric layer having a top surface;

an optical waveguide structure; and

an optical coupler disposed on the dielectric layer, the optical coupler having both a substantially vertical portion that couples to the top surface of the dielectric layer and a substantially horizontal portion that couples to the optical waveguide structure, the substantially vertical portion and the substantially horizontal portion being separated by a curved portion, wherein the optical coupler disposed on the dielectric layer comprises a cladding region provided by a dielectric fill material corresponding to the dielectric layer, the dielectric fill material electrically insulating metal connectivity layers within the dielectric layer.

7. The structure of claim 6 , wherein the dielectric fill material comprises silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ).

8. The structure of claim 6 , wherein the metal connectivity layers comprise:

a plurality of metallic connectors; and

metallic vias for electrically coupling the plurality of metallic connectors.

9. An optical coupler disposed on a dielectric layer formed on a substrate, comprising:

a first waveguide region having a first tapered width and being substantially vertical relative to a top surface of the dielectric layer;

a second waveguide region having a second tapered width and being substantially horizontal relative to the top surface of the dielectric layer; and

a waveguide bend region having a third tapered width and located between the first and the second waveguide region,

wherein the first waveguide region, the second waveguide region, and the waveguide bend region are disposed on the dielectric layer, and wherein the first waveguide region receives an optical signal that is vertically incident relative to the top surface of the dielectric layer, the received optical signal propagating through the first waveguide region to the second waveguide region via the waveguide bend region.