Controlling the composition of electro-absorption media in optical devices

1. An optical device, comprising:

optical component on a base, the optical component including an electro-absorption medium through which light signals are guided during operation of the component; and

dummy regions on the base, the dummy regions including the electro-absorption medium but without the electro-absorption medium that is included in the dummy regions being included in the component or in any other optical component on the base.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the component is a modulator.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dummy regions are within 1 mm of the optical component.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the dummy regions is greater than 5% of the area of the device that is within 2 mm of the optical component.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising common dummy regions that each includes the electro-absorption medium but without the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions being included in the component or in another optical component on the base, the common dummy regions each being more than 2 mm from the optical component and the dummy regions each being less than 2 mm from the optical component.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions, the dummy regions and in the optical component is greater than 5% of the area of the device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical component includes an electrical conductor that carries electrical energy during the operation of the component, the electrical conductor being positioned such that one or more of the dummy regions is located between the electrical conductor and the base.

8. A method of forming an optical device, comprising:

growing an electro-absorption medium in a variety of different regions on a base of a device precursor, the regions including a component region and being selected so as to achieve a particular chemical composition for the electro-absorption medium included in the component region;

forming an optical component on the device precursor such that the optical component includes at least a portion of the electro-absorption medium from the component region, the component being formed such that during operation of the optical component light signals are guided through the electro-absorption medium from the component region; and

completing formation of the device such that in the completed device a portion of the regions still include the electro-absorption medium and are dummy regions, where the electro-absorption medium included in dummy regions is not included in the optical component or in any other optical component on the device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the component is a modulator configured such that the composition of the electro-absorption medium from the component region affects a modulation wavelength of the modulator.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

common dummy regions that each includes the electro-absorption medium but without the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions being included in the component or in any other optical component on the base, the common dummy regions each being more than 2 mm from the optical component; and

wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions, the dummy regions and in the optical component is greater than 5%.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the electro-absorption medium is concurrently grown in each of the different regions.

12. A method of forming an optical device, comprising:

forming an electro-absorption medium in a variety of different regions on a base of a device precursor; and

completing formation of the device such that the electroabsorption medium included in a portion of the regions is included in an optical component and another portion of the regions are dummy regions in that the electroabsorption medium included in the dummy regions is not included in the optical component or in any other optical component on the device,

the optical component including the electro-absorption medium arranged such that during operation of the component light signals are guided through the electro-absorption medium included in the optical component.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the dummy regions is greater than 5%.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the regions also include common dummy regions that each includes the electro-absorption medium but without the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions being included in the component or in another optical component on the base, the common dummy regions each being more than 2 mm from the optical component.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions, the dummy regions and in the optical component is greater than 5%.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electro-absorption medium is concurrently grown in each of the different regions.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the component is one of multiple optical components on the base that includes the electro-absorption medium and the electro-absorption medium that is included in the dummy regions is not included in any of the optical components on the device.

18. The method of claim 8 , wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the dummy regions is greater than 5%.

19. The method of claim 8 , further comprising common dummy regions that each includes the electro-absorption medium but without the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions being included in the component or in another optical component on the base, the common dummy regions each being more than 2 mm from the optical component.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein an area of the device occupied by the electro-absorption medium included in the common dummy regions, the dummy regions and in the optical component is greater than 5%.