IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,788,368
Granted Patent B1
US 10,788,368 · App. 16/144,960 · Granted Sep 29, 2020

Thermal isolation structure

Inventors: Jason Pelc (Sunnyvale, CA); Mark Alan Arbore (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G01J3/0286G01J3/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,788,368
App. No.
16/144,960
Granted
Sep 29, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disclosed here is a system including a multi-wavelength integrated light source having one or more heaters. The system can comprise a substrate including a light source section, the heater(s), and a plurality of sections. The sections can include multiple materials, where the material for a given section can be based on one or more targeted criteria. For example, one section can have a targeted criteria of being optically transparent. Another section can have a targeted criteria of providing mechanical support, and another section can have a targeted criteria of being a thermal insulator. In some instances, openings in the substrate can be formed and filled with one or more materials to form a window (e.g., a section having a targeted criteria of being optically transparent) and a thermal isolator (e.g., a section having a targeted criteria of being thermally insulating).

Claims (37)

1. A system comprising:

a first portion including:

one or more optical components including one or more light source sections, and

one or more first heaters proximate to the one or more light source sections; and

a second portion including one or more first sections, one or more second sections, and one or more third sections,

the one or more first sections including a first material, wherein the first material comprises amorphous silicon and is optically transparent in at least a wavelength range, the one or more second sections including a second material, wherein the second material provides mechanical support to the second portion, and the one or more third sections including a third material, wherein the third material has a lower thermal conductivity than the second material,

wherein the one or more third sections of the second portion are located proximate to the one or more first heaters and the one or more light source sections of the first portion.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first sections are windows.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second material includes crystalline silicon.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the third material includes amorphous silicon.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the third material are the same material.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the third material has a lower thermal conductivity than the first material.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each third section is located proximate to a unique first heater.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one third section is located proximate to at least two of the one or more first heaters.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more second heaters included in the first portion, wherein the one or more third sections are not located proximate to the one or more second heaters.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more second heaters are associated with one or more light sources having a lower shift in wavelength with change in temperature than one or more light sources associated with the one or more first heaters.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion further includes:

one or more fourth sections including a fourth material, wherein the fourth material has a lower thermal conductivity than the second material, and

wherein the third material has a lower thermal conductivity than the fourth material.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of the one or more second sections is located around three or more sides of at least one of the one or more third sections.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are included in a substrate, the system further comprising:

an interposer bonded to the substrate.

14. A method for forming a system, the method comprising:

providing a substrate, the substrate including a first material;

forming a plurality of first openings for windows in the substrate;

forming a plurality of second openings for thermal isolators in the substrate;

depositing a second material in the plurality of first openings, wherein the second material is optically transparent;

depositing a third material in the plurality of second openings, wherein the third material has a lower thermal conductivity than the first material; and

locating the plurality of second openings proximate to one or more light source sections and one or more heaters.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the plurality of first openings and forming the plurality of second openings occur simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein depositing the second material and the third material occur simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second material and the third material are the same material.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the plurality of first openings includes etching to a first depth, wherein forming the plurality of second openings includes etching to a second depth, wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

bonding the substrate to an interposer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2018
From: PELC, JASON; ARBORE, MARK ALAN
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 047642/0616 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62565837 · Sep 29, 2017
Cited By (4)
US 12,204,155 US 12,300,974 US 12,426,139 US 12,651,885