Optical fiber coupler structure having manufacturing variation-sensitive transmission blocking region

1. An optical coupler structure comprising:

an insulator layer on a substrate;

a waveguide structure in the insulator layer;

a cladding layer on the waveguide structure and the insulator layer; and

optical grating couplers on the cladding layer,

wherein the waveguide structure is connected between the optical grating couplers,

wherein the waveguide structure comprises discontinuous sections between the optical grating couplers, and

wherein the insulator layer includes a void opening array at a transmission blocking region between the discontinuous sections of the waveguide structure.

2. The optical coupler structure according to claim 1 , wherein the void opening array comprises openings extending through the cladding layer, the insulator layer, and an upper layer of the substrate.

3. The optical coupler structure according to claim 2 , wherein the waveguide structure is linear along a first line, and wherein the openings of the void opening array are aligned in the insulator layer parallel to and offset from the first line along the transmission blocking region.

4. The optical coupler structure according to claim 2 , wherein the openings of the void opening array are aligned linearly or curvilinearly.

5. The optical coupler structure according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises a lower layer connected to the upper layer,

wherein the upper layer is between the lower layer and the insulator layer,

wherein the lower layer includes a groove aligned with and parallel to the waveguide structure,

wherein the openings of the void opening array extend from the cladding layer to the groove.

6. The optical coupler structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a patterned conductor on at least one of the discontinuous sections of the waveguide structure.

7. The optical coupler structure according to claim 1 , wherein the waveguide structure comprises continuous or segmented tapered waveguide structure ends that border the transmission blocking region.

8. An optical coupler structure comprising:

an insulator layer on a substrate;

a waveguide structure in the insulator layer;

a cladding layer on the waveguide structure and the insulator layer; and

optical grating couplers on the cladding layer,

wherein the waveguide structure is connected between the optical grating couplers,

wherein the waveguide structure comprises discontinuous sections between the optical grating couplers, and

wherein the insulator layer includes a blocking element array at a transmission blocking region between the discontinuous sections of the waveguide structure.

9. The optical coupler structure according to claim 8 , wherein the blocking element array comprises disconnected elements in the insulator layer.

10. The optical coupler structure according to claim 9 , wherein the waveguide structure is linear along a first line, and wherein the disconnected elements of the blocking element array are aligned in the insulator layer parallel to and offset from the first line along the transmission blocking region.

11. The optical coupler structure according to claim 9 , wherein the disconnected elements of the blocking element array are aligned linearly or curvilinearly.

12. The optical coupler structure according to claim 9 , wherein the disconnected elements of the blocking element array comprise one or more levels of a conductive disconnected elements or insulating disconnected elements within the insulator layer and the cladding layer.

13. The optical coupler structure according to claim 8 , further comprising a patterned conductor on at least one of the discontinuous sections of the waveguide structure.

14. The optical coupler structure according to claim 8 , wherein the waveguide structure comprises continuous or segmented tapered waveguide structure ends that border the transmission blocking region.

15. An optical coupler structure comprising:

an insulator layer on a substrate;

a waveguide structure in the insulator layer;

a cladding layer on the waveguide structure and the insulator layer; and

optical grating couplers on the cladding layer,

wherein the waveguide structure is connected between the optical grating couplers,

wherein the waveguide structure comprises discontinuous sections between the optical grating couplers, and

wherein the insulator layer includes an array at a transmission blocking region between the discontinuous sections of the waveguide structure.

16. The optical coupler structure according to claim 15 , wherein the array comprises a blocking element array of disconnected elements in the insulator layer.

17. The optical coupler structure according to claim 16 , wherein the waveguide structure is linear along a first line, and wherein the disconnected elements of the blocking element array are aligned in the insulator layer parallel to and offset from the first line along the transmission blocking region.

18. The optical coupler structure according to claim 16 , wherein the disconnected elements of the blocking element array comprise one or more levels of a conductive disconnected elements or insulating disconnected elements within the insulator layer and the cladding layer.

19. The optical coupler structure according to claim 15 , wherein the array comprises a void opening array of openings extending through the cladding layer, the insulator layer, and an upper layer of the substrate, and

wherein the openings of the void opening array are aligned linearly or curvilinearly.

20. The optical coupler structure according to claim 15 , further comprising a patterned conductor on at least one of the discontinuous sections of the waveguide structure.