Granted Patent B2

US 12,197,002 · App. 17/519,424 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Inventors: Young-Tak Han (Daejeon, KR); Seoktae Kim (Daejeon, KR); Sang Ho Park (Daejeon, KR); Yongsoon Baek (Daejeon, KR); Jang Uk Shin (Daejeon, KR); Seok Jun Yun (Daejeon, KR); Seo Young Lee (Daejeon, KR)

Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute

G02B6/107G02B6/1228G02F1/2257

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. A heterogeneously integrated optical modulator comprising:

a substrate having a trench;

an input waveguide disposed on the substrate on one side of the trench;

an output waveguide disposed on the substrate on another side of the trench;

a first Mach-Zehnder interferometer including first branch waveguides disposed between the input waveguide and the output waveguide and a heater disposed on one of the first branch waveguides, the first branch waveguides including first input branch waveguides connected to the input waveguide and first output branch waveguides connected to the output waveguide; and

second Mach-Zehnder interferometers connected to each of the first branch waveguides,

wherein each of the second Mach-Zehnder interferometers includes:

second branch waveguides disposed on the substrate on both sides of the trench, the second branch waveguides including second input branch waveguides connected to the first input branch waveguides and second output branch waveguides connected to the first output branch waveguides;

modulation cells including a control block disposed in the trench and modulation waveguides disposed on the control block and disposed between the second branch waveguides;

photonic wires connecting the modulation waveguides to the second branch waveguides; and

a polymer clad covering the second branch waveguides, the modulation waveguides, and the photonic wires,

wherein the modulation waveguides comprise:

a first modulation waveguide extending in a first direction and disposed on one side of the control block, and

a second modulation waveguide extending in the first direction and disposed on another side of the control block,

wherein each of the first modulation waveguide and the second modulation waveguide is narrower than the second input branch waveguides and the second output branch waveguides, and

wherein the photonic wires comprise:

first photonic wires connecting the second input branch waveguides to the first modulation waveguide and the second modulation waveguide and becoming narrower in the first direction, and

second photonic wires connecting the first modulation waveguide and the second modulation waveguide to the second output branch waveguides and becoming wider in the first direction,

wherein the modulation cells comprise:

a first modulation cell disposed on one side of the trench, and

a second modulation cell disposed on another side of the trench in a second direction crossing the first direction,

wherein the polymer clad comprises:

a first polymer clad covering the first photonic wires and extending in the second direction, and

a second polymer clad covering the second photonic wires and extending in the second direction, and

wherein the first polymer clad and second polymer clad expose center portions of the first and second modulation cells, a bottom of the trench between the first and second modulation cells, and side surfaces of the first and second modulation cells in the second direction to increase heat dissipation of the first and second modulation cells.

2. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 1 , wherein each of the first branch waveguides and the second branch waveguides includes a IV semiconductor material, and

each of the modulation waveguides includes a III-V semiconductor material.

3. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 2 , wherein each of the first branch waveguides and the second branch waveguides includes silicon nitride, and

each of the modulation waveguides includes indium phosphide.

4. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 1 , wherein each of the photonic wires comprises:

a first mode converter connected to the second branch waveguides;

a second mode converter connected to the modulation waveguides; and

a core connecting the first mode converter to the second mode converter.

5. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 4 , wherein the core is thicker or thinner than each of the second branch waveguides and thicker than each of the modulation waveguides.

6. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 1 , wherein the photonic wires include a polymer having a refractive index of about 1.48 to about 1.55 and greater than that of the polymer clad.

7. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 1 , wherein the control block has a hexahedral shape.

8. A heterogeneously integrated optical modulator comprising:

a substrate having a trench;

a dielectric clad layer disposed on the substrate on sides of the trench;

an input waveguide disposed on the dielectric clad layer on one side of the trench;

first input branch waveguides branched from the input waveguide;

second input branch waveguides branched from each of the first input branch waveguides;

an output waveguide disposed on the dielectric clad layer of on another side of the trench;

first output branch waveguides coupled to the output waveguide;

second output branch waveguides coupled to each of the first output branch waveguides;

a heater disposed on one of the first output branch waveguides;

modulation cells including a control block disposed in the trench and modulation waveguides disposed on the control block, the modulation waveguides connected between the second input branch waveguides and the second output branch waveguides;

photonic wires connecting the modulation waveguides to the second input branch waveguides and the second output branch waveguides; and

a polymer clad covering the second input branch waveguides and the modulation waveguides, covering the second output branch waveguides and the modulation waveguides, and covering the photonic wires,

wherein the modulation waveguides comprise:

a first modulation waveguide extending in a first direction and disposed on one side of the control block, and

a second modulation waveguide extending in the first direction and disposed on another side of the control block,

wherein each of the first modulation waveguide and the second modulation waveguide is narrower than the second input branch waveguides and the second output branch waveguides, and

wherein the photonic wires comprise:

first photonic wires connecting the second input branch waveguides to the first modulation waveguide and the second modulation waveguide and becoming narrower in the first direction, and

second photonic wires connecting the first modulation waveguide and the second modulation waveguide to the second output branch waveguides and becoming wider in the first direction,

wherein the modulation cells comprise:

a first modulation cell disposed on one side of the trench, and

a second modulation cell disposed on another side of the trench in a second direction crossing the first direction,

wherein the polymer clad comprises:

a first polymer clad covering the first photonic wires and extending in the second direction, and

a second polymer clad covering the second photonic wires and extending in the second direction, and

wherein the first polymer clad and second polymer clad expose center portions of the first and second modulation cells, a bottom of the trench between the first and second modulation cells, and side surfaces of the first and second modulation cells in the second direction to increase heat dissipation of the first and second modulation cells.

9. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second modulation cells further comprises a control block disposed between the modulation waveguides.

10. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 9 , wherein each of the control block and the modulation waveguides includes a III-V semiconductor material.

11. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 10 , wherein each of the input waveguide, the output waveguide, the first and second input branch waveguides, and the first and second output branch waveguides includes silicon nitride, and

each of the control block and the modulation waveguides includes indium phosphide.

12. The heterogeneously integrated optical modulator of claim 8 , wherein each of the photonic wires comprises:

a first mode converter connected to the second input branch waveguides and the second output branch waveguides;

a second mode converter connected to the modulation waveguides; and

a core connecting the first mode converter to the second mode converter,

wherein each of the first and second mode converters includes a tapered spot-size converter.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)

Cited By (1)

US 12,704,681