Method and apparatus for switching an optical beam in an integrated circuit die
US6421473B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jul 16, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 26, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/313
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A device for confining an optical beam in an optical switch. In one embodiment, the disclosed optical switch includes an optical switching device disposed between an optical input port and an optical output port in a semiconductor substrate layer of an integrated circuit die. The semiconductor substrate layer is disposed between a plurality of optical confinement layers such that an optical beam is confined to remain within the semiconductor substrate layer until exiting through the optical output port. In one embodiment, a plurality of semiconductor substrate layers are included in the optical switch. Each of the semiconductor substrate layers is disposed between optical confinement layers such that optical beams passing through the semiconductor substrate layers are confined to remain within the semiconductor substrate layers until exiting through respective optical output ports. In one embodiment, at least one optical switching device is disposed in each of the plurality of semiconductor substrate layers. In one embodiment, integrated circuitry such as driver circuitry, controller circuitry, logic circuitry, coder-decoder circuitry, microprocessor circuitry or the like is includ…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.