Patent · US Active

SOI-based opto-electronic device including corrugated active region

US7539358B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
10References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

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Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 2007
Grant dateMay 26, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 7, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/2257
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The surface silicon layer (SOI layer) of an SOI-based optical modulator is processed to exhibit a corrugated surface along the direction of optical signal propagation. The required dielectric layer (i.e., relatively thin “gate oxide”) is formed over the corrugated structure in a manner that preserves the corrugated topology. A second silicon layer, required to form the modulator structure, is then formed over the gate oxide in a manner that follows the corrugated topology, where the overlapping portion of the corrugated SOI layer, gate oxide and second silicon layer defines the active region of the modulator. The utilization of the corrugated active region increases the area over which optical field intensity will overlap with the free carrier modulation region, improving the modulator's efficiency.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.