Juniper Networks, Inc.

Apple Inc.

Openlight Photonics, Inc.

Avi Feshali

John Hutchinson

Jared Bauters

A method for optical production includes fabricating an array of optical elements on a transparent planar substrate, the array having opposing first and second surfaces parallel to the planar substrate. For each of the optical elements, a respective housing contains a notch of a predefined width. The first surface of the array is etched so as to form, on each of the optical elements in the array, a respective protrusion having a transverse dimension selected so as to fit into the width of the notch, the second surface of the array is diced through so as to singulate the optical elements. Each of the singulated optical elements is inserted into the respective housing such that the respective protrusion is contained in the notch.

Precise fabrication and assembly of wafer-scale optical elements

When III-V semiconductor material is bonded to an oxide material, water molecules can degrade the bonding if they become trapped at the interface between the III-V material and the oxide material. Because water molecules can diffuse readily through oxide material, and may not diffuse as readily through III-V material or through silicon, forcing the III-V material against the oxide material can force water molecules at the interface into the oxide material and away from the interface. Water molecules present at the interface can be forced during manufacturing through vertical channels in a silicon layer into a buried oxide layer thereby to enhance bonding between the III-V material and the oxide material. Water molecules can be also forced through lateral channels in the oxide material, past a periphery of the III-V material, and, through diffusion, out of the oxide material into the atmosphere.

Enhanced bonding between III-V material and oxide material

In integrated optical structures (e.g., silicon-to-silicon-nitride mode converters) implemented in semiconductor-on-insulator substrates, wire waveguides whose sidewalls substantially consist of portions coinciding with crystallographic planes and do not extend laterally beyond the top surface of the wire waveguide may provide benefits in performance and/or manufacturing needs. Such wire waveguides may be manufactured, e.g., using a dry-etch of the semiconductor device layer down to the insulator layer to form a wire waveguide with exposed sidewalls, followed by a smoothing crystallographic wet etch.

Smooth waveguide structures and manufacturing methods

An optical device includes a substrate including an optical waveguide running through the substrate. An optical transmitter mounted on the substrate in a first location includes at least one optical emitter, which emits a primary beam of optical radiation toward a target and emits a secondary beam of the optical radiation into the optical waveguide. An optical receiver mounted on the substrate in a second location includes at least one optical sensor, which receives the optical radiation that is reflected from the target and outputs a primary signal in response thereto, and receives the secondary beam of the optical radiation from the waveguide and outputs a reference signal in response to the secondary beam. A processor receives and processes the primary signal and the reference signal in order to extract information with respect to the target.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Avi Feshali