Intpax, Inc.

Other

Naiqian Han

Liji Huang

Gaofeng Wang

Yahong Yao

Jian Li

Xiaoping Zhang

Jidong Hou

James Yang

The present invention discloses an electro-optical device support on a substrate. The electro-optical device includes two face-to-face freestanding membranes each supported near a top surface on one of two bonded substrates for defining a resonant cavity between the two membranes. Each of the substrates having an entire bulk-portion opposite the cavity etched off as a bulk micro-machining opening extended from each of the membranes through a bottom surface of the substrates.

Fabry-Perot cavity manufactured with bulk micro-machining process applied on supporting substrate

The present invention discloses an optical gain equalization system for receiving and equalizing a multiple-channel input optical signal. The optical gain equalization system includes a cascaded array of tunable optical filters filtering the multiple-channel input optical signal and generating a plurality of sub-signals and a residual signal and each of the sub-signals transmitted over a mutually exclusive filter-specific spectrum-range while a combination of all the filter-specific spectrums dynamically covering the spectral portions of said multi-channel input optical signal where power equalizations are required, and all said filter-specific spectrums together with the residual signal spectrum substantially covering an entire spectral range of the multi-channel input optical signal. The gain equalization system further includes a corresponding array of variable optical attenuators (VOAs) each connected to one of a corresponding tunable optical filter for attenuating the sub-signal transmitted over the filter-specific spectrum range for generating an equalized sub-signal. And, the gain equalization system further includes a multiplexing means for receiving and multiplexing the equalized sub-signals generated by the array of variable optical attenuators (VOAs) and the residual signal for generating an equalized output optical signal.

Dynamic gain equalization system design with adaptive spectrum decomposition methodology

The present invention discloses a tunable optical device. The tunable optical device includes a tuning cavity having a tuning means provided for alternately bonding to at least two different tunable optical cells each comprising a tuning membrane wherein the tuning cavity disposed near the tuning membrane for moving the tuning membrane for tuning one of the at least two tunable optical cells bonded thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the tuning cavity further includes a first electrode disposed on the tuning membrane and a second electrode disposed on a substrate supporting the tuning cavity for applying a voltage to move the tuning membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the optical device further includes an optical device control circuit connected to the tuning means for controlling and moving the tuning membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the tuning cavity further includes through hole along an optical path for an optical transmission passing through the tunable membrane for providing an interface-free and ripple-free optical path for the optical transmission. In a preferred embodiment, the tunable optical cells constitute an optical filter for bonding to the tuning cavity and tunable by moving the tunable membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the tunable optical cells constitute an optical attenuator for bonding to the tuning cavity and tunable by moving the tunable membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the tunable optical cells constitute an optical switch for bonding to the tuning cavity and tunable by moving the tunable membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the tunable optical cells constitute an optical dispersion compensator for bonding to the tuning cavity and tunable by moving the tunable membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the optical device constitutes a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device manufactured by applying a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology.

Basic common optical cell configuration of dual cavities for optical tunable devices

This invention discloses a configuration of thin-film membrane. This thin-film membrane is freestanding, movable, and made of multiple layers of different materials such as silicon nitride, polycrystalline silicon or the combination of these two. This thin-film membrane can be actuated by external controlling forces such as electrostatic force. This thin-film membrane consists of odd number of layers, e.g., 1 layer, 3 layers, 5 layers, . . . , etc. Moreover, the layer profile of this membrane is symmetric, e.g., the bottommost layer is made to be identical to the topmost layer, the next bottommost layer is made to be identical to the next topmost layer, so on and so forth.

Robust multi-layered thin-film membrane for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) photonic devices

The present invention discloses an electro-optical device support on a substrate. The electro-optical device includes a sacrificial layer disposed on the substrate having a chamber-wall region surrounding and defining an optical chamber. The electro-optical device further includes a membrane layer disposed on top of the sacrificial layer having a chamber-removal opening surrounding and defining an electric tunable membrane for transmitting an optical signal therethrough. The electrically tunable membrane disposed on top of the optical chamber surrounded by the chamber wall regions. The chamber-wall region is doped with ion-dopants for maintaining the chamber-wall region for removal-resistance under a chamber-forming process performed through the chamber-removal opening. In a preferred embodiment, the chamber-wall region is a doped silicon dioxide region with carbon or nitrogen. In another preferred embodiment, the chamber-wall region is a nitrogen ion-doped SiNxOy region. In another preferred embodiment, the optical chamber is an etched chamber formed by etching through the chamber removal opening for etching off an etch-enhanced region surrounded by an etch-resistant region constituting the chamber wall.

Defined sacrifical region via ion implantation for micro-opto-electro-mechanical system (MOEMS) applications

The present invention discloses an optimized optical attenuator device. It includes the design of resonator formed by two identical mirrors, which are made by MEMS process. The structure realizes the minimum insertion loss. The two membranes are chosen to be with high reflection rate. Multiple layer or metal layer or mixture of them can produce membrane of high reflection rate. High reflection rate causes low tuning voltage for one certain attenuation range.

MEMS based variable optical attenuator (MBVOA)

A conductive substrate supports an array of multi-channel optical attenuating devices. Each attenuating device includes a membrane with an optically transparent portion And a flexible support for positioning the optically transparent portion of the membrane spaced from the substrate for defining an air gap. The air gap constitutes a cross-shaped gap-chamber having a horizontally and vertically elongated chambers extended from a central intersection area functioning as an optical active area. A voltage bias circuit applies an electrical bias between the conductive substrate and the membrane to adjust and control an air-gap thickness at the optical active area between the conductive substrate and the membrane. Each of the devices can be manufactured on the same silicon wafer using the same process and can be individually controlled to accommodate different wavelength attenuation at each channel. Production costs, and time and efforts required for aligning the array to optical fibers are also reduced.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Naiqian Han