The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 01, 2003
Filed:
Apr. 05, 2000
Edward A. Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
JDS Uniphase Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
Add-drop optical switches include fixed reflectors, such as fixed mirrors, and movable reflectors, such as movable mirrors, wherein none of the fixed reflectors and none of the movable reflectors are oriented orthogonal to one another on a substrate when the movable reflectors that provide the add-drop functionality are in a radiation reflecting position. In preferred embodiments, each of the fixed and movable reflectors is oriented parallel to or at a 70° angle to, the remaining fixed and movable reflectors when the movable reflectors are in the radiation reflecting position. Most preferably, the fixed reflectors and the movable reflectors all are oriented on the substrate in parallel when the movable reflectors are in the radiation reflecting position. By providing these orientations of fixed and movable reflectors, add-drop optical switches may be fabricated on silicon substrates using wet etching along crystallographic planes. High performance add-drop optical switches thereby may be provided.