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:
Oct. 16, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 19, 2004
Brent Everett Little, Glen Head, NY (US);
John V. Hryniewicz, Columbia, MD (US);
David M. Gill, Pasadena, MD (US);
Roy Davidson, Glen Burnie, MD (US);
Philippe Patrick Absil, Braine-L'Alleud, BE;
Brent Everett Little, Glen Head, NY (US);
John V. Hryniewicz, Columbia, MD (US);
David M. Gill, Pasadena, MD (US);
Roy Davidson, Glen Burnie, MD (US);
Philippe Patrick Absil, Braine-L'Alleud, BE;
Infinera Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A method is disclosed for forming an optical circuit on a substrate. The method includes the deployment of a plurality of mask images to define an optical circuit image in photoresist. Each of the mask images define parts of the optical circuit and the totality of all mask images substantially define an optical circuit. A photolithography system globally aligns and exposes the mask images in photoresist. The resultant composite image is substantially indistinguishable from a single image of the entire optical circuit. Different images for each of the mask image parts can be substituted with other images or image parts and thereby exponentially increasing the number of circuit permutations from a predetermined number of available mask images. The method is also applicable to generating a unique optical circuit from a pre-existing library of reticle images. The images are printed in predetermined locations on a substrate to define the desired optical circuit.