Optical chip, optical chip manufacturing method and laser radar

Abstract

The invention provides an optical chip, an optical chip manufacturing method and a laser radar. The optical core comprises a wrapping layer, a substrate layer and an antenna assembly arranged in the wrapping layer. The antenna assembly comprises an antenna array and a heating device for heating the antenna array, the antenna array comprises a plurality of antenna monomers, and the plurality of antenna monomers are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the wrapping layer. The substrate layer comprises a first part and a second part, the wrapping layer and the first part are stacked, the second part is arranged on the side, away from the wrapping layer, of the first part, and the first part and the second part define a heat resisting cavity. Through the arrangement of the heat-resistant cavity, a part of layer materials of the substrate layer are removed, materials available for heat transfer are reduced, the heat transfer amount among antenna assemblies in unit time is limited, heat interference among antenna arrays is reduced and even eliminated, and the correction of aberration among the antenna arrays is enhanced. Therefore, the aberration tends to or is equal to the preset aberration, and the detection capability and accuracy of the laser radar are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of chip manufacturing. More specifically, it relates to an optical chip, a method for manufacturing an optical chip, and a lidar. Background Art

[0002] Generally, in order to correct the aberration between each antenna array in an optical phased array lidar, heating electrodes corresponding to each antenna array are used to heat each antenna array for thermo-optic modulation. By thermo-optic modulation, the refractive index of each antenna array is changed, thereby correcting the aberration between adjacent antenna arrays.

[0003] Specifically, in the process of manufacturing an optical phased array using CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) processing technology, inevitable manufacturing tolerances will inevitably occur, including but not limited to fluctuations in the thickness of the deposited thin film, deviations between the actual width and actual height of the processed waveguide and the preset values, deviations between the refractive index of the deposited thin film and the preset refractive index during simulation, etc. Coupled with the influence of application environment factors on the optical phased array lidar, it will cause the aberration between each antenna array in the phased array to be inconsistent with the preset or even vary greatly, seriously affecting the detection ability and accuracy of the phased array lidar.

[0004] However, due to the many influencing factors for the aberration generated by each antenna array, heating each antenna array by adding heating electrodes and changing the refractive index of each antenna array by thermo-optic modulation is not sufficient to correct the phase difference of the array, and the detection ability and accuracy of the phased array lidar are still adversely affected. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of this application is to provide an optical chip, a method for manufacturing an optical chip, and a lidar to solve the technical problem that the aberration between each antenna array in the existing optical chip is inconsistent with the preset and affects the detection ability of the lidar.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0007] Provide an optical chip, the optical chip includes a cladding layer and a substrate layer, and an antenna assembly disposed in the cladding layer;

[0008] The antenna assembly includes an antenna array and a heating device for heating the antenna array. The antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements, and the plurality of antenna elements are spaced apart along the extension direction of the cladding layer;

[0009] The substrate layer includes a first part and a second part. The encapsulation layer and the first part are stacked, and the second part is disposed on a side of the first part away from the encapsulation layer. The first part and the second part enclose a heat insulation cavity.

[0010] In some embodiments, the heat insulation cavity communicates with a side of the second part away from the first part.

[0011] In some embodiments, the optical chip includes a plurality of the antenna components. The plurality of antenna components are spaced apart along the extension direction of the encapsulation layer. Projections of the plurality of antenna components along the stacking direction of the encapsulation layer and the first part are located inside the boundary of the heat insulation cavity or flush with the boundary of the heat insulation cavity.

[0012] In some embodiments, a spacing portion is formed between two adjacent antenna components.

[0013] The first part includes alternately arranged first connection parts and second connection parts. The first connection parts are disposed opposite to the antenna components, and the second connection parts are disposed opposite to the spacing portions. The thickness of the first connection parts is greater than the thickness of the second connection parts.

[0014] In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent first connection parts is greater than the distance between two adjacent antenna components.

[0015] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second part remains unchanged along the spacing direction of the plurality of antenna components.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second part includes at least two support parts disposed on opposite sides of the first part. The second part is connected between the two support parts. At least the two support parts and the first part enclose the heat insulation cavity.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second part further includes a plurality of intermediate parts arranged at intervals.

[0018] The plurality of intermediate parts are disposed between the two support parts. The plurality of intermediate parts are respectively connected to the first part. A heat insulation cavity is formed between two adjacent intermediate parts, and a heat insulation cavity is formed between an adjacent support part and an intermediate part.

[0019] In some embodiments, the optical chip includes a plurality of the antenna components. The plurality of antenna components are spaced apart along the extension direction of the encapsulation layer, and a spacing portion is formed between two adjacent antenna components.

[0020] The plurality of heat insulation cavities and the plurality of antenna components are arranged in a one-to-one manner.

[0021] Alternatively, the plurality of heat-blocking cavities and the plurality of antenna assemblies are arranged in a one-to-one manner.

[0022] In some embodiments, the optical chip includes a plurality of the antenna assemblies, and the plurality of antenna assemblies are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the encapsulation layer, and an interval portion is formed between two adjacent antenna assemblies;

[0023] The heat-blocking cavity is provided inside the projection of any one of the antenna assemblies and / or any one of the interval portions along the stacking direction of the encapsulation layer and the first portion, and the plurality of heat-blocking cavities are spaced apart from each other or communicated with each other in sequence.

[0024] In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer includes a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer;

[0025] The first cladding layer, the second cladding layer and the first portion are stacked in sequence, and one of the antenna array and the heating device is arranged on the first cladding layer, and the other of the antenna array and the heating device is arranged on the second cladding layer.

[0026] In some embodiments, the length direction of the antenna unit is perpendicular to the interval direction of the antenna assemblies;

[0027] The extension dimension of the heat-blocking cavity along the stacking direction is between 0 μm and 675 μm;

[0028] and / or, the extension dimension of the heat-blocking cavity along the interval direction is between 10 μm and 2 mm;

[0029] and / or, the extension dimension of the heat-blocking cavity along the length direction is between 500 μm and 5 cm.

[0030] In some embodiments, the length direction of the antenna unit is perpendicular to the interval direction of the antenna assemblies;

[0031] The extension dimension of the first connection portion along the stacking direction is between 0 μm and 675 μm;

[0032] and / or, the extension dimension of the first connection portion along the interval direction is between 100 μm and 1 mm;

[0033] and / or, the extension dimension of the first connection portion along the length direction is between 500 μm and 5 cm.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the optical chip provided by this application are as follows:

[0035] Compared with the prior art, in the optical chip provided by the present application, a plurality of antenna components are arranged at intervals in the wrapping layer, and each antenna component includes an antenna array and a heating device for heating the antenna array, and the refractive index of each antenna array is modulated by thermal light. The wrapping layer and the first part of the substrate layer are stacked, and the first part provides support for the wrapping layer from one side. The second part is arranged on the side of the first part away from the wrapping layer, and the first part and the second part are combined to form a heat-resistant cavity. The heat-resistant cavity and the wrapping layer are isolated by the first part, and the heat-resistant cavity is formed by the second part and the first part. Compared with the substrate layer without a heat-resistant cavity design, the heat-resistant cavity can reduce the amount of layer material of the substrate layer by opening the heat-resistant cavity, and the support of the layer of the wrapping layer is not affected.

[0036] In an optical chip, one of any two adjacent antenna components will transfer heat to the other through the substrate layer. By setting up a heat-resistant cavity, part of the substrate layer material is removed, that is, the material available for heat transfer is reduced, thereby limiting the amount of heat transfer between antenna components per unit time, reducing or even eliminating thermal interference between antenna arrays, and thereby increasing the correction of aberrations between antenna arrays, making them closer to or equal to the preset aberrations, thereby improving the detection capability and accuracy of phased array lidar.

[0037] Another object of the present application is to provide a laser radar, which includes the optical chip as described above.

[0038] The laser radar provided by the present application uses the optical chip provided by the present application, so the amount of material in the substrate layer of the optical chip is reduced, thereby limiting the amount of heat transfer between antenna components per unit time, reducing or even eliminating thermal interference between antenna arrays, and thereby increasing the correction of the aberrations between antenna arrays, making them more close to or equal to the aberrations that are consistent with the preset ones, thereby ultimately improving the detection capability and accuracy of the laser radar.

[0039] Another object of the present application is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical chip, the method comprising:

[0040] Providing a prefabricated layer group, the prefabricated layer group comprising a wrapping layer and a substrate layer; wherein an antenna assembly is prefabricated in the wrapping layer, the antenna assembly comprising an antenna array and a heating device for heating the antenna array;

[0041] A portion of the substrate layer material is removed from a side of the substrate layer away from the wrapping layer to form a heat-resistant cavity, and a maximum thickness of the removed portion of the layer material is smaller than a thickness of the substrate layer.

[0042] In some embodiments, the step of removing a portion of the substrate layer material from a side of the substrate layer away from the wrapping layer to form the heat-resistant cavity comprises:

[0043] The projection of the boundary of the removed partial layer material along the stacking direction of the wrapping layer and the substrate layer is located outside the boundary of the antenna component or is flush with the boundary of the antenna component.

[0044] The beneficial effects of the optical chip manufacturing method provided in this application are:

[0045] Compared with the prior art, the optical chip manufacturing method provided in the present application, on the provided prefabricated layer group, only forms a heat-resistant cavity by removing part of the layer material of the substrate layer from the side of the substrate layer away from the wrapping layer, so that part of the substrate layer is removed without affecting the support requirements of the wrapping layer, thereby achieving the purpose of limiting the amount of heat transfer per unit time between each antenna component, reducing or even eliminating the thermal interference between each antenna array, and thereby increasing the correction of the aberration between each antenna array.

[0046] The cutting operation included in the manufacturing method is relatively simple and easier to implement. The manufacturing method has a short processing cycle and low cost, and can reduce the production cycle and production cost of the optical chip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an optical chip provided in an embodiment of the present application along a stacking direction;

[0049] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an optical chip provided in an embodiment of the present application along the stacking direction;

[0050] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A perspective view of the optical chip along the stacking direction is provided;

[0051] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an optical chip provided by another embodiment of the present application along the stacking direction;

[0052] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of an optical chip provided in another embodiment of the present application along the stacking direction

[0053] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of an optical chip provided in yet another embodiment of the present application along the stacking direction;

[0054] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method for manufacturing an optical chip provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0055] Among them, the reference numerals in the figures are as follows:

[0056] 100, optical chip;

[0057] 101, substrate layer; 102, cladding layer; 103, antenna assembly; 104, heat insulation cavity; 105, optical beam splitting structure; 106, carrier board;

[0058] 1011, first part; 1012, second part;

[0059] 1011a, first connection part; 1011b, second connection part;

[0060] 1012a, support part; 1012b, middle part;

[0061] 1021, first cladding layer; 1022, second cladding layer;

[0062] 1031, antenna array; 1032, heating device;

[0063] 1031a, antenna unit; 1031b, spacer. Detailed implementation manners

[0064] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0065] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0066] It should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present application.

[0067] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0068] The optical chip 100, the method for manufacturing the optical chip 100 and the laser radar provided in the embodiments of the present application are now described.

[0069] See also Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the optical core provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a wrapping layer 102 and a substrate layer 101, and an antenna assembly 103 disposed in the wrapping layer 102. The antenna assembly 103 includes an antenna array 1031 and a heating device 1032 for heating the antenna array 1031. The antenna array 1031 includes a plurality of antenna monomers 1031a, and the plurality of antenna monomers 1031a are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the wrapping layer 102. The substrate layer 101 includes a first portion 1011 and a second portion 1012. The wrapping layer 102 and the first portion 1011 are stacked, and the second portion 1012 is disposed on a side of the first portion 1011 away from the wrapping layer 102. The first portion 1011 and the second portion 1012 are enclosed to form a heat-resistant cavity 104.

[0070] The substrate layer 101 generally refers to a silicon substrate layer 101 , and its material includes but is not limited to silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and the like.

[0071] The wrapping layer 102 generally refers to a layer structure provided with an antenna assembly 103 and a heating device 1032, and can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. The wrapping layer 102 is insulated from the substrate layer 101. The material of the wrapping layer 102 includes but is not limited to silicon oxide or benzocyclobutene. When the wrapping layer 102 includes a multi-layer structure, the materials of the multi-layer structure can be the same or different.

[0072] It should be noted that an optical coupling structure, an optical beam splitting structure 105 or a phase shifter array may also be provided in the wrapping layer 102, and the layer formed by the optical coupling structure, the optical beam splitting structure 105, the phase shifter array and the antenna array 1031 may be referred to as a semiconductor layer or a waveguide layer. In the embodiment of the present application, the wrapping layer 102 contains a semiconductor layer or a waveguide layer, and the specific structure of the semiconductor layer or the waveguide layer is a technology known to those skilled in the art, and is not described in detail in the embodiment of the present application.

[0073] The heating device 1032 refers to a device that can convert electrical energy into thermal energy and then provide heat to the antenna array 1031 , and can be, for example, a heating electrode. The material of the heating electrode includes but is not limited to aluminum, copper or titanium nitride.

[0074] In the optical chip 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged at intervals in the wrapping layer 102, and each antenna component 103 includes an antenna array 1031 and a heating device 1032 for heating the antenna array 1031, and the refractive index of each antenna array 1031 is modulated by thermo-optical modulation. The wrapping layer 102 and the first portion 1011 of the substrate layer 101 are stacked, and the first portion 1011 provides support for the wrapping layer 102 from one side thereof. The second part 1012 is arranged on a side of the first part 1011 away from the wrapping layer 102, and the first part 1011 and the second part 1012 together form a heat-resistant cavity 104. The heat-resistant cavity 104 and the wrapping layer 102 are isolated by the first part 1011, and the heat-resistant cavity 104 is formed by the second part 1012 and the first part 1011. Compared with the substrate layer 101 without the heat-resistant cavity 104, the heat-resistant cavity 104 can reduce the amount of layer material of the substrate layer 101, and the support of the layer of the wrapping layer 102 is not affected.

[0075] In the optical chip 100, one of any two adjacent antenna components 103 will transfer heat to the other through the substrate layer 101. By setting the heat-resistant cavity 104, part of the layer material of the substrate layer 101 is removed, that is, the material available for heat transfer is reduced, and the amount of heat transfer per unit time between the antenna components 103 is limited, thereby reducing or even eliminating the thermal interference between the antenna arrays 1031, thereby increasing the correction of the aberrations between the antenna arrays 1031, making them closer to or equal to the aberrations consistent with the preset, thereby improving the detection capability and accuracy of the phased array lidar.

[0076] In some embodiments, the heat-resistance cavity 104 is communicated with a side of the second portion 1012 facing away from the first portion 1011 , so that the heat-resistance cavity 104 is opened from the side of the second portion 1012 facing away from the first portion 1011 .

[0077] In some embodiments, a heat-resistance cavity 104 is opened on a side of the second part 1012 away from the first part 1011, and part of the material of the substrate layer 101 is removed from the middle part 1012b of the side, while the material of the peripheral part is retained, so that the second part 1012 forms a surrounding structure, so that the first part 1011 and the second part 1012 are enclosed to form a heat-resistance cavity 104 having a bottom wall, an annular side wall and an opening. The bottom wall is the first part 1011, and the annular side wall is the second part 1012. The bottom wall and the opening are arranged oppositely, and the side where the opening is located can be supported on the carrier 106, and then the prefabricated layer structure composed of the wrapping layer 102 and the substrate layer 101 can be placed on the carrier 106 through the side where the opening is located.

[0078] Since the second part 1012 is a surrounding structure, it can support the first part 1011 from the entire circumference of the first part 1011, maintain the support strength and support balance of the wrapping layer 102 and the first part 1011, and improve the overall structural strength and balance of the optical chip 100.

[0079] In some embodiments, the second portion 1012 has a side surface located between the first portion 1011 and a side away from the first portion 1011 , and the cavity structure may also be formed by removing part of the material from the side surface.

[0080] There may be one or more heat-resistant cavities 104. When there is one heat-resistant cavity 104, the extension dimension of the heat-resistant cavity 104 along the extension direction of the substrate layer 101 is large enough. Optimally, the extension dimension of the heat-resistant cavity 104 may be greater than or equal to the extension dimension of the plurality of antenna assemblies 103 along the extension direction of the wrapping layer 102. When there are a plurality of heat-resistant cavities 104, the plurality of heat-resistant cavities 104 may be arbitrarily spaced along the extension direction of the substrate layer 101.

[0081] Among them, no matter the number of heat-resistant cavities 104 is one or more, the cavity shape of the heat-resistant cavity 104 can be arbitrary, for example, it can be a regular cavity structure such as a U-shaped cavity, a C-shaped cavity, a square cavity, etc. that is open toward the side where the carrier 106 is located, or it can be an irregular cavity structure that is open toward the side where the carrier 106 is located.

[0082] Among them, when the number of heat-resistant cavities 104 is multiple, the number, shape, and cross-sectional size of the heat-resistant cavities 104 can be specifically set according to the area size of the antenna array 1031, and the shapes of each heat-resistant cavity 104 can be the same or different, and the sizes of each heat-resistant cavity 104 can be the same or different, including the size along the overlapping direction and any extension direction of the layer structure.

[0083] Reference Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the optical chip 100 includes a plurality of antenna components 103, and the plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the wrapping layer 102. The projections of the plurality of antenna components 103 along the stacking direction of the wrapping layer 102 and the first portion 1011 are located inside the boundary of the heat-resistant cavity 104 or flush with the boundary of the heat-resistant cavity 104.

[0084] That is to say, in the optical chip 100, part of the material on the substrate layer 101 that is directly opposite to the multiple antenna components 103 in the stacking direction is removed. At this time, the number of heat-blocking cavities 104 is one. By removing the material on the substrate layer 101 that is directly opposite to any two adjacent antenna components 103 through one heat-blocking cavity 104, the purpose of restricting the heat transfer amount between any two adjacent antenna components 103 per unit time can be achieved, reducing or even eliminating the heat interference between adjacent antenna arrays 1031, and further increasing the correction of the aberration between each antenna array 1031, improving the detection ability and accuracy of the phased array lidar.

[0085] Referring to Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, a spacer 1031b is formed between two adjacent antenna components 103. The first part 1011 includes alternately arranged first connecting parts 1011a and second connecting parts 1011b. The first connecting parts 1011a are arranged opposite to the antenna components 103, and the second connecting parts 1011b are arranged opposite to the spacer 1031b. The thickness of the first connecting parts 1011a is greater than the thickness of the second connecting parts 1011b.

[0086] The thickness of the first connecting parts 1011a is greater than the thickness of the second connecting parts 1011b. Compared with the scheme where the thicknesses of the first connecting parts 1011a and the second connecting parts 1011b are the same, the excess part of the thickness of the second connecting parts 1011b increases the amount of material of the substrate layer 101 that is retained, which can enhance the overall strength of the optical chip 100. Moreover, the first connecting parts 1011a are arranged opposite to the antenna components 103, and the multiple first connecting parts 1011a form a more precise auxiliary supporting effect on the multiple antenna components 103.

[0087] More importantly, by thinning the first connecting parts 1011a relative to the second connecting parts 1011b and arranging the first connecting parts 1011a opposite to the spacer 1031b, the heat transferred through the first connecting parts 1011a can be reduced, thereby reducing the heat interference between adjacent antenna arrays 1031 and increasing the correction of the aberration between adjacent antenna arrays 1031.

[0088] In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent first connecting parts 1011a is greater than the distance between two adjacent antenna components 103.

[0089] On the basis of thinning the first connecting parts 1011a relative to the second connecting parts 1011b and arranging the first connecting parts 1011a opposite to the spacer 1031b, by increasing the extension dimension of the first connecting parts 1011a in the heat transfer direction, the path length of heat transfer is increased, thereby reducing the heat interference between adjacent antenna arrays 1031 and increasing the correction of the aberration between adjacent antenna arrays 1031.

[0090] Reference Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the thickness of the second part 1012 remains unchanged along the spacing direction of the plurality of antenna components 103.

[0091] That is to say, the thicknesses of the above-mentioned first connecting part 1011a and second connecting part 1011b are the same. The advantage of such a setting is that the support strengths received by the plurality of antenna components 103 are the same, and the structure of the substrate layer 101 can be simplified, and the processing technology is relatively more simplified.

[0092] In some embodiments, the second part 1012 includes at least two support parts 1012a provided on opposite sides of the first part 1011. The second part 1012 is connected between the two support parts 1012a, and at least two support parts 1012a and the first part 1011 enclose a heat insulation cavity 104.

[0093] Since the wrapping layer 102 needs to be supported on the substrate layer 101, the main function of the first part 1011 is to space the antenna component 103 and the heat insulation cavity 104, and the main function of the second part 1012 is to set the heat insulation cavity 104 and support the first part 1011 and the wrapping layer 102. Therefore, the second part 1012 needs to have at least two opposite support parts 1012a to ensure that it can provide a balanced support for the first part 1011 and the wrapping layer 102.

[0094] In other embodiments, the second part 1012 can also support the first part 1011 from at least three sides, that is, another support part 1012a is connected between the two opposite support parts 1012a, and an opening is formed on the side opposite to the support part 1012a.

[0095] In other embodiments, as described above, the second part 1012 can be in a surrounding structure and support the first part 1011 from the entire circumference of the first part 1011, and its support effect is more stable and balanced.

[0096] In some embodiments, the second part 1012 further includes a plurality of intermediate parts 1012b arranged at intervals. The plurality of intermediate parts 1012b are arranged between the two support parts 1012a, and the plurality of intermediate parts 1012b are respectively connected to the first part 1011. A heat insulation cavity 104 is formed between adjacent two intermediate parts 1012b, and a heat insulation cavity 104 is formed between the adjacent support part 1012a and the intermediate part 1012b.

[0097] Among them, the quantity, shape, cross-sectional size of the middle part 1012b, and the spacing between adjacent middle parts 1012b can be specifically set according to the area size of the antenna array 1031. The shapes of the respective middle parts 1012b can be the same or different, and the sizes of the respective middle parts 1012b can be the same or different. The size includes the size in the overlapping direction and any extension direction of the layer structure.

[0098] Among them, a middle part 1012b is reserved between adjacent heat insulation cavities 104. The middle part 1012b is part of the material of the substrate layer 101, which is beneficial to maintaining the structural strength of the substrate layer 101, providing necessary support for the encapsulation layer 102, and ensuring the overall strength of the optical chip 100.

[0099] Refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the optical chip 100 includes a plurality of antenna components 103. The plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the encapsulation layer 102, and an interval part 1031b is formed between two adjacent antenna components 103. Refer to Figure 6 As shown, in one implementation, the plurality of heat insulation cavities 104 and the plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged one-to-one. Refer to Figure 5 As shown, in another implementation, the plurality of heat insulation cavities 104 and the plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged one-to-one.

[0100] Whether the plurality of heat insulation cavities 104 and the plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged one-to-one, or the plurality of heat insulation cavities 104 and the plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged one-to-one, since each heat insulation cavity 104 is formed by removing a part of the material of the substrate layer 101, the purpose of restricting the heat transfer amount per unit time between any two adjacent antenna components 103 can be achieved through the plurality of heat insulation cavities 104, reducing or even eliminating the thermal interference between adjacent antenna arrays 1031, and further increasing the correction of the aberration between the antenna arrays 1031.

[0101] In some embodiments, the optical chip 100 includes a plurality of antenna components 103. The plurality of antenna components 103 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the encapsulation layer 102, and an interval part 1031b is formed between two adjacent antenna components 103; a heat insulation cavity 104 is provided inside the projection of any antenna component 103 and / or any interval part 1031b along the stacking direction of the encapsulation layer 102 and the first part 1011, and the plurality of heat insulation cavities 104 are spaced apart from each other or communicated in sequence. Among them, a middle part 1012b can be provided between adjacent heat insulation cavities 104, and channels with any shape can be provided on the middle part 1012b to communicate two adjacent heat insulation cavities 104 through the channels.

[0102] In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 102 includes a first encapsulation layer 1021 and a second encapsulation layer 1022; the first encapsulation layer 1021, the second encapsulation layer 1022, and the first portion 1011 are stacked in sequence, and one of the antenna array 1031 and the heating device 1032 is disposed in the first encapsulation layer 1021, and the other of the antenna array 1031 and the heating device 1032 is disposed in the second encapsulation layer 1022.

[0103] Thus, two setting manners of the antenna array 1031 and the heating device 1032 are provided, and specific selection can be made according to the requirements of the optical chip 100. Of course, the encapsulation layer 102 can also be a single-layer structure. Among them, the material of the encapsulation layer includes but is not limited to silicon oxide or benzocyclobutene, and the materials of the first encapsulation layer 1021 and the second encapsulation layer 1022 can be the same or different.

[0104] It should be noted that in the encapsulation layer provided with the antenna array 1031, an optical coupling structure, an optical beam splitting structure 105, or a phase shifter array can also be provided. The layer formed by the optical coupling structure, the optical beam splitting structure 105, the phase shifter array, and the antenna array 1031 can be referred to as a semiconductor layer or a waveguide layer.

[0105] In some embodiments, the projection of the antenna array 1031 in the stacking direction overlaps with the heating device 1032 or is located inside the boundary of the heating device 1032, so as to ensure that the heating device 1032 provides heat for the antenna array 1031 comprehensively and uniformly, thereby improving the modulation effect of the thermo-optic modulation method.

[0106] In some embodiments, the antenna assembly 103 includes a plurality of heating devices 1032 arranged at intervals, the intervals of the plurality of heating devices 1032 and the plurality of antenna elements 1031a are in the same direction, and the heating devices 1032 and the antenna elements 1031a are arranged one-to-one in the overlapping direction, so as to ensure that the heating devices 1032 provide heat for the antenna elements 1031a one-to-one, ensure the comprehensiveness and uniformity of heat supply, and further improve the modulation effect of the thermo-optic modulation method.

[0107] In some embodiments, the length direction of the antenna element 1031a is perpendicular to the interval direction of the antenna assembly 103; the extension dimension of the heat insulation cavity 104 in the stacking direction is between 0 μm and 675 μm; and / or, the extension dimension of the heat insulation cavity 104 in the interval direction is between 10 μm and 2 mm; and / or, the extension dimension of the heat insulation cavity 104 in the length direction is between 500 μm and 5 cm.

[0108] By adopting any combination of the above dimensions, while ensuring that the heat insulation cavity 104 has a good heat insulation effect, the overall structural strength of the optical chip 100 can be ensured.

[0109] In some embodiments, the length direction of the antenna unit 1031a is perpendicular to the spacing direction of the antenna assembly 103; the extension dimension of the first connection portion 1011a in the stacking direction is between 0 μm and 675 μm; and / or, the extension dimension of the first connection portion 1011a in the spacing direction is between 100 μm and 1 mm; and / or, the extension dimension of the first connection portion 1011a in the length direction is between 500 μm and 5 cm.

[0110] By adopting any combination of the above dimensions, while ensuring that the heat insulation groove has a good heat insulation effect, the overall structural strength of the optical chip 100 can be ensured.

[0111] Another object of the present application is to provide a lidar, which includes the optical chip 100 as described above.

[0112] For the lidar provided by the present application, due to the application of the optical chip 100 provided by the present application, the material amount of the substrate layer 101 in the optical chip 100 is reduced, the heat transfer amount between each antenna assembly 103 per unit time is limited, the thermal interference between each antenna array 1031 is reduced or even eliminated, and further the correction of the aberration between each antenna array 1031 is increased, making it more tend to or equal to the aberration that conforms to the preset, and finally improving the detection ability and accuracy of the lidar.

[0113] Refer to Figure 7 As shown in the figure, another object of the embodiment of the present application is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical chip 100, and the manufacturing method includes:

[0114] 1001. Provide a prefabricated layer group, which includes a wrapping layer and a substrate layer; wherein, antenna assemblies are prefabricated in the wrapping layer 102, and the antenna assemblies include antenna arrays and heating devices for heating the antenna arrays;

[0115] 1002. Remove a part of the layer material of the substrate layer from the side of the substrate layer facing away from the wrapping layer to form a heat insulation cavity, and make the maximum thickness of the removed part of the layer material less than the thickness of the substrate layer.

[0116] In some embodiments, 1002. Removing a part of the layer material of the substrate layer from the side of the substrate layer facing away from the wrapping layer to form a heat insulation cavity includes:

[0117] Make the projection of the boundary of the removed part of the layer material in the stacking direction of the wrapping layer and the substrate layer be outside the boundary of the antenna assembly or flush with the boundary of the antenna assembly.

[0118] The manufacturing method of the optical chip 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application, on the provided prefabricated layer group, only removes a part of the layer material of the substrate layer 101 from the side of the substrate layer 101 facing away from the encapsulation layer 102 to form a heat insulation cavity 104, so that a part of the substrate layer 101 is removed without affecting the support requirements of the encapsulation layer 102, and the purpose of restricting the amount of heat transfer between the antenna components 103 per unit time can be achieved, reducing or even eliminating the thermal interference between the antenna arrays 1031, and further increasing the correction of the aberration between the antenna arrays 1031.

[0119] The cutting operation included in this manufacturing method is relatively simple and easier to implement. This manufacturing method has a short processing cycle and low cost, and can reduce the production cycle and production cost of the optical chip 100.

[0120] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical chip, characterized in that: The optical chip includes a cladding layer and a substrate layer, and an antenna assembly disposed in the cladding layer; The antenna assembly includes an antenna array and a heating device for heating the antenna array. The antenna array includes a plurality of antenna elements, and the plurality of antenna elements are spaced apart along the extension direction of the cladding layer; The substrate layer includes a first part and a second part. The cladding layer and the first part are stacked, and the second part is disposed on a side of the first part away from the cladding layer. The first part and the second part enclose a heat insulation cavity.

2. The optical chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat insulation cavity communicates with a side of the second part away from the first part.

3. The optical chip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical chip includes a plurality of the antenna assemblies, and the plurality of antenna assemblies are spaced apart along the extension direction of the cladding layer; the projections of the plurality of antenna assemblies along the stacking direction of the cladding layer and the first part are located inside the boundary of the heat insulation cavity or flush with the boundary of the heat insulation cavity.

4. The optical chip according to claim 3, characterized in that: An interval part is formed between two adjacent antenna assemblies; The first part includes alternately arranged first connecting parts and second connecting parts. The first connecting parts are disposed opposite to the antenna assemblies, and the second connecting parts are disposed opposite to the interval parts. The thickness of the first connecting parts is greater than the thickness of the second connecting parts.

5. The optical chip according to claim 4, characterized in that: The distance between two adjacent first connecting parts is greater than the distance between two adjacent antenna assemblies.

6. The optical chip according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the second part remains unchanged along the interval direction of the plurality of antenna assemblies.

7. The optical chip according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second part at least includes two support parts disposed on opposite sides of the first part. The second part is connected between the two support parts, and at least the two support parts and the first part enclose the heat insulation cavity.

8. The optical chip according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second part further includes a plurality of intermediate parts arranged at intervals; The plurality of intermediate parts are disposed between the two support parts, and the plurality of intermediate parts are respectively connected to the first part. A heat insulation cavity is formed between two adjacent intermediate parts, and a heat insulation cavity is formed between an adjacent support part and an intermediate part.

9. The optical chip according to claim 8, characterized in that: The optical chip includes a plurality of the antenna assemblies, and the plurality of antenna assemblies are spaced apart along the extension direction of the cladding layer. An interval part is formed between two adjacent antenna assemblies; The plurality of heat insulation cavities and the plurality of antenna assemblies are arranged in a one-to-one manner; Or, the plurality of heat insulation cavities and the plurality of antenna assemblies are arranged in a one-to-one manner.

10. The optical chip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The optical chip includes a plurality of the antenna components, and the plurality of antenna components are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the encapsulation layer, and an interval part is formed between two adjacent antenna components; In the projection of any one of the antenna components and / or any one of the interval parts along the stacking direction of the encapsulation layer and the first part, there is the heat insulation cavity, and the plurality of heat insulation cavities are spaced from each other or communicated in sequence.

11. The optical chip according to any one of claims 3, 8, and 9, characterized in that: The encapsulation layer includes a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer; The first cladding layer, the second cladding layer, and the first part are stacked in sequence, and one of the antenna array and the heating device is arranged on the first cladding layer, and the other of the antenna array and the heating device is arranged on the second cladding layer.

12. The optical chip according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length direction of the antenna unit is perpendicular to the interval direction of the antenna components; The extension dimension of the heat insulation cavity along the stacking direction is between 0 μm and 675 μm; and / or, the extension dimension of the heat insulation cavity along the interval direction is between 10 μm and 2 mm; and / or, the extension dimension of the heat insulation cavity along the length direction is between 500 μm and 5 cm.

13. The optical chip according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The length direction of the antenna unit is perpendicular to the interval direction of the antenna components; The extension dimension of the first connection part along the stacking direction is between 0 μm and 675 μm; and / or, the extension dimension of the first connection part along the interval direction is between 100 μm and 1 mm; and / or, the extension dimension of the first connection part along the length direction is between 500 μm and 5 cm.

14. A lidar, characterized in that: The lidar includes the optical chip according to any one of claims 1-13.

15. A method for manufacturing an optical chip, characterized in that: Provide a prefabricated layer group, the prefabricated layer group includes an encapsulation layer and a substrate layer; wherein, the antenna components are prefabricated in the encapsulation layer, and the antenna components include an antenna array and a heating device for heating the antenna array; Remove part of the layer material of the substrate layer from the side of the substrate layer facing away from the encapsulation layer to form a heat insulation cavity, and make the maximum thickness of the removed part of the layer material less than the thickness of the substrate layer.

16. The method for manufacturing an optical chip according to claim 15, characterized in that: The removing part of the layer material of the substrate layer from the side of the substrate layer facing away from the encapsulation layer to form a heat insulation cavity includes: Making the boundary of the removed part of the layer material located outside the boundary of the antenna component or flush with the boundary of the antenna component in the projection along the stacking direction of the encapsulation layer and the substrate layer.

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