Optoelectronic chip manufacturing method based on back-end reconstruction and optoelectronic chip
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611179220.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-08-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-09
AI Technical Summary
[0004]本发明的实施例提供了一种基于后道重构的光电芯片制造方法及光电芯片,旨在解决现有光电芯片功能扩展成本高、周期长的技术问题
[0014]与现有技术相比,本申请通过在标准制造完成的光电芯片上进行后道开槽与控光材料填充,无需重新流片即可实现多种功能的灵活扩展,大幅缩短了开发周期并降低了定制成本,同时,利用材料与波导芯的直接作用进行光信号调控,避免了复杂的外围驱动系统,显著降低了功耗与系统复杂度。
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Figure CN122892284A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of optoelectronic chip manufacturing technology, and in particular to an optoelectronic chip manufacturing method and an optoelectronic chip based on back-end reconstruction. Background Technology
[0002] Optoelectronic chips, as core devices for information transmission and processing, have wide applications in optical communication, optical computing, and sensing. Currently, the manufacturing of optoelectronic chips is mainly based on standard silicon photonics process platforms, which enable the mass production and standardized fabrication of basic optical components such as optical waveguides.
[0003] However, the current implementation and expansion of optoelectronic chip functions mainly rely on the custom design mode of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). This means that functions need to be fixed according to specific application scenarios during the chip design stage, and manufacturing is completed through a complex tape-out process. This mode has significant application bottlenecks: once functional requirements change or new functions need to be added, the design layout must be readjusted and a new round of mask manufacturing and tape-out must be started, resulting in a significantly extended R&D cycle, extremely high development costs, and a single chip cannot achieve flexible switching and expansion of multiple functions. Existing mainstream function control schemes, such as silicon-based thermo-optical and electro-optical control schemes, not only require complex control systems and peripheral driving circuits in practical applications, resulting in large system sizes and high power consumption, but also have high application barriers. Therefore, how to reduce the cost of expanding the functions of optoelectronic chips has become a pressing technical challenge in this field. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide a method for manufacturing optoelectronic chips based on post-processing reconstruction and an optoelectronic chip, aiming to solve the technical problems of high cost and long cycle of functional expansion of existing optoelectronic chips.
[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optoelectronic chip based on back-end reconstruction. The method includes: providing an optoelectronic chip manufactured using standard semiconductor processes, the optoelectronic chip having a waveguide core and a dielectric cladding covering the waveguide core; performing a grooving process at a predetermined position on the dielectric cladding to remove a portion of the dielectric cladding to form a groove, thereby exposing the waveguide core at the predetermined position through the groove; filling the groove with a light-controlling material, thereby covering the exposed waveguide core to form a light-controlling material layer, wherein the light-controlling material layer and the waveguide core cooperate to constitute an extended functional device for controlling the optical signal of the waveguide core.
[0006] Furthermore, the light-controlling material is a polymer material, and the extended functional device is an optical switch device, which is used to turn on or off the optical path of the optical signal.
[0007] Furthermore, the polymer material is SU-8 photoresist or polymethyl methacrylate.
[0008] Furthermore, the printing precision of the 3D printing process is 1μm~100μm.
[0009] Furthermore, the optoelectronic chip has a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, which has an input beam splitter, an output beam combiner, and a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm connected between the beam splitter and the beam combiner; the preset position is located on the first waveguide arm or the second waveguide arm.
[0010] Furthermore, the optoelectronic chip has a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, which has an input beam splitter, an output beam combiner, and a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm connected between the beam splitter and the beam combiner; the preset position is located on the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm, respectively.
[0011] Furthermore, the groove has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and its dimensions are adapted to the transmission path of the waveguide core layer.
[0012] Furthermore, the method also includes: performing optical transmission tests on the optoelectronic chip to verify the optical path modulation effect of the extended functional device.
[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides an optoelectronic chip, comprising: a chip substrate; a waveguide core disposed on the chip substrate; a dielectric cladding covering the waveguide core, wherein a groove is formed at a predetermined position of the dielectric cladding, the groove exposing the waveguide core; and a light-controlling material layer filling the groove and covering the exposed waveguide core, wherein the light-controlling material layer and the waveguide core cooperate to form an extended functional device for controlling the optical signal of the waveguide core.
[0014] Compared with existing technologies, this application achieves flexible expansion of multiple functions by performing back-end slotting and light-controlling material filling on standard manufactured optoelectronic chips without the need for re-fabrication, which greatly shortens the development cycle and reduces customization costs. At the same time, by utilizing the direct interaction between materials and waveguide cores for optical signal modulation, complex peripheral driving systems are avoided, significantly reducing power consumption and system complexity. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.
[0016] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the steps of the method provided in this embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 This is a vertically exploded view of the optoelectronic chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the exposed waveguide core after slotting of the optoelectronic chip according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the separation state of the waveguide core and the light-controlling material layer of the optoelectronic chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection state between the waveguide core and the light-controlling material layer of the optoelectronic chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 A three-dimensional view of the photoelectric chip after back-end reconstruction and integration provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a top view of the photoelectric chip after back-end reconstruction and integration provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the Mach-Zehnder interference structure of the optoelectronic chip provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the optical switching device formed by the post-processing reconstruction of the optoelectronic chip provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the optical switching device formed by the post-processing reconstruction of the optoelectronic chip provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 .
[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Chip substrate; 20. Waveguide core; 21. First waveguide arm; 22. Second waveguide arm; 23. Input beam splitter; 24. Output beam combiner; 30. Dielectric cladding; 301. Groove; 40. Light control material layer; 41. Extended functional device; 41a. Optical switch device; 50. Buried oxide layer. Detailed Implementation
[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0019] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.
[0020] Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a method for manufacturing optoelectronic chips based on back-end reconstruction. This method enables flexible reconstruction and expansion of functions after chip manufacturing without changing the standard front-end silicon photonics process. The method includes the following steps S1 to S3.
[0021] S1. Provide optoelectronic chips manufactured using standard semiconductor processes.
[0022] In practice, the optoelectronic chip provided in this step is a basic chip manufactured using standard silicon photonics processes (such as CMOS-compatible processes). See also Figure 2 The optoelectronic chip, from bottom to top, comprises a chip substrate 10 (such as a silicon substrate), a buried oxide layer 50 (as a lower cladding layer), a waveguide core 20, and a dielectric cladding layer 30 covering the waveguide core 20. The chip substrate 10 serves as the physical foundation of the optoelectronic chip, providing mechanical support and insulation for the upper thin-film structures. The waveguide core 20 is typically made of high-refractive-index silicon waveguide material and is the core channel for optical signal transmission. Utilizing the significant refractive index difference between the waveguide core 20 and the surrounding cladding layers (i.e., the buried oxide layer 50 and the dielectric cladding layer 30), the optical signal is confined within the waveguide core 20 through total internal reflection for low-loss transmission. The dielectric cladding layer 30 covers the waveguide core 20. In this embodiment, the dielectric cladding layer 30 is the top oxide layer of the optoelectronic chip, primarily made of silicon dioxide. Its function is to provide optical confinement and protect the exposed waveguide core 20 from environmental contamination and damage. It is understandable that before the optoelectronic chip undergoes back-end reconstruction, its internal optical path topology and basic functions have been completely solidified by the front-end processes (such as photolithography, etching, doping, etc.). This invention utilizes this standard solidified structure as a physical carrier to reconstruct and expand its functions through subsequent grooving and 3D printing steps.
[0023] S2. Grooving is performed at a preset position of the dielectric cladding to remove part of the dielectric cladding and form a groove, thereby exposing the waveguide core at the preset position through the groove.
[0024] In specific implementation, see Figure 3 This step involves precisely grooving the dielectric cladding 30 (i.e., top oxide layer) at the location on the chip where functional reconstruction is required, based on the target functional requirements, such as realizing the target function of an optical switch.
[0025] Specifically, etching processes (such as reactive ion etching (RIE) or inductively coupled plasma etching (ICP) or laser ablation processes can be used to remove a portion of the dielectric cladding 30 material at a predetermined location, thereby forming a groove 301 penetrating the dielectric cladding 30. The depth of this groove 301 must be sufficient to completely expose the waveguide core 20 at the predetermined location below, providing a physical interface for the subsequent attachment and contact of the light-controlling material. In a preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 301 can be rectangular, and the size of the groove 301 is adapted to the transmission path of the waveguide core 20, ensuring that the waveguide core 20 is fully exposed without damaging its structural integrity.
[0026] S3. Fill the groove with light-controlling material to cover the exposed waveguide core and form a light-controlling material layer. The light-controlling material layer and the waveguide core cooperate to form an extended functional device for controlling the optical signal of the waveguide core.
[0027] In specific implementation, see Figures 4 to 7 This step is the core of the post-processing reconstruction of the optoelectronic chip. The groove 301 formed in step S2 is filled with a light-controlling material that can interact with the optical signal. This light-controlling material covers the exposed waveguide core 20 surface, forming a light-controlling material layer 40. In practice, the light-controlling material can be precisely filled into the groove 301 using micro-nano point-machining methods (such as 3D printing, inkjet printing, or micro-injection molding), ensuring close contact with the exposed waveguide core 20 to form an integrated composite material structure, namely the light-controlling material layer 40. The filled light-controlling material layer 40 and the underlying waveguide core 20 work together to form an extended functional device 41. This extended functional device 41 modulates the optical signal transmitted in the waveguide core 20 by changing the physical properties or structure of the light-controlling material layer 40, such as switching the optical path on / off. It should be noted that the light-controlling material mentioned in this step can be selected from different types depending on the specific function to be achieved. For example, when the extended function device 41 is designed as an optical switch, the light-controlling material can be a polymer material with a specific refractive index, such as SU-8 photoresist or PMMA.
[0028] Through the above steps S1-S3, the "grooving and filling" back-end process is used to realize the secondary integration and reconstruction of functions on the standard optoelectronic chip. Without redesigning the chip layout and tape-out, multiple different functions can be flexibly expanded on a single chip.
[0029] In one embodiment, filling the groove with light-controlling material includes: filling the groove with the light-controlling material at specific points using a 3D printing process.
[0030] In specific implementation, the light-controlling material is precisely filled into the groove 301 using 3D printing technology. The specific operation process is as follows: First, prepare the 3D printing equipment and plan the path. First, based on the pre-defined location of the groove 301 in step S2 (i.e., the specific coordinates on the photoelectric chip dielectric cladding 30), establish the motion control path of the 3D printing equipment. Fix the grooved photoelectric chip in place, and use the vision alignment system built into the 3D printing equipment (e.g., a high-precision CCD image sensor or laser positioning system) to accurately identify and position the groove 301 area on the chip, ensuring that the spatial coordinates of the printing nozzle are precisely aligned with the center of the groove 301. Second, perform precise filling and precision control. After positioning, start the 3D printing equipment, and deposit the liquid or slurry-like light-controlling material (e.g., a polymer precursor solution) into the groove 301 layer by layer and point by point through the micron-level printing nozzle in a micro-droplet jet or micro-extrusion manner, following the preset path. After completing the above deposition steps, the polymer material filled into the groove 301 needs to undergo curing treatment (e.g., UV curing or heat curing) to ultimately form a stable polymer filling layer that is tightly bonded to the exposed waveguide core 20. Due to the extremely high spatial positioning accuracy of 3D printing at the micro-nano scale, this process effectively ensures precise coverage of the light-controlling material within the grooved area, avoiding contamination or damage to the optical structures adjacent to the chip surface due to material overflow or insufficient filling. This high-precision point-filling method not only ensures excellent process repeatability of the optical switch device 41a during processing but also provides a reliable technical foundation for subsequent single-chip and wafer-level batch reconfiguration.
[0031] Furthermore, the printing precision of the 3D printing process is 1μm~100μm. In specific implementation, during the aforementioned 3D printing process, the printing precision is controlled within the range of 1μm to 100μm. This precision range perfectly meets the requirements of micro-nano scale functional integration in optoelectronic chips. A lower precision of 1μm is sufficient to meet the forming requirements of ultra-fine structures (such as the tiny refractive index control region in an optical switch). An upper precision of 100μm balances the production efficiency for larger area material coverage or wafer-level parallel printing. Within this precision range, the printing material can accurately cover the exposed waveguide core 20, effectively avoiding the problem of functional material overflow due to excessively large printing size, or the inability of the light-controlling material to completely encapsulate the waveguide core 20 due to excessively small size.
[0032] In one embodiment, see Figure 8 The light-controlling material is a polymer material, and the extended functional device is an optical switch device, which is used to turn on or off the optical path of the optical signal.
[0033] In specific implementations, the light-controlling material can be a polymer material with specific optical properties. Specifically, the polymer material is preferably SU-8 photoresist or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Such polymer materials not only have good light transmittance and micro / nano fabrication adaptability, but also can change the local optical properties of the waveguide core 20 through contact with it, thereby achieving optical signal modulation. The polymer material filling the groove 301 covers the exposed waveguide core 20, and together with the waveguide core 20, constitutes an optical switch device 41a for controlling the optical path. This optical switch device 41a can be used to turn the optical signal on or off when needed. For example, by changing the refractive index or physical state of the polymer material, the propagation path of the optical signal in the waveguide core 20 can be changed, thereby achieving effective control of the optical path. In this process, since there is no need to redesign the entire optoelectronic chip, this method can flexibly add or expand the optical signal routing function without affecting the original basic functions of the chip.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the polymer material is SU-8 photoresist or polymethyl methacrylate.
[0035] In practice, SU-8 photoresist is an epoxy resin material with high refractive index and good optical transparency. It can be precisely filled into the groove 301 through 3D printing and, after curing, forms a polymer filling layer that is tightly bonded to the waveguide core 20 layer. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) also has good light transmittance and film-forming properties and can be deposited into the groove 301 through 3D printing to form a polymer layer covering the waveguide core 20 layer. The refractive indices of both SU-8 and PMMA are significantly different from those of the dielectric cladding 30 surrounding the waveguide core 20 layer. After being filled into the groove 301, both can change the effective refractive index of the local area of the waveguide core 20 layer, thereby realizing the conduction or disconnection function of the optical switch device 41a. In practical applications, SU-8 photoresist or PMMA can be selected as the printing material according to specific process requirements to meet the requirements of different optical switch devices 41a for refractive index modulation, curing temperature, and post-processing.
[0036] Furthermore, the printing precision of the 3D printing process is 1μm~100μm.
[0037] In specific implementation, to adapt to the micro-nano scale waveguide structure of optoelectronic chips, the processing accuracy of the 3D printing process needs to be strictly controlled during the construction of the optical switch device 41a using polymer materials. Preferably, the 3D printing accuracy in this step is between 1 micrometer and 100 micrometers. Since the waveguide core 20 in the optoelectronic chip is typically micrometer-scale, a lower limit of 1 micrometer accuracy is sufficient to ensure that the polymer material can be accurately positioned within the target groove 301, avoiding contamination of adjacent non-target areas due to printing offset or material overflow, thereby ensuring accurate adhesion of the printed material. An upper limit of 100 micrometers accuracy ensures that the printed polymer coating has sufficient thickness and area, ensuring that the polymer material covering the exposed waveguide core 20 can fully interact with the optical signal. Within this preferred accuracy range, the 3D printing process can achieve high-precision point filling, enabling a stable and tight physical contact between the polymer material and the waveguide core 20, thereby ensuring reliable optical path control performance of the optical switch device 41a under various application conditions. Furthermore, this accuracy range can meet the processing requirements of precision optical structures while also ensuring high processing efficiency, making it suitable for large-scale applications of back-end reconstruction of optoelectronic chips.
[0038] In one embodiment, see Figure 8 and Figure 9 The optoelectronic chip has a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, which has an input beam splitter, an output beam combiner, and a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm connected between the beam splitter and the beam combiner; the preset position is located on the first waveguide arm or the second waveguide arm.
[0039] In specific implementation, the optoelectronic chip is pre-constructed with a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, a common basic optical path topology in silicon-based optoelectronic chips. Its specific components include an input beamsplitter 23 at the front end of the optical path, an output beam combiner 24 at the rear end of the optical path, and a first waveguide arm 21 and a second waveguide arm 22 connecting the input beamsplitter 23 and the output beam combiner 24. In the specific slotting and positioning step, the preset position of the dielectric cladding 30 in step S2 is specifically configured to be located on either the first waveguide arm 21 or the second waveguide arm 22. That is, by analyzing the manufactured optoelectronic chip, a specific region on the target waveguide arm is determined, and then precise slotting is performed on the dielectric cladding 30 in that region, thereby exposing the waveguide core 20 at that location through the formed groove 301.
[0040] Specifically, in the embodiment that utilizes the aforementioned Mach-Zehnder interference structure to realize the optical switching function, the preset position of the slot is located on the first waveguide arm 21 (or the second waveguide arm 22). A polymer material (such as SU-8 photoresist or PMMA) is printed and filled into the groove 301 on the waveguide arm as the light control material, forming a polymer filling layer covering the exposed waveguide core 20. Since the refractive index of the polymer material is different from that of the dielectric cladding 30, the introduction of this polymer filling layer will change the effective refractive index of the local area of the waveguide arm, thereby introducing a phase difference between the optical signals transmitted between the two arms. When the two beams re-merge at the output beam combiner 24, this phase difference will lead to constructive or destructive interference, thereby realizing the control of the optical signal's on / off state. This embodiment only requires operation on one waveguide arm, and the process steps are relatively simplified, making it suitable for application scenarios with clear requirements for optical path switching and controllable phase modulation.
[0041] In one embodiment, see Figure 8 and Figure 10 The optoelectronic chip has a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, which has an input beam splitter, an output beam combiner, and a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm connected between the beam splitter and the beam combiner; the preset position is located on the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm respectively.
[0042] In specific implementation, the optoelectronic chip is pre-constructed with a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, a common basic optical path topology in silicon-based optoelectronic chips. Its specific components include an input beamsplitter 23 at the front end of the optical path, an output beam combiner 24 at the rear end of the optical path, and a first waveguide arm 21 and a second waveguide arm 22 connecting the input beamsplitter 23 and the output beam combiner 24. In the specific slotting and positioning step, the preset position of the dielectric cladding 30 in step S2 is specifically configured to be located on the first waveguide arm 21 and the second waveguide arm 22, respectively. That is, by analyzing the manufactured optoelectronic chip, specific regions on the two waveguide arms are determined, and then precise slotting is performed on the dielectric cladding 30 in these two regions, thereby exposing the waveguide cores 20 at two locations through the formed grooves 301.
[0043] Specifically, in the embodiment utilizing the aforementioned Mach-Zehnder interference structure to achieve optical switching functionality, the pre-defined positions of the slots are located on the first waveguide arm 21 and the second waveguide arm 22, respectively. A polymer material (such as SU-8 photoresist or PMMA) is printed and filled into the grooves 301 on the first and second waveguide arms 21 and 22, forming a polymer filling layer covering the exposed waveguide core 20. Since the refractive index of the polymer material differs from that of the original dielectric cladding 30, these polymer filling layers can alter the effective refractive index of the two waveguide arms, causing different phase accumulations of the optical signals transmitted by the two arms at the output beam combiner 24. When the two beams re-merge, this phase difference leads to constructive or destructive interference, thus reliably controlling the on / off state of the optical signal. This dual-arm control method provides a more flexible phase difference adjustment margin, which is beneficial for achieving more stable switching and lower insertion loss, making it suitable for applications with high optical switch performance requirements.
[0044] In one embodiment, the groove has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and the size of the groove is adapted to the transmission path of the waveguide core layer.
[0045] In specific implementation, during the grooving process in step S2 above, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 301 is preferably rectangular. Specifically, at a predetermined position of the dielectric cladding 30, a portion of the dielectric cladding 30 is removed by an etching process (such as reactive ion etching (RIE) or inductively coupled plasma etching (ICP)) or laser ablation process to form a groove 301 with a rectangular cross-section. The rectangular groove 301 has relatively regular sidewalls and a bottom surface, which can not only stably accommodate the subsequently filled light-controlling material, but also enable the light-controlling material to form a uniform and well-adhered polymer filling layer within the groove 301. This rectangular cross-section design effectively reduces optical scattering or transmission loss caused by irregular gaps between the filler and the sidewalls, helping to ensure the stability and reliability of the optical switch device 41a. At the same time, the size of the groove 301 is adapted to the transmission path of the waveguide core 20. Specifically, the depth of the groove 301 needs to be sufficient to penetrate the dielectric cladding 30, ensuring that the underlying waveguide core 20 can be completely exposed so that the subsequently filled light-controlling material can directly contact and tightly bond with the surface of the waveguide core 20. The width of the groove 301 needs to be slightly larger than the width of the waveguide core 20 to provide sufficient adhesion space for the filling of the light-controlling material and its physical contact with the waveguide core 20, while also avoiding the groove 301 being too large, which could affect adjacent waveguide structures or cause optical signal leakage. By designing the size of the groove 301 to match the transmission path of the waveguide core 20, the light-controlling material can accurately and effectively regulate the optical signal within the waveguide core 20 in the grooved area, thus playing an important role in achieving high performance, low loss, and high reliability of the optical switching device 41a.
[0046] In one embodiment, after step S3 is completed, the method further includes step S4.
[0047] S4. Perform optical transmission testing on the optoelectronic chip to verify the optical path modulation effect of the extended functional device.
[0048] Specifically, after filling the groove 301 with light-controlling material using 3D printing to form the light-controlling material layer 40, a test light source is connected to the input terminal of the optoelectronic chip, and a test device such as an optical power meter or a spectrum analyzer is connected to the output terminal. By inputting a test light signal of a specific wavelength into the optoelectronic chip, the change in optical power or spectral characteristics at the output terminal are detected to determine whether the light-controlling material layer 40 has successfully controlled the optical signal of the waveguide core 20. If the output optical signal can switch between the on and off states when a specific external excitation is applied or the physical state of the light-controlling material layer 40 is changed, and the switching response speed and transmission loss meet the design requirements, it indicates that the optical path control effect of the extended functional device 41 meets expectations.
[0049] This optical transmission testing step provides direct performance feedback for subsequent process optimization and product verification. Data such as insertion loss, extinction ratio, and response time obtained during the test can be used to determine whether the extended functional device 41 meets design standards. This testing step allows for the timely detection of potential defects in the grooving process or 3D printing, enabling targeted adjustments to process parameters before sample delivery or mass production, effectively ensuring the stability and reliability of the final optoelectronic chip in terms of optical performance.
[0050] In summary, the method of this application provides an optoelectronic chip manufactured using standard semiconductor processes, and performs slotting at predetermined positions in the chip's dielectric cladding to expose the waveguide core. A light-controlling material is then filled into the slot to form a light-controlling material layer, which, in conjunction with the waveguide core, constitutes an extended functional device for controlling optical signals. Without altering the front-end standard silicon photonics process, this method achieves flexible reconfiguration and integration of extended functional devices such as optical switches on a single chip solely through back-end micro-nano point printing. This effectively overcomes the high cost and long cycle times caused by the reliance on dedicated customization for functional expansion of traditional optoelectronic chips, significantly reducing system complexity and control power consumption. It provides a reliable technical path for the generalization and low-cost mass production of optoelectronic chips.
[0051] Please see Figures 2 to 7 The present invention also provides an optoelectronic chip, the optoelectronic chip comprising: a chip substrate 10; a waveguide core 20 disposed on the chip substrate 10; a dielectric cladding layer 30 covering the waveguide core 20, wherein a groove 301 is formed at a predetermined position of the dielectric cladding layer 30, the groove 301 exposing the waveguide core 20; and a light-controlling material layer 40 filling the groove 301 and covering the exposed waveguide core 20, wherein the light-controlling material layer 40 and the waveguide core 20 cooperate to form an extended functional device 41 for controlling the optical signal of the waveguide core 20.
[0052] In specific implementation, the optoelectronic chip is fabricated using the optoelectronic chip manufacturing method based on back-end reconstruction as described in the previous embodiment. In terms of specific physical structure, the optoelectronic chip includes a chip substrate 10 and a waveguide core 20 disposed on the chip substrate 10. A dielectric cladding layer 30 covers the waveguide core 20, protecting it and providing optical confinement. A groove 301 is formed at a predetermined position in the dielectric cladding layer 30, penetrating the dielectric cladding layer 30 and exposing the waveguide core 20 at that location. A light-controlling material layer 40 is filled within the groove 301, directly covering the exposed waveguide core 20 and tightly bonded to the underlying waveguide core 20, together forming an extended functional device 41 for controlling optical signals.
[0053] Since the light-controlling material layer 40 is integrated backward through a slotting and filling process after the standard chip is manufactured, this structure breaks the limitation of fixed functions in traditional chips. Depending on the actual switching function requirements, the light-controlling material layer 40 can be composed of polymer materials with different properties. The conduction or disconnection state of the optical path is adjusted by changing the effective refractive index of the local waveguide core 20. By flexibly selecting and filling different light-controlling materials within the groove 301, various optical extension function devices 41 can be integrated on demand on the same chip substrate.
[0054] This optoelectronic chip maintains the basic layout of standard silicon photonics processes, with functional expansion achieved solely through localized grooves 301 on the dielectric cladding 30 and the light-controlling material layer 40 filling them. This structural design not only avoids the expensive process of redesigning photomasks and fabricating wafers required for traditional dedicated chips, but also, due to the precise physical contact between the light-controlling material layer 40 and the waveguide core 20, enables stable and efficient optical signal modulation with extremely low system complexity and power consumption, demonstrating promising prospects for industrial applications.
[0055] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A method for manufacturing optoelectronic chips based on back-end reconstruction, characterized in that, The method includes: A photoelectric chip manufactured using standard semiconductor processes is provided, the photoelectric chip having a waveguide core and a dielectric cladding covering the waveguide core; A groove is made at a predetermined position of the dielectric cladding to remove part of the dielectric cladding and form a groove, thereby exposing the waveguide core at the predetermined position through the groove. A light-controlling material is filled into the groove, so that the light-controlling material covers the exposed waveguide core to form a light-controlling material layer. The light-controlling material layer and the waveguide core cooperate to form an extended functional device for controlling the optical signal of the waveguide core.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of filling the groove with a light-controlling material includes: The light-controlling material is precisely filled into the groove using a 3D printing process.
3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The light-controlling material is a polymer material, and the extended functional device is an optical switch device, which is used to turn on or off the optical path of the optical signal.
4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The polymer material is SU-8 photoresist or polymethyl methacrylate.
5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The printing precision of the 3D printing process is 1μm~100μm.
6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The optoelectronic chip has a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, which has an input beam splitter, an output beam combiner, and a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm connected between the beam splitter and the beam combiner; the preset position is located on the first waveguide arm or the second waveguide arm.
7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The optoelectronic chip has a Mach-Zehnder interference structure, which has an input beam splitter, an output beam combiner, and a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm connected between the beam splitter and the beam combiner; the preset position is located on the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm respectively.
8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The groove has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and its size is adapted to the transmission path of the waveguide core layer.
9. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The optoelectronic chip was subjected to optical transmission testing to verify the optical path modulation effect of the extended functional device.
10. A photoelectric chip, characterized in that, include: Chip substrate; A waveguide core is disposed on the chip substrate; A dielectric cladding is applied to the waveguide core, and a groove is formed at a predetermined position in the dielectric cladding, the groove exposing the waveguide core. A light-controlling material layer is filled in the groove and covers the exposed waveguide core. The light-controlling material layer and the waveguide core cooperate to form an extended functional device for controlling the optical signal of the waveguide core.