Lithium Niobate Optical Waveguide Device with Conductive Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Silicon optical modulators face challenges with insufficient modulation bandwidth and low modulation efficiency at high transmission rates, while thin film lithium niobate modulators struggle with complex packaging processes, limiting their integration and miniaturization potential.
Innovation Solution
An optical waveguide device with a substrate and optical modulation module featuring a conductive structure that establishes an electric connection between the optical waveguide layer and the substrate, enabling 3D vertical packaging and simplifying the packaging process, using lithium niobate and lithium tantalate for the waveguide layer and silicon oxide or dioxide for the cladding layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If silicon optical modulator is used for high transmission rate (600 Gb/s or 800 Gb/s), then transmission rate is improved, but modulation bandwidth and modulation efficiency become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from silicon to thin film lithium niobate, which has fundamentally different optical and electrical properties. This material substitution enables simultaneous achievement of high transmission rate (9) and high modulation efficiency (27) by leveraging lithium niobate's superior electro-optic coefficients and bandwidth characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining thin film lithium niobate waveguide layer with silicon-based substrate and cladding layers. This composite approach integrates the high modulation efficiency of lithium niobate with the manufacturing advantages of silicon photonics, achieving both high transmission rate and modulation efficiency
2Reliability
If thin film lithium niobate modulator is used to achieve high bandwidth and low Vpi, then modulation performance is improved, but packaging complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thin film lithium niobate modulator with the silicon substrate by directly bonding the lithium niobate waveguide layer to the silicon-based underlay. This integration eliminates the need for separate packaging of the modulator chip, reducing packaging complexity (36) while maintaining high modulation performance (27)
Solution Approach 2:
The silicon substrate serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, electrical grounding, and optical waveguiding. The integrated structure allows the same platform to handle both optical signal transmission and electrical signal routing, simplifying the overall packaging architecture while maintaining high bandwidth performance
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional bulk material lithium niobate modulator is used, then material availability is ensured, but waveguide size and limiting capacity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of lithium niobate from bulk material to thin film form. This transformation reduces the waveguide size (7) by several orders of magnitude while maintaining the material's excellent electro-optic properties, enabling miniaturization without sacrificing performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional bulk lithium niobate to two-dimensional thin film lithium niobate. This dimensional reduction allows the waveguide to be integrated on a planar silicon substrate, achieving compact size (7) while preserving the material's inherent properties through careful control of film thickness and composition
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces packaging complexity, improves integration, and enhances the modulation bandwidth, addressing the limitations of silicon optical modulators and thin film lithium niobate modulators by facilitating efficient electrical signal transmission and reducing parasitic capacitance and high-frequency loss.
Implementation Method 1
a conductive structure, which is located between the optical waveguide layer and the substrate, and is electrically connected with the optical waveguide layer, being used for conducting an electric signal to the optical waveguide layer
Implementation Method 2
an optical waveguide lamination, which is located between the first surface of the underlay and the substrate, and comprises: a lower cladding layer, an optical waveguide layer and an upper cladding layer which are stacked in a first direction
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an optical waveguide device and manufacturing method thereof. The optical waveguide device includes a substrate and an optical modulation module electrically connected with the substrate, the optical modulation module including: an underlay having a first surface relatively close to the substrate and a second surface relatively far away from the substrate, which are provided opposite to each other; an optical waveguide lamination, located between the first surface of the underlay and the substrate, including a lower cladding layer, an optical waveguide layer and an upper cladding layer located between the first surface of the underlay and the optical waveguide layer, which are three stacked in a first direction perpendicular to a plane where the underlay is located; and a conductive structure, located between the optical waveguide layer and the substrate and electrically connected with the optical waveguide layer to conduct an electric signal to the optical waveguide layer.