Nested Waveguide Fan-Out Structure for Compact Optical Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Waveguide fan-out structures occupy a large portion of a device's overall footprint, necessitating a reduction in device footprint.

Innovation Solution

A high channel density waveguide fan-out structure using nested enveloping bifurcation structures, where bifurcation structures connected to a lesser number of optical ports are nested within those connected to a greater number of ports, reducing the overall footprint by employing a multi-stage nested network of waveguide bifurcation branches.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If traditional waveguide fan-out structures are used, then optical connectivity is achieved, but device footprint becomes large

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice footprintVSAvoidwaveguide routing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements nested waveguide bifurcation structures where smaller fan-out structures are positioned within the footprint of larger ones. Specifically, 4-port bifurcation structures are nested within 8-port structures, which are in turn nested within 16-port structures, creating a hierarchical arrangement that minimizes the overall device footprint while maintaining all necessary optical connections

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The waveguide fan-out structure is divided into multiple discrete bifurcation stages (4-port, 8-port, 16-port), each handling a specific subset of optical connections. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently and arranged in a compact nested configuration, reducing the total area required compared to a single monolithic fan-out structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If waveguide fan-out structure footprint is reduced, then device compactness is improved, but optical routing efficiency may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaveguide fan-out footprintVSAvoidoptical routing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from planar waveguide routing to three-dimensional nested structures by stacking bifurcation stages vertically. This dimensional transition allows optical beams to be routed through multiple layers and depths, achieving compact footprint reduction while maintaining efficient optical paths through the nested hierarchical arrangement of 4-port, 8-port, and 16-port bifurcations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12541058B2Nested waveguide fan-out structure and methods for forming the same

Publication Date: 2026.02.03 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

An optical beam splitter includes a multi-stage nested network of waveguide bifurcation branches, which includes: first-stage waveguide bifurcation branches each including a pair of first-stage waveguide segments, and second-stage waveguide bifurcation branches each including a pair of second-stage waveguide segments. Each pair of first-stage waveguide segments includes a first common end and a pair of first split ends and a pair of first interconnection portions. Each first common end points toward a first widthwise direction. Each pair of second-stage waveguide segments includes a second common end and a pair of second split ends and a pair of second interconnection portions. Each second common end and each second split end of the optical beam splitter point toward a second widthwise direction which is an opposite direction of the first widthwise direction.