Perforated Optical Signal Blockers for Photonic Waveguide Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing photonic chips lack effective structures to block optical signals selectively, compromising the security and functionality of proprietary photonic components, especially in multi-project wafer fabrication scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an optical signal blocker with a metal sheet and perforations or metal features that overlap with a waveguide core to absorb and absorb light propagating in the waveguide core to absorb and absorb light propagating in the waveguide core to absorb and absorb light propagating in the waveguide core to absorb and absorb light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solid metal sheet is used to block optical signals, then light blocking effectiveness is improved, but device footprint and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a perforated metal sheet instead of a solid metal sheet to block optical signals. The perforations allow the metal sheet to maintain light blocking effectiveness while reducing the device footprint and simplifying manufacturing. The perforated structure enables light to be blocked through the metal features while the openings reduce material usage and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal sheet is segmented into multiple metal features separated by openings rather than being a continuous solid structure. This segmentation maintains the light blocking function through the distributed metal features while reducing overall material usage and device complexity.
2Reliability
If an optical signal blocker is added to the photonic chip structure, then signal security is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical signal blocker is merged with the back-end-of-line stack metallization layer, integrating the blocking function into an existing structural layer. This combination ensures that the blocker is formed simultaneously with other metallization structures during the fabrication process, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining signal security.
3Loss of energy
If metal features are positioned to overlap the waveguide core, then light absorption is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metallization layer serving as the back-end-of-line stack is given dual functionality: it provides both structural interconnection and optical signal blocking. By positioning metal features within this existing layer to overlap the waveguide core, the structure achieves light absorption without adding separate blocking components, thereby reducing structural complexity.
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
The optical signal blocker, which includes a metal sheet and a plurality of openings in the metallization level of the back-end-of-line stack 32 that includes a metallization level having a dielectric layer 34 that is comprised of a dielectric material, such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, tetraethylorthosilicate silicon dioxide, or fluorinated-tetraethylorthosilicate silicon dioxide. The optical signal blocker 36 overlaps with a portion of the waveguide core 12, and its perforations allow it to block and absorb light effectively while maintaining a compact footprint and improved manufacturability.
Implementation Method 1
the optical signal blocker 36 overlaps with a portion of the waveguide core 12, and its perforations allow it to block and absorb light effectively
Data Source
AI summary
Structures for a photonic chip that include an optical signal blocker and methods of forming such structures. The structure comprises a semiconductor substrate, an optical signal blocker including a metal sheet and a plurality of openings in the first metal sheet, and a waveguide core between the semiconductor substrate and the optical signal blocker. The waveguide core includes a portion that is overlapped by the optical signal blocker.