TaN Resistive Heater for Stable Thermally Tunable Photonics

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional resistive heater designs in photonics devices exhibit high temperature coefficients, leading to significant resistance changes with temperature fluctuations, necessitating complex driving circuitry and high power consumption to maintain constant temperature for accurate thermo-optical effects.

Innovation Solution

A tantalum nitride (TaN) resistive heater is integrated into the semiconductor structure, designed with a near-zero temperature coefficient, allowing for efficient tuning of thermally-tunable photonics devices by minimizing resistance changes with temperature fluctuations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional resistive heaters are used in photonics devices, then the heater can generate heat for thermo-optical effects, but the heater experiences significant resistance changes with temperature fluctuations requiring complex driving circuitry and high power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature stabilityVSAvoiddriving circuitry complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from conventional resistive heater materials to tantalum nitride (TaN), which has a near-zero temperature coefficient of resistance. This material parameter change eliminates the need for complex feedback control circuitry while maintaining temperature stability, as the resistance remains constant despite temperature fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs tantalum nitride, a composite material combining tantalum and nitrogen, which exhibits unique electrical and thermal properties. This composite material provides both the desired heating capability and temperature-independent resistance, resolving the contradiction between temperature stability and circuit complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If conventional resistive heaters are used in photonics devices, then the heater can generate heat for thermo-optical effects, but the heater requires high power consumption to maintain constant temperature

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature stabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from conventional resistive heater materials to tantalum nitride (TaN), which has a near-zero temperature coefficient of resistance. This material parameter change eliminates the need for complex feedback control circuitry while maintaining temperature stability, as the resistance remains constant despite temperature fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Power

If conventional resistive heaters are used in photonics devices, then the heater can generate heat for thermo-optical effects, but greater adjustments in supplied power are needed as temperature increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower adjustment rangeVSAvoidpower control difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from conventional resistive heater materials to tantalum nitride (TaN), which has a near-zero temperature coefficient of resistance. This material parameter change eliminates the need for complex feedback control circuitry while maintaining temperature stability, as the resistance remains constant despite temperature fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 TaN resistive heater enables simplified driving circuitry, reduced power consumption, and efficient tuning of photonics devices by maintaining a constant temperature with minimal power adjustments, enhancing the performance and efficiency of thermally-tunable photonics devices.

Implementation Method 1

When current flows through the conventional resistive heaters, and as their temperature increases, they experience greater changes in resistance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

conventional resistive heater designs have relatively high temperature coefficients. When current flows through the conventional resistive heaters, and as their temperature increases, they experience greater changes in resistance due to their high temperature coefficients

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature coefficient:

Data Source

PatentUS20250341738A1Method for Forming a Tantalum Nitride Resistive Heater for Thermally-Tunable Photonics Devices

Publication Date: 2025.11.06 NEWPORT FAB LLC DBA TOWER SEMICON NEWPORT BEACH

AI summary

A semiconductor structure has a substrate and a thermally-tunable photonics device in or over the substrate. A tantalum nitride (TaN) resistive heater is over the substrate and proximate to the thermally-tunable photonics device. The TaN resistive heater is configured to tune the thermally-tunable photonics device.