Optical Waveguide Groove Segmentation for Compact Circuit Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing optical waveguide type devices face challenges in downsizing and improving manufacturing efficiency due to limitations in forming grooves for inserting optical retardation plates, which restricts flexible circuit design and optical performance, and complicates the manufacturing and assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
The optical waveguide device employs a deep etching technique to form grooves that intersect only one optical waveguide, allowing for the insertion of thin-film elements like optical retardation plates, with adjacent grooves facing each other and extended portions to accommodate adhesives, enabling precise and efficient assembly without complex adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional groove formation methods are used to insert optical retardation plates, then the device can be manufactured with existing processes, but the device size cannot be reduced and circuit design flexibility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single large groove into multiple smaller grooves, each accommodating one optical retardation plate. This segmentation allows independent positioning of each groove to intersect only the required optical waveguide, enabling compact circuit design while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized groove formation processes
Solution Approach 2:
Each groove is designed with specific local characteristics - the groove depth and width are optimized for the particular optical waveguide it intersects. The groove formation process is adapted locally to match the waveguide properties, allowing precise control of optical performance while maintaining overall device compactness
2Ease of manufacture
If a single large groove is used to accommodate multiple optical retardation plates, then manufacturing is simplified, but the device area increases and circuit design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The single large groove is segmented into multiple smaller grooves, each sized precisely to accommodate one optical retardation plate. This reduces the total device area while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized groove formation processes that can be applied repeatedly to each small groove
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are arranged in a compact two-dimensional layout on the substrate, with each groove positioned to intersect its specific optical waveguide. This spatial arrangement reduces the overall device footprint while maintaining ease of manufacture through planar processing techniques
3Device complexity
If grooves are formed to intersect multiple optical waveguides, then fewer grooves are needed, but optical performance deteriorates and manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming fewer large grooves that intersect multiple waveguides, the invention forms multiple small grooves, each intersecting only one waveguide. This segmentation reduces the precision requirement for each individual groove while maintaining overall device simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the groove formation requirement from the multi-waveguide intersection constraint. Each groove is independently positioned to intersect only its designated waveguide, eliminating the need for complex multi-waveguide intersection geometry and reducing manufacturing precision requirements
4Volume of moving object
If the groove configuration is optimized for compactness, then device downsizing is achieved, but manufacturing and assembly processes become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The compact device is achieved by segmenting the groove structure into multiple small, standardized units. Each groove has a simple geometry optimized for its specific location, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enabling compact overall device configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The groove parameters (depth, width, length) are optimized for each specific groove based on its position and the optical waveguide it serves. This localized parameter optimization enables compact device design while maintaining straightforward manufacturing and assembly processes
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 configuration enables significant downsizing of the optical interference circuit while maintaining equivalent optical performance and simplifying the manufacturing and assembly processes, reducing the number of grooves and associated complexities.
Implementation Method 1
a deep etching technique is used to form grooves
Implementation Method 2
an optical retardation plate inserted into a groove formed in a substrate face of an optical waveguide type device
Data Source
AI summary
In the case of implementing a polarization separation circuit, a polarization rotator, and the like by inserting a thin-film element into a substrate in one optical interference circuit, one common large-sized groove shared among a plurality of thin-film elements for their insertion has been formed. The optical waveguide type device of the present invention is configured such that at least one groove intersects only one corresponding optical waveguide for inserting the thin-film element and does not intersect other optical waveguides adjacent to the one corresponding optical waveguide. This groove substantially has a rectangular shape, and has a minimum size adapted to the thin-film element to be inserted so as to stably hold and fix the thin-film element in the groove. Adjacent grooves are formed so as to be arranged such that their portions in a direction substantially vertical to the optical waveguide are facing each other.