Waveguide Heat Sink Structure for High-Power Edge Couplers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional edge couplers in photonics chips suffer from poor power handling capability, leading to thermal heating and potential physical melting due to inadequate heat dissipation, particularly in silicon waveguide cores surrounded by low-index cladding materials with poor thermal conductivity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a heat sink structure comprising metal features positioned adjacent to the waveguide core, which efficiently dissipates heat generated by high-power laser light through the dielectric material to the metal features, thereby reducing the susceptibility to power-related damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high optical input power is used, then the power handling capability is improved, but thermal heating and power-related damage occur due to inadequate heat dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat dissipation structure comprising a first heat dissipation layer and a second heat dissipation layer as intermediary thermal conduction paths between the waveguide core and the substrate. These intermediary layers with higher thermal conductivity than the cladding material facilitate efficient heat transfer from the waveguide core, resolving the thermal heating problem while maintaining high power handling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal conductivity parameter of the surrounding material by introducing heat dissipation layers with thermal conductivity higher than the low-index cladding material. This parameter change enables effective heat dissipation while maintaining the optical confinement properties of the low-index cladding, thus resolving the contradiction between power handling and thermal management
2Device complexity
If conventional edge coupler construction is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but power-related damage occurs due to poor power handling capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat dissipation function with the existing edge coupler structure by integrating heat dissipation layers into the cladding configuration. This combination maintains the simplicity of the conventional edge coupler construction while adding thermal management capability, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cladding structure consisting of low-index cladding material combined with heat dissipation layers having different thermal conductivity properties. This composite structure maintains the optical confinement function of the low-index material while adding the thermal management function of the high thermal conductivity layers, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and power handling reliability
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 heat sink structure effectively reduces the operating temperature of the waveguide core, preventing power-related damage and enhancing the reliability of the photonics chip by efficiently transferring heat away from the core.
Implementation Method 1
a heat sink structure comprising metal features positioned adjacent to the waveguide core, which efficiently dissipates heat generated by high-power laser light through the dielectric material to the metal features
Data Source
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AI summary
Structures including an optical component and methods of fabricating a structure including an optical component. The structure includes a waveguide core and a back-end-of-line stack including a first metallization level, a second metallization level, and a heat sink having a metal feature in the second metallization level. The heat sink is positioned adjacent to a section of the waveguide core. The first metallization level including a dielectric layer positioned between the metal feature and the section of the waveguide core.