OPTICAL INTEGRATED CIRCUIT COMPRISING LIGHT PATH TURNING MICRO-MIRROR INSIDE THE OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

An optical integrated circuit comprises optical waveguides formed by sequentially stacking a lower cladding layer, a core layer and a upper cladding layer on a substrate, grooves formed by etching the upper cladding layer, the core layer and all or parts of the lower cladding layer close to a end section of the optical waveguide to intercept light transmitted through the core layer of the optical waveguide or to couple light into the core layer, a plurality of bonding pads formed around the groove, micro-mirrors which is inserted into the grooves and cemented thereinto, and have at least one slanted side surface inclined in a range of 30° to 60° with respect to the bottom surface to reflect a light which exits horizontally from the core layer to the groove and turn the path of the exited light vertically toward the upper side of the groove or conversely to reflect light which emitted vertically from an upper side of the groove and turn the path of the emitted light horizontally to couple into the core layer, and active optical elements bonded over the grooves by bonding pads and emits light toward the slanted surface of the micro-mirror or conversely, receives light reflected by the micro-mirror. Such a PLC based optical integrated circuit and a method of manufacturing the same provides a low-cost manufacturing of optical integrated circuits and high quality mirrors for vertical optical coupling scheme.

主权项

1. An optical integrated circuit comprising:
a substrate; an optical waveguide formed by sequentially stacking a lower cladding layer, a core layer, and an upper cladding layer on the substrate; a groove formed by etching the upper cladding layer, the core layer, and all or parts of the lower cladding layer disposed close to an end face of the optical waveguide to intercept light transmitted through the core of the optical waveguide or to couple light into the core of the optical waveguide; a plurality of bonding pads formed spaced apart from each other on the surface of the optical waveguide around the periphery of the groove; a micro-mirror having at least one slanted side surface inclined to a range of 30° to 60° with respect to the bottom surface and cemented on the bottom of the groove to reflect light exits horizontally from the core layer to the groove and turn the light path vertically toward upper side of the groove, or conversely, to reflect light emitted vertically from the upper side of the groove toward the surface of the groove and turn the light path horizontally to the core layer; and an active optical element which is bonded by the bonding pads, and emits light toward the slanted side surface of the micro-mirror, or conversely, receives light reflected from the slanted side surface of the micro-mirror.