ISOLATION DEVICE BETWEEN OPTICALLY CONDUCTIVE AREAS

摘要

An isolation device for providing optical and electrical isolating between optically conductive areas (1A, 1B9 such as parallel waveguides of an integrated optical chip comprising a first elongate region (4) doped with a first dopant material (p+), a second elongate region (5) on one side of the first elongate region (4) and a third elongate region (6) on the opposite side of the first elongate region (4), the second and third elongate regions (5, 6) being doped with a second dopant material (n+) of opposite polarity to the first dopant material (p+) so a first diode is formed between the second and first elongate regions (5, 4) and a second diode is formed between the first and third elongate regions (4, 6), the first and second diodes being connected in series with opposing polarity. The opposing diodes block the passage of electrical current and the doped regions (4, 5, 6) absorb light attempting to pass therethrough.