Optical switch

Details Optical switch Optical switch

2006-02-14

2006-02-14

Lee, John R. (Department: 2881)

Optical waveguides

With optical coupler

Switch

C385S017000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06999650

ABSTRACT:
There is provided an optical switch configured such that the electrode-to-electrode distance can be easily set to a desired distance and a plurality of protrusions or an electrode pattern for preventing the sticking from occurring can easily be formed on the surface of a fixed electrode substrate on which a fixed electrode is formed. There is prepared an upper substrate comprising an insulation layer, a thick single crystal silicon layer formed on the top surface of the insulation layer, and a thin single crystal silicon layer formed on the bottom surface of the insulation layer. A movable plate-like electrode and a plurality of flexible beam-like members for supporting the movable plate-like electrode to be displaced vertically are formed in the thin single crystal silicon layer. By applying an etching to the thick single crystal silicon layer, a plurality of the optical fiber securing grooves are formed as well as a plurality of micro-mirrors erecting from the movable plate-like electrode are formed on the thick single crystal silicon layer. The upper substrate is mounted on a lower substrate comprising a fixed electrode substrate and a fixed electrode formed on the top surface thereof, through a spacer interposed therebetween, thereby to juxtapose the fixed electrode and the thin single crystal silicon layer substantially in parallel with each other and in opposed manner with a predetermined gap therebetween.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2002/0141038 (2002-10-01), Mori
patent: 2004/0234191 (2004-11-01), Norimatsu
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Hélin, P., et al.: “Self Aligned Vertical Mirrors and V-Grooves Applied to Self-Latching Matrix Switch for Optical Networks,” Proc. of IEEE Conf. on Optical MEMs 2000, Aug. 21-24, 2000, Hawaii, IEEE 2000, pp. 467-472.
Hélin, P., et al.: “Self Aligned Vertical Mirrors and V-Grooves Applied to a Self-Latching Matrix Switch for Optical Networks,” Proc. 13th IEEE Int'l. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. Conf. (MEMS-2000) Jan. 23-27, 2000, Miyazaki, Japan, pp. 467-472.
Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi, Basis of an Electrostatically Operated Microactuator, No. 1, http://toshi.fujita3.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/onlinelecture/electrostatic1.pdf (the title was translated into English from the original Japanese).

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