Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Particular coupling function
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-05-15
Healy, Brian (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Particular coupling function
C385S014000, C385S129000, C385S130000, C385S131000, C385S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233380
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of optoelectronics.
Many systems presently being studied in laboratories or being commercially exploited combine semi-conductor electronic components with components which provide the function of guiding an optical beam, emitted by the electronic components for example, or which are applied to these for control or treatment purposes.
The field of optoelectronics has thus already given rise to a very extensive literature.
However, to the knowledge of the Applicant, this field has not experienced significant development in recent years.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention, based on the result of experiments, is to propose novel means having improved performance over the known prior systems.
A main object of the present invention is specially to propose means which make it possible to optimize the coupling of an optical beam to a semiconductor structure, without requiring the use of semiconductor compositions or of a technology which are difficult to employ.
This object is achieved within the context of the present invention by virtue of an electrooptic method of signal processing, comprising the steps consisting in:
providing at least one semiconductor component including a substrate and a superposed assembly comprising at least one guiding layer, and
applying, to the guiding layer, optical radiation at a wavelength and at an angle of incidence chosen in such a way that said assembly has, at this wavelength and at this angle of incidence, a specific absorption peak suitable for allowing said optical radiation to be guided in the guiding layer.
According to another advantageous characteristic of the present invention, the wavelength and the angle of incidence are chosen in order to generate resonant optical interference associated with an evanescent wave formed at at least one interface of the guiding layer.
According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, said assembly superposed on the substrate comprises the guiding layer and at least one layer which is interposed between the substrate and this guiding layer and which has a refractive index of less than that of the guiding layer, at the wavelength of the applied optical radiation.
As will be understood on reading the detailed description which follows, the present invention makes it possible, in particular, to make very rapid interconnections between electronic components while ensuring perfect electrical isolation between them.
The present invention also relates to a device for implementing this method.
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S. Chouteau et al., “Optaelectronic Microswitch on SOI Based Structure”, 1995 IEEE International SOI Conference Proceedings, Tucson, Oct. 3-5, 1995, pp. 40/41 XP000590645.
Foley & Lardner
France Telecom
Healy Brian
LandOfFree
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