Beam steering device and system employing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429717-B2
Application number	US-201715805794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A beam steering device and a system employing the same are provided. The beam steering device includes: waveguides provided on a substrate to form channels through which light is transmitted; a modulators provided on the waveguides and configured to change, according to electrical signals, a phase of the light by changing a refractive index of the light which passes through the waveguides; and a driving circuit configured to provide the electrical signals to the modulators to drive the modulators.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beam steering device comprising:
a plurality of channels through which light is transmitted, wherein each of the plurality of channels comprises:
a waveguide, provided on a substrate, through which the light is transmitted; and
a plurality of modulators arranged along the waveguide, each of the plurality of modulators being configured to change, according to an electrical signal, a phase of light transmitted therethrough by changing a refractive index of a portion of the waveguide corresponding thereto; and

a driving circuit configured to provide the electrical signal to each of the plurality of modulators to thereby drive the plurality of modulators,
wherein each of the plurality of modulators comprises:
a carrier modulation region in which a carrier density varies with the electrical signal such that a change in a refractive index of light passing through the carrier modulation region changes a phase of the light;
a first doping region electrically connected to the carrier modulation region and doped to have a predetermined density, the first doping region being of a first conductive type; and
a second doping region that is electrically connected to the carrier modulation region and doped to have the predetermined density, the second doping region being of a second conductive type that is opposite the first conductive type,

wherein the carrier modulation region is an n-type or p-type oxide semiconductor doped to have a density lower than the predetermined density of the first and second doping regions, one of the first and second doping regions is a p-type oxide semiconductor, and the other one of the first and second doping regions is an n-type oxide semiconductor.

2. The beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the driving circuit comprises a plurality of driving circuits, each of the plurality of driving circuits being one-to-one connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of modulators so as to independently drive the corresponding modulator.

3. The beam steering device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of driving circuits are complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits.

4. The beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein, in each of the plurality of channels, the plurality of modulators are spaced apart from each other along the waveguide.

5. The beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein
the first doping region is electrically connected to one side of the carrier modulation region; and
the second doping region is electrically connected to another side of the carrier modulation region opposite the one side.

6. The beam steering device of claim 5 , wherein the carrier modulation region surrounds a portion of a corresponding waveguide.

7. The beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein a refractive index of the carrier modulation region is lower than a refractive index of the corresponding waveguide.

8. The beam steering device of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of modulators further comprises a cladding layer which covers the carrier modulation region and a portion of the corresponding waveguide which is not surrounded by the carrier modulation region.

9. The beam steering device of claim 5 , wherein the carrier modulation region acts as a waveguide.

10. The beam steering device of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of modulators further comprises a cladding layer having a refractive index which is lower than a refractive index of the carrier modulation region and surrounding the carrier modulation region.

11. The beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide comprises silicon.

12. The beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the carrier modulation region is an n-type or p-type oxide semiconductor in which a doping density is about 10 17 or less, one of the first and second doping regions is a p-type oxide semiconductor with a doping density of about 10 19 or greater, and the other one of the first and second doping regions is an n-type oxide semiconductor with a doping density of about 10 19 or greater.

13. The beam steering device of claim 5 , wherein an outer periphery of a cross-section of the carrier modulation region has an approximately rib shape or an approximately quadrangular shape.

14. The beam steering device of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of modulators forms a p-type intrinsic n-type (PIN) diode or a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structure.

15. The beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the driving circuit comprises:
a driver configured to drive the plurality of modulators; and
a selector configured to perform a selection such that an input voltage is applied to the driver, to thereby apply a driving voltage to the plurality of modulators through the driver.

16. The beam steering device of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of modulators, in combination with the corresponding portion of the waveguide corresponding thereto, forms a cell, and
the driving circuit further comprises a data storage configured to sequentially store data corresponding to each cell, and
the driving circuit is further configured to turn on the selector to simultaneously turn on all of the cells of the beam steering device according to the stored data.

17. The beam steering device of claim 15 , wherein the driver comprises a driving transistor comprising a source end and a drain end,
the plurality of modulators are electrically connected to the source end of the driving transistor, and
the drain end of the driving transistor comprises a resistor.

18. The beam steering device of claim 15 , wherein the driver comprises a driving transistor comprising a source end and a drain end, and
the plurality of modulators are electrically connected to the drain end of the driving transistor.

19. The beam steering device of claim 15 , wherein the driving circuit further comprises at least one of a voltage holder configured to hold an applied voltage for a predetermined time and a feedback unit configured to perform a feedback so as to compensate for a performance decrease of the plurality of modulators.

20. A system comprising:
a light source configured to emit light;
a beam steering device configured to steer the light emitted by the light source towards an object; and
a detector configured to detect the steered light reflected from the object,
wherein the beam steering device comprises:
a plurality of channels through which light is transmitted, wherein each of the plurality of channels comprises:
a waveguide, provided on a substrate, through which the light is transmitted; and
a plurality of modulators arranged along the waveguide, each of the plurality of modulators being configured to change, according to an electrical signal, a phase of light transmitted therethrough by changing a refractive index of a portion of the waveguide corresponding thereto,
wherein each of the plurality of modulators comprises:
a carrier modulation region in which a carrier density varies with the electrical signal and is an n-type or p-type oxide semiconductor doped;
a first doping region electrically connected to the carrier modulation region and doped; and
a second doping region electrically connected to the carrier modulation region and doped; and

a driving circuit configured to provide the electrical signal to each of the plurality of modulators to thereby drive the plurality of modulators,
wherein the carrier modulation region is an n-type or p-type oxide semiconductor doped to have a density lower than a predetermined den

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jaechul

Classifications

• B81B7/0003

  MEMS mechanisms for assembling automatically hinged components, self-assembly devices (self-assembly processes B81C1/00007) · CPC title

• G02F1/2955 Primary

  by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical waveguide switching G02F1/313) · CPC title

• G02B6/4257

  having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate (G02B6/3648 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3596

  With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate · CPC title

• H10D1/66

  Conductor-insulator-semiconductor capacitors, e.g. MOS capacitors · CPC title