Methods and systems for hermetically sealed fiber to chip connections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10935739-B2
Application number	US-201715714886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2012
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are methods of providing a hermetically sealed optical connection between an optical fiber and an optical element of a chip and a photonic-integrated chip manufactured using such methods.

First claim

We claim:

1. An optical device, comprising:
a photonic-integrated chip on which an optical waveguide is formed, the photonic-integrated chip having a flat base surface; and
an optical fiber assembly comprising an optical fiber having a flat terminating end surface that is pre-activated in a plasma to create dangling bonds on the terminating end surface of the optical fiber which facilitate coupling with the optical waveguide;
wherein the terminating end surface of the optical fiber directly contacts the base surface of the photonic-integrated chip, thereby providing a hermetically sealed optical connection to the optical waveguide formed in the photonic-integrated chip, and
wherein the photonic-integrated chip includes a photonic element distinct from the optical waveguide.

2. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is a first plasma and the flat base surface is pre-activated in a second plasma.

3. The optical device of claim 2 , wherein the first plasma and the second plasma are a same plasma.

4. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the end surface surrounding the terminating end surface of the optical fiber is tapered and the tapered portion of the end surface of the optical fiber aligns with a corresponding tapered surface surrounding the base surface of the photonic-integrated chip.

5. The optical device of claim 4 , wherein the tapered portion of the end surface of the optical fiber is pre-activated in the plasma.

6. The optical device of claim 4 , wherein the plasma is a first plasma, and wherein the corresponding tapered surface of the photonic-integrated chip is pre-activated in a second plasma.

7. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the terminating end surface of the optical fiber is coupled to the base surface of the chip such that there are no gaps between the optical fiber and the chip.

8. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated from a gas species containing at least one of: oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, and argon.

9. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber forms at least one covalent bond directly with the optical waveguide.

10. The optical device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one covalent bond is a silicon-to-silicon covalent bond.

11. An optical device, comprising:
a photonic-integrated chip on which an optical waveguide is formed, the photonic-integrated chip having a flat base surface; and
an optical fiber assembly comprising an optical fiber having a flat terminating end surface that is pre-activated in a plasma to create dangling bonds on the terminating end surface of the optical fiber which facilitate coupling with the optical waveguide;
wherein the terminating end surface of the optical fiber directly contacts the base surface of the photonic-integrated chip, thereby providing a hermetically sealed optical connection to the optical waveguide formed in the photonic-integrated chip, and
wherein the dangling bonds form at least one covalent bond directly with the optical waveguide of the photonic-integrated chip.

12. The optical device of claim 11 , wherein the plasma is a first plasma and the flat base surface is pre-activated in a second plasma.

13. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the first plasma and the second plasma are a same plasma.

14. The optical device of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the end surface surrounding the terminating end surface of the optical fiber is tapered and the tapered portion of the end surface of the optical fiber aligns with a corresponding tapered surface surrounding the base surface of the photonic-integrated chip.

15. The optical device of claim 14 , wherein the tapered portion of the end surface of the optical fiber is pre-activated in the plasma.

16. The optical device of claim 14 , wherein the plasma is a first plasma, and wherein the corresponding tapered surface of the photonic-integrated chip is pre-activated in a second plasma.

17. The optical device of claim 11 , wherein the terminating end surface of the optical fiber is coupled to the base surface of the chip such that there are no gaps between the optical fiber and the chip.

18. The optical device of claim 11 , wherein the plasma is generated from a gas species containing at least one of: oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, and argon.

19. The optical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one covalent bond is a silicon-to-silicon covalent bond.

20. The optical device of claim 11 , wherein the photonic-integrated chip includes a photonic element distinct from the optical waveguide.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Meade Roy
• Sandhu Gurtej

Classifications

• G02B6/305 Primary

  and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide · CPC title

• G02B6/12 Primary

  of the integrated circuit kind (electric integrated circuits H10B, H10D84/00 - H10D89/00, H10F19/00, H10F39/00, H10H29/00, H10K19/00, H10K39/00, H10K59/00, H10N19/00, H10N39/00, H10N59/00, H10N69/00, H10N79/00, H10N89/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/25 Primary

  Preparing the ends of light guides for coupling, e.g. cutting · CPC title

• G02B6/255

  Splicing of light guides, e.g. by fusion or bonding · CPC title

• G02B6/424

  Mounting of the optical light guide · CPC title