Integrated optical switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972097-B2
Application number	US-201716643383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an optical switch includes a photoconductor body including a first edge and an opposite second edge, a first end and an opposite second end. The first edge is configured to receive an electrical input signal and the second edge is configured to deliver an electrical output signal. The photoconductor body is configured to have an electrically ON state that is activated by an optical signal and an electrically OFF state that is activated by an absence of the optical signal. A direction from the first end to the second end defines a longitudinal direction. The direction from the first edge to the second edge defines a first direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. A first dimension between the first edge and the second edge along the first direction decreases from the first end to the second end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical switch comprising:
a photoconductor body comprising a first edge and an opposite second edge, a first end and an opposite second end, the first edge configured to receive an electrical input signal and the second edge configured to deliver an electrical output signal, the photoconductor body being configured to have an electrically ON state that is activated by an optical signal and an electrically OFF state that is activated by an absence of the optical signal, wherein a direction from the first end to the second end defines a longitudinal direction, wherein the direction from the first edge to the second edge defines a first direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, wherein a first dimension between the first edge and the second edge along the first direction decreases from the first end to the second end.

2. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first dimension between the first edge and the second edge decreases gradually.

3. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the photoconductor body comprises a second dimension along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and the longitudinal direction, and wherein the second dimension remains constant along the longitudinal direction.

4. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first dimension between the first edge and the second edge decreases stepwise along the longitudinal direction so that the first dimension decreases substantially linearly along the longitudinal direction.

5. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first dimension between the first edge and the second edge decreases stepwise along the longitudinal direction so that the first dimension decreases substantially exponentially along the longitudinal direction.

6. The switch as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first dimension between the first edge and the second edge decreases exponentially with the product of the absorption coefficient of the photoconductor body and a distance from the first end in the longitudinal direction.

7. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the photoconductor body comprises a plurality of portions that are arranged along the longitudinal direction between the first end and the second end, the portions being configured such that the respective first dimension between the first edge and the second edge decreases from the first end to the second end.

8. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical signal is delivered at the first end and the photoconductor body is configured to propagate the optical signal along the longitudinal direction.

9. The switch as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a silicon-on-insulator substrate that includes a semiconductor film disposed on a buried insulating layer, the buried insulating layer being disposed on a carrier substrate, and the semiconductor film comprising the photoconductor body.

10. An integrated electronic circuit comprising:
an input terminal configured to receive an analog electronic signal;
an output terminal configured to deliver a sampled signal; and
an optical switch comprising a photoconductor body that comprises a first series of contacts coupled to the input terminal and a second series of contacts coupled to the output terminal, the switch configured to have an electrically ON state coupling the first series of contacts to the second series of contact in response to an optical signal, the switch configured to have an electrically OFF state decoupling the first series of contacts from the second series of contact in response to an absence of the optical signal, wherein the photoconductor body comprises a first end configured to receive the optical signal, and an opposite second end, wherein a first distance between one of the first series of contacts to one of the second series of contacts at the first end is different from a second distance between another one of the first series of contacts to another one of the second series of contacts at the second end.

11. The circuit as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
a capacitor coupled between the second series of contacts and a reference potential node.

12. The circuit as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the integrated electronic circuit is a sample-and-hold circuit.

13. The switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a distance measured along a first direction between the first series of contacts to the second series of contacts varies substantially linearly along a longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, the first direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

14. The switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a distance measured along a first direction between the first series of contacts to the second series of contacts varies substantially exponentially along a longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, the first direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

15. The switch as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a distance measured along a first direction between the first series of contacts to the second series of contacts varies in a stepwise manner along a longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, the first direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

16. The switch as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a step height between adjacent steps in the stepwise manner varies in a direction from the first end to the second end.

17. The switch as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a step height between adjacent steps in the stepwise manner decreases in a direction from the first end to the second end.

18. An optical switch comprising:
a photoconductor body comprising a first end configured to receive an optical signal, and an opposite second end, a first edge and an opposite second edge;
an input terminal configured to receive an electrical input signal at the first edge;
an output terminal configured to deliver an electrical output signal at the second edge; and
a control node configured to switch the optical switch between an electrically ON state coupling the input terminal to the output terminal and electrically OFF state decoupling the input terminal from the output terminal based on a presence or absence of the optical signal at the first end, wherein a first distance between the first edge and the second edge at the first end is different from a second distance between the first edge and the second edge at the second end.

19. The switch as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the photoconductor body further comprises a first series of contacts at the first edge coupled to the input terminal and a second series of contacts at the second edge coupled to the output terminal.

20. The switch as claimed in claim 18 , wherein a distance between the first edge and the second edge varies substantially linearly from the first distance to the second distance.

21. The switch as claimed in claim 18 , wherein a distance between the first edge and the second edge varies substantially exponentially from the first distance to the second distance.

22. The switch as claimed in claim 18 , wherein a distance between the first edge and the second edge varies in a stepwise manner from the first distance to the second distance.

23. The switch as claimed in claim 22 , wherein a step height between adjacent steps in the stepwise manner varies in a direction from the first end to the second end.

24. The switch as claimed in claim 22 , w

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Sa

Inventors

• Zegmout Hanae
• Pache Denis
• Le Tual Stephane
• Roux Jean-François
• Coutaz Jean-Louis

Classifications

• H10F77/147

  Shapes of bodies · CPC title

• H10F77/122

  comprising only Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10F30/00 Primary

  Individual radiation-sensitive semiconductor devices in which radiation controls the flow of current through the devices, e.g. photodetectors · CPC title

• H10F19/50 Primary

  Integrated devices comprising at least one photovoltaic cell and other types of semiconductor or solid-state components (H10F19/75 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03K17/78 Primary

  using opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled · CPC title