Methods and systems for hermetically sealed fiber to chip connections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536915-B2
Application number	US-202117153482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2021
Priority date	Jul 6, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

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; and
an optical fiber assembly comprising an optical fiber having a self-aligned mechanical interface coupled to the optical waveguide at a side surface of the photonic-integrated chip,
wherein the self-aligned mechanical interface provides a hermetically sealed optical connection to the optical waveguide.

2. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the self-aligned mechanical interface comprises a planar terminating end surface and one or more of: a chamfered surface, an inverted taper surface, and a vertical taper surface.

3. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the planar terminating end surface of the optical fiber is pre-activated in a plasma.

4. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the self-aligned mechanical interface of the optical fiber is coupled to the chip such that there are no gaps between the optical fiber and the chip.

5. The optical device of claim 3 , wherein the plasma is generated from a gas species containing at least one of: oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, and argon.

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

7. The optical device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one covalent bond is a silicon-to-silicon covalent bond.

8. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber assembly comprises a single-mode fiber having a core surrounded by a cladding material.

9. The optical device of claim 8 , wherein the cladding material has a lower index of refraction than the core.

10. The optical device of claim 8 , wherein the core comprises silica, germania, or a combination thereof.

11. The optical device of claim 8 , wherein the cladding comprises silicon dioxide.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Meade Roy
• Sandhu Gurtej

Classifications

• 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

• G02B6/305 Primary

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

• G02B6/424

  Mounting of the optical light guide · CPC title