Optical device and optical detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619858-B2
Application number	US-202117160908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

An optical device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of separation walls, one or more optical waveguides, and one or more spacers. The first substrate has a surface which extends in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction. The second substrate faces the first substrate. The plurality of separation walls are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and extend in the first direction. The one or more optical waveguides are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and include one or more dielectric members which are positioned between the plurality of separation walls and which extend in the first direction. The one or more spacers are directly or indirectly sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate and positioned around the one or more optical waveguides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical device comprising:
a first substrate that has a surface which extends in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction;
a second substrate that faces the first substrate;
a plurality of separation walls that are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and that extend in the first direction;
one or more first optical waveguides that are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate; and
one or more spacers that are directly or indirectly sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, that support the first substrate or the second substrate, and that are positioned around the one or more first optical waveguides,
wherein the plurality of separation walls include a different material from the first substrate, and
wherein a modulus of elasticity of each of the one or more spacers is smaller than a modulus of elasticity of any one of the plurality of separation walls.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of separation walls are directly or indirectly sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, and wherein,
a deformation ratio of each of the one or more spacers in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first substrate due to being sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate is greater than a deformation ratio of any one of the plurality of separation walls in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the first substrate.

3. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more spacers include a plurality of columnar spacers.

4. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sealer that fixes a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein
the sealer encloses the one or more first optical waveguides and the plurality of separation walls when seen in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first substrate.

5. The optical device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the one or more first optical waveguides include one or more dielectric members which are positioned between the plurality of separation walls and which extend in the first direction, and
a region that is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and that is enclosed by the sealer is filled with a member which is identical to the one or more dielectric members.

6. The optical device according to claim 4 , wherein
the one or more spacers are positioned inside and/or outside a region enclosed by the sealer.

7. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more second optical waveguides respectively connected to the one or more first optical waveguides.

8. The optical device according to claim 7 , wherein
the one or more first optical waveguides include a plurality of the first optical waveguides,
the one or more second optical waveguides include a plurality of the second optical waveguides, and wherein
the one or more spacers include at least one spacer provided between two of the plurality of second optical waveguides adjacent to each other.

9. The optical device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a dielectric layer positioned between the first substrate and the one or more second optical waveguides.

10. The optical device according to claim 7 , wherein
each of the one or more second optical waveguides includes a corresponding one of portions positioned between two of the plurality of separation walls adjacent to each other, and wherein
the second optical waveguide includes a first grating in the portion positioned between the two of the separation walls adjacent to each other.

11. The optical device according to claim 7 , wherein,
each of the one or more second optical waveguides includes a corresponding one of portions that is not superposed, when seen in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first substrate, on one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and wherein
the second optical waveguide includes a second grating in the portion that is not superposed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate.

12. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more dielectric members, wherein the one or more dielectric members which are positioned between the plurality of separation walls are included in the one or more first optical waveguides, and extend in the first direction; and
two mirrors respectively positioned between the first substrate and the one or more dielectric members and between the second substrate and the one or more dielectric members.

13. The optical device according to claim 12 , wherein,
when seen in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first substrate, at least one of the two mirrors is not formed in a region where the one or more spacers are provided.

14. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more first optical waveguides include one or more dielectric members which are positioned between the plurality of separation walls and which extend in the first direction,
the one or more first optical waveguides include a structure that allows adjustment of a refractive index of the one or more dielectric members, and
when the refractive index of the one or more dielectric members is adjusted, a direction of light emitted from the one or more first optical waveguides through the first substrate or the second substrate or an incident direction of light input to the one or more first optical waveguides through the first substrate or the second substrate is changed.

15. The optical device according to claim 14 , further comprising:
one or more dielectric members, wherein the one or more dielectric members which are positioned between the plurality of separation walls are included in the one or more first optical waveguides, and extend in the first direction; and
a pair of electrodes between which the one or more dielectric members are sandwiched, wherein:
the one or more dielectric members include a liquid crystal material or an electrooptic material, and
when a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes, the refractive index of the one or more dielectric members is adjusted.

16. The optical device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
one or more phase shifters respectively connected to the one or more optical waveguides directly or through one or more other optical waveguides, wherein
when a phase difference between portions of light respectively passing through the one or more phase shifters is changed, the direction of the light emitted from the one or more first optical waveguides through the first substrate or the second substrate or the incident direction of the light input to the one or more first optical waveguides through the first substrate or the second substrate is changed.

17. An optical detection system comprising:
the optical device according to claim 1 ;
an optical detector that detects light emitted from the optical device and reflected by an object; and
a signal processor that generates distance distribution data based on output of the optical detector.

18. An optical device comprising:
a first substrate that has a surface which extends in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction;
a second substrate that faces the first substrate;
a plurality of separation walls that are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and that extend in the first direction;

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nomura Takaiki
• Takagi Hiroyuki
• Tsukuda Masahiko
• Inada Yasuhisa
• Hirasawa Taku

Classifications

• G01C3/06

  Use of electric means to obtain final indication · CPC title

• G02F1/13394

  spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars (G02F1/133377 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2201/302

  grating coupler · CPC title

• G02F1/295

  {Analog deflection from or} in an optical waveguide structure] · CPC title

• G02F2201/06

  integrated waveguide · CPC title