Direct writable and erasable waveguides in optoelectronic systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016004010-A1
Application number	US-201414324074-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Technologies are generally described to form a waveguide in a polymer multilayer comprising a first and second polymer layer. The waveguide may be formed by directing light beams toward the polymer multilayer to form first and second cladding regions in the polymer multilayer, where the first and second cladding regions comprise a mixture of the first and second polymer layers. The first and second cladding regions may define a third cladding region and a waveguide core therebetween, where the third cladding region comprises a portion of the second polymer layer, and the waveguide core comprises a portion of the first polymer layer. In some examples, the polymer multilayer may be formed on a substrate such that the waveguide is formed on the substrate. Additionally, the waveguide may be formed temporarily to test components of an optoelectronic system and then erased by heating the polymer multilayer to destroy the waveguide core, or the waveguide may be formed as a default optical interconnection configuration that may be changed to alter the functional mode of the backplane in the manner of a jumper setting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method to form a waveguide, the method comprising:
providing a polymer multilayer, the polymer multilayer comprising a first polymer layer and a second polymer layer, the first polymer layer having a first refractive index, the second polymer layer having a second refractive index, the second refractive index being lower than the first refractive index; writing a first cladding region by directing a first light beam onto the polymer multilayer to induce mixing of the first and second polymer layers within the first cladding region; and writing a second cladding region by directing a second light beam on the polymer multilayer to induce mixing of the first and second polymer layers within the second cladding region, such that the waveguide is formed, the waveguide having a waveguide core comprising a portion of the first polymer layer located between the first cladding region and the second cladding region, and a third cladding region comprising a portion of the second polymer layer located between the first cladding region and the second cladding region.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming the polymer multilayer on a substrate, such that the waveguide is formed on the substrate.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is a backplane.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
laminating the first polymer layer to the second polymer layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the first and second light beam in a one of visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light spectra.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the first and second light beam by steering a laser beam.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the laser beam has a wavelength of about 390 nm to about 980 nm.

8 . A waveguide, comprising:
a first cladding region formed by directing a first light beam to induce mixing of a first polymer layer and a second polymer layer within the first cladding region; a second cladding region formed by directing a second light beam to induce mixing of the first and second polymer layers within the second cladding region; and a waveguide core comprising a portion of the first polymer layer located between the first cladding region and the second cladding region, and a third cladding region comprising a portion of the second polymer layer located between the first cladding region and the second cladding region.

9 . The waveguide of claim 8 , wherein the first polymer layer is formed on a substrate and the first polymer layer is laminated on the second polymer layer.

10 . The waveguide of claim 8 , wherein the first and second polymer layers are selected based on a refractive index difference between the first and second polymer layer.

11 . The waveguide of claim 10 , wherein a refractive index of the first polymer layer is higher than a refractive index of the second polymer layer.

12 . The waveguide of claim 8 , wherein the first polymer layer comprises poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA).

13 . The waveguide of claim 8 , wherein the second polymer layer comprises polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

14 . The waveguide of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second polymer layers include nanoparticles configured to gel the at least one of the first and second polymer layers.

15 . The waveguide of claim 14 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise fumed silica, acidic silica, alumina, titania, or ceria.

16 . The waveguide of claim 8 , wherein the first and second polymer layers are mutually soluble in response to a provision of heat.

17 . The waveguide of claim 16 , wherein upon the provision of heat, uniform solubilization of the first and second polymer layers destroys the waveguide core to effectively erase the waveguide.

18 . A system configured to form a waveguide on a substrate, the system comprising:
a formation module configured to:
form a first polymer layer on the substrate, the first polymer layer having a first refractive index; and
form a second polymer layer on the first polymer layer, the second polymer layer having a second refractive index, the second refractive index being lower than the first refractive index;
a writing module configured to:
form a first cladding region by directing a first light beam to induce mixing of the first and second polymer layers within the first cladding region; and
form a second cladding region by directing a second light beam to induce mixing of the first and second polymer layers within the second cladding region,
the waveguide comprising the first and second cladding regions, a waveguide core comprising a portion of the first polymer layer located between the first cladding region and the second cladding region, and a third cladding region comprising a portion of the second polymer layer located between the first cladding region and the second cladding region; and
a controller configured to coordinate one or more operations of the formation module and the writing module.

19 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
an erasing module configured to:
erase the waveguide formed, if the waveguide formed is a temporary waveguide.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the erasing module comprises one of a heat source and an optical source configured to heat the first and second polymer layers to destroy the waveguide core in order to erase the temporary waveguide.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the heat source is configured to rapidly heat an entirety of the substrate at a temperature above a melting point of the first and second polymer layers.

22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the optical source is configured to locally heat the first, second, and third cladding regions of the temporary waveguide in order to destroy the waveguide core without affecting other components on the substrate.

23 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a curing module configured to:
permanently write the waveguide formed on the substrate.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the curing module comprises at least one of an optical source and an electron beam source configured to one of: cure an entirety of the substrate employing a blanket exposure, and cure localized regions of the substrate employing a shadow mask exposure.

Assignees

• Empire Technology Dev Llc

Inventors

• Miller Seth Adrian
• Deurksen Gary Lynn

Classifications

• G02B6/138 Primary

  by using polymerisation · CPC title

• G02B2006/12166

  Manufacturing methods · CPC title

• G02B6/13 Primary

  Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method · CPC title

• G02B6/02033

  Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material (G02B1/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/12

  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