Semiconductor Device and Method of Manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016274302-A1
Application number	US-201615167060-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a trench in the substrate, the trench having an inclined sidewall, a reflective layer over the inclined sidewall, a grating structure over the substrate, and a waveguide in the trench. The waveguide is configured to guide optical signals between the grating structure and the reflective layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
etching a trench in a substrate, the trench having an inclined sidewall; etching a grating structure in the substrate, the grating structure at least partially co-elevational with the inclined sidewall, the grating structure including facets oriented in a direction closer to the normal direction of the substrate than the inclined sidewall; forming a reflective layer over the inclined sidewall; forming a waveguide in the trench; and mounting an optical component over the substrate, wherein the grating structure, the waveguide, the reflective layer and the optical component are arranged along an optical path.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
said etching the trench having the inclined sidewall includes a wet etch; and said etching the grating structure includes a dry etch.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a dielectric layer over the substrate, the dielectric layer continuously extending over the inclined sidewall, a bottom of the trench, and the facets of the grating structure; forming a reflective material over the dielectric layer, the reflective material continuously extending over the inclined sidewall, the bottom of the trench and the facets of the grating structure; and removing the reflective material from the bottom of the trench, the reflective material remaining over the inclined sidewall defining the reflective layer.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein, after said removing the reflective material from the bottom of the trench, the reflective material remaining over the facets of the grating structure defining a further reflective layer of the grating structure.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the reflective material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag, Al, Ti.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
forming a core layer over the dielectric layer in the trench; and forming a cladding layer over the core layer to obtain the waveguide.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the core layer and the cladding layer include at least one selected from the group consisting of polymer, spin-on-dielectric, high-k material, SiO 2 , SiNx, and low-k material.

8 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
etching a trench in a substrate, the trench having an inclined sidewall; forming a dielectric material in the trench; etching a grating structure in the dielectric material, the grating structure located in a first portion of the trench, the grating structure at least partially co-elevational with the inclined sidewall, the grating structure including facets oriented in a direction closer to the normal direction of the substrate than the inclined sidewall; forming a reflective layer over the inclined sidewall; forming a waveguide in a second portion of the trench; and mounting an optical component over the substrate, wherein the grating structure, the waveguide, the reflective layer and the optical component are arranged along an optical path.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the dielectric material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 and spin-on-glass.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
forming a dielectric layer over the substrate, the dielectric layer continuously extending over the inclined sidewall, a bottom of the trench, and the facets of the grating structure; forming a reflective material over the dielectric layer, the reflective material continuously extending over the inclined sidewall, the bottom of the trench and the facets of the grating structure; removing over the inclined sidewall defining the reflective layer, the reflective material remaining over the inclined sidewall defining the reflective layer, the reflective material remaining over the facets of the grating structure defining a further reflective layer for the grating structure; forming a core layer over the dielectric layer in the trench; and forming a cladding layer over the core layer to obtain the waveguide.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the core layer and the cladding layer include at least one selected from the group consisting of polymer, spinoon dielectric, high-k material, SiO 2 , SiN x , and low-k material.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reflective layer comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag, Al, Ti.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the etching the trench comprises performing a wet etch.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the etching the grating structure comprises performing a dry etch.

15 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate; etching the semiconductor substrate to form an opening with a sidewall with a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion is offset from the bottom portion; depositing a reflector to cover the top portion and the bottom portion; forming a grating structure over the semiconductor substrate; and placing a waveguide in the opening to guide optical signals between the grating structure and the reflective layer.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the reflector comprises Cu, Au, Ag, Al or Ti.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the grating structure is concave.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising an optical component over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the optical component is located to receive optical signals from the grating structure at an angle perpendicular to a major surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the major surface of the semiconductor substrate is planar and faces the optical component.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the reflector comprises a multi-layered structure of high and low refractive index alternately arranged dielectric materials.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the grating structure comprises facets oriented in a direction closer to a normal direction of the semiconductor substrate than the sidewall.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuo Ying-Hao
• Huang Tien-Yu

Classifications

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10W20/056

  by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches · CPC title

• G02B2006/12104

  Mirror; Reflectors or the like · CPC title

• G02B2006/12164

  Multiplexing; Demultiplexing · CPC title

• G02B2006/12176

  Etching · CPC title