Optical modulator robust to fabrication errors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020057320-A1
Application number	US-201816609069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 20, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical modulator includes a first arm and a second arm, each arm includes an arrangement with an equal amount of p-doped material and an equal amount of n-doped material, such that mask misalignment causes a same effect in both arms; and each arm includes a plurality of segments where electrodes connect for push-pull operation of the first arm and the second arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optoelectronic integrated circuit, comprising:
a first back-to-back-junction component (BBJC) and a second BBJC that conform to a first fabrication pattern, wherein the first BBJC comprises a first group A p-n junction (APNJ) in series with a first group B p-n junction (BPNJ), wherein the second BBJC comprises a second APNJ in series with a second BPNJ; and an optical component conforming to a second fabrication pattern that superimposes the first fabrication pattern, wherein the optical component overlaps the first APNJ and the second APNJ to define a first p-type overlap region and a first n-type overlap region, wherein the optical component overlaps the first BPNJ and the second BPNJ to define a second p-type overlap region and a second n-type overlap region, wherein the first APNJ, the first BPNJ, the second APNJ, and the second BPNJ are disposed along respective directions such that
the first p-type overlap region and the second p-type region are substantially same size independent of a fabrication misalignment amount of the first fabrication pattern with respect to the second fabrication pattern, and
the first n-type overlap region and the second n-type region are substantially same size independent of the fabrication misalignment amount of the first fabrication pattern with respect to the second fabrication pattern.

2 . The optoelectronic integrated circuit of claim 1 ,
wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have different doping type sequences, wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have a same electrical connection sequence, wherein the first APNJ and the second BPNJ are disposed along a first direction, wherein the first BPNJ and the second APNJ are disposed along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3 . The optoelectronic integrated circuit of claim 2 ,
wherein the first BBJC is one of a first plurality of BBJCs of the optoelectronic integrated circuit that have respective APNJs along the first direction, and the second BBJC is one of a second plurality of BBJCs of the optoelectronic integrated circuit that have respective APNJs along the second direction, and wherein the first plurality of BBJCs the second plurality of BBJCs are disposed based on a pre-determined direction alternating sequence.

4 . The optoelectronic integrated circuit of claim 1 ,
wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have different doping type sequences, wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have different electrical connection sequences, wherein the first APNJ and the second BPNJ are disposed along a first direction, and wherein the first BPNJ and the second APNJ are disposed along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

5 . The optoelectronic integrated circuit of claim 4 ,
wherein the first BBJC is one of a first plurality of BBJCs of the optoelectronic integrated circuit that have respective APNJs along the first direction, and the second BBJC is one of a second plurality of BBJCs of the optoelectronic integrated circuit that have respective APNJs along the second direction, and wherein the first plurality of BBJCs the second plurality of BBJCs are disposed based on a pre-determined direction alternating sequence.

6 . The optoelectronic integrated circuit of claim 1 ,
wherein the first APNJ and the second APNJ overlap a first optical path of the optical component, and wherein the first BPNJ and the second BPNJ overlap a second optical path of the optical component.

7 . The optoelectronic integrated circuit of claim 1 ,
wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have a same doping type sequence, and wherein the first APNJ, the first BPNJ, the second APNJ, and the second BPNJ are disposed along a same direction.

8 . An optical modulator circuit, comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode that are adapted to propagate a modulating voltage of the optical modulator circuit; a first back-to-back-junction component (BBJC) and a second BBJC that are connected to the first electrode and the second electrode to receive the modulating voltage, wherein the first BBJC comprises a first group A p-n junction (APNJ) in series with a first group B p-n junction (BPNJ), wherein the second BBJC comprises a second APNJ in series with a second BPNJ, wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC conform to a first fabrication pattern; and a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide that are adapted to propagate an optical signal of the optical modulator circuit, wherein the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide conform to a second fabrication pattern that superimposes the first fabrication pattern, wherein the first optical waveguide overlaps the first APNJ and the second APNJ to define a first p-type overlap region and a first n-type overlap region, wherein the second optical waveguide overlaps the first BPNJ and the second BPNJ to define a second p-type overlap region and a second n-type overlap region, wherein the first APNJ, the first BPNJ, the second APNJ, and the second BPNJ are disposed along respective directions such that
the first p-type overlap region and the second p-type region are substantially same size independent of a fabrication misalignment amount of the first fabrication pattern with respect to the second fabrication pattern, and
the first n-type overlap region and the second n-type region are substantially same size independent of the fabrication misalignment amount of the first fabrication pattern with respect to the second fabrication pattern, and
wherein the respective directions reduce an imbalance of modulating the optical signal using the modulating voltage from the first electrode and the second electrode.

9 . The optical modulator circuit of claim 8 ,
wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have different doping type sequences, wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have a same electrical connection sequence, wherein the first APNJ and the second BPNJ are disposed along a first direction, and wherein the first BPNJ and the second APNJ are disposed along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

10 . The optical modulator circuit of claim 9 ,
wherein the first BBJC is one of a first plurality of BBJCs of the optical modulator circuit that have respective APNJs along the first direction, and the second BBJC is one of a second plurality of BBJCs of the optical modulator circuit that have respective APNJs along the second direction, and wherein the first plurality of BBJCs the second plurality of BBJCs are disposed based on a pre-determined direction alternating sequence.

11 . The optical modulator circuit of claim 8 ,
wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have different doping type sequences, wherein the first BBJC and the second BBJC have different electrical connection sequences, wherein the first APNJ and the second BPNJ are disposed along a first direction, and wherein the first BPNJ and the second APNJ are disposed along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

12 . The optical modulator circuit of claim 11 ,
wherein the first BBJC is one of a first plurality of BBJCs of the optoelectronic integrated circuit that have respective APNJs along the first direction, and the second BBJC is one of a second plurality of BBJCs of the optoelectronic integrated circuit that have respective APNJs along the second direction, and wherein the first plurality of BBJCs the second plurality of BBJCs are disposed based on a pre-determined direction alternating sequence.

13 . The optical modulator circuit of claim 8 ,
wherein the first APNJ and the

Assignees

• Ciena Corp

Inventors

• Latrasse Christine
• Painchaud Yves
• Poulin Michel

Classifications

• G02F1/025 Primary

  in an optical waveguide structure (G02F1/017, {G02F1/2257} take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B2006/12061

  Silicon · CPC title

• G02F1/2257

  the optical waveguides being made of semiconducting material · CPC title

• G02B2006/12142

  Modulator · CPC title

• G02B6/134

  by substitution by dopant atoms · CPC title