Silicon waveguide structure with arbitrary geometry on bulk silicon substrate, related systems and program products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435948-B2
Application number	US-201414304318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments include a silicon-based optical waveguide structure locally on a bulk silicon substrate, and systems and program products for forming such a structure by modifying an integrated circuit (IC) design structure. Embodiments include implementing processes of preparing manufacturing data for formation of the IC design structure in a computer-implemented IC formation system, wherein the preparing of the manufacturing data includes inserting instructions into the manufacturing data to convert an edge of the at least one shape from a <110> crystallographic direction to a <100> crystallographic direction.

First claim

We claim:

1. A silicon-based optical waveguide structure comprising:
a bulk silicon substrate;
a set of waveguide structures positioned within the bulk silicon substrate, wherein each of the set of waveguide structures includes:
a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer filling a cavity within the bulk silicon substrate;
an intermediate layer directly over the SiO 2 layer, the intermediate layer having a substantially flat lower surface contacting the SiO 2 layer; and
a silicon layer overlying the intermediate layer,
wherein the SiO 2 layer extends above the intermediate layer through the silicon layer.

2. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 1 , wherein the set of waveguide structures includes a plurality of waveguide structures.

3. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 2 , wherein one of the plurality of waveguide structures includes a non-uniform thickness region in the silicon layer overlying the intermediate layer.

4. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein the non-uniform thickness region includes a topographical difference in the silicon layer.

5. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein the non-uniform thickness region in the silicon layer is located between sections of the SiO 2 layer extending through the silicon layer.

6. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein a second one of the plurality of waveguide structures does not include a non-uniform thickness region in the silicon layer overlying the intermediate layer.

7. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 6 , wherein the second one of the plurality of waveguide structures is adjacent the first one of the plurality of waveguide structures.

8. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein the intermediate layer separates the SiO 2 in the cavity from the non-uniform thickness region.

9. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer includes silicon.

10. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer includes silicon germanium (SiGe).

11. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 1 , wherein the silicon layer is located between portions of the SiO 2 layer.

12. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 4 , wherein the topographical difference includes at least one rib or protrusion.

13. A silicon-based optical waveguide structure comprising:
a bulk silicon substrate;
a set of waveguide structures positioned within the bulk silicon substrate, wherein each of the set of waveguide structures includes:
a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer filling a cavity within the bulk silicon substrate;
an intermediate layer directly over the SiO 2 layer, the intermediate layer having a substantially flat lower surface contacting the SiO 2 layer; and
a silicon layer overlying the intermediate layer,
wherein the SiO 2 layer extends above the intermediate layer through the silicon layer,

wherein the set of waveguide structures includes a plurality of waveguide structures, wherein one of the plurality of waveguide structures includes a non-uniform thickness region in the silicon layer overlying the intermediate layer,
wherein a second one of the plurality of waveguide structures does not include a non-uniform thickness region in the silicon layer overlying the intermediate layer.

14. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 13 , wherein the non-uniform thickness region includes a topographical difference in the silicon layer.

15. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 13 , wherein the non-uniform thickness region in the silicon layer is located between sections of the SiO 2 layer extending through the silicon layer.

16. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 13 , wherein the second one of the plurality of waveguide structures is adjacent the first one of the plurality of waveguide structures.

17. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate layer separates the SiO 2 in the cavity from the non-uniform thickness region.

18. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate layer includes silicon.

19. The silicon-based optical waveguide structure of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate layer includes silicon germanium (SiGe).

Assignees

• Globalfoundries Inc

Inventors

• Leidy Robert K
• Levy Mark D
• Liu Qizhi
• Milo Gary L
• Shank Steven M

Classifications

• G02B6/136

  by etching · CPC title

• G02B6/125

  Bends, branchings or intersections · CPC title

• G02B6/122 Primary

  Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths · CPC title

• G02B2006/12061

  Silicon · CPC title