Monolithic integration of optical waveguides with metal routing layers
| DWPI Title: Photonic integrated circuit comprises lower metal layer, intermetal dielectric level on lower metal layer, upper metal layer on intermetal dielectric level, and one or more optical waveguide levels within intermetal dielectric level |
| Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit and a method for its manufacture are provided. In an embodiment, an intermetal dielectric layer, for example, a silicon oxide layer, is contiguous between an upper metal layer and a lower metal layer on a substrate. One or more waveguides having top and bottom faces are formed in respective waveguide layers within the intermetal dielectric layer between the upper and lower metal layers. There is a distance of at least 600 nm from the upper metal layer to the top face of the uppermost of the several waveguides. There is a distance of at least 600 nm from the lower metal layer to the bottom face of the lowermost of the several waveguides. The waveguides are formed of silicon nitride for longer wavelengths and alumina for shorter wavelengths. These dimensions and materials are favorable for CMOS processing, among other things. |
| Use: Photonic integrated circuit. |
| Advantage: The photonic integrated circuit enables two or more independent waveguide layers to be routed between closely spaced metal layers. |
| Novelty: Photonic integrated circuit comprises a lower metal layer, an intermetal dielectric level on the lower metal layer, an upper metal layer on the intermetal dielectric level, one or more optical waveguide levels within the intermetal dielectric level, and each optical waveguide level including one or more optical waveguides formed. The one or more optical waveguide levels having corresponding top and bottom faces, one or more optical gratings, each of the one or more optical gratings formed in a corresponding one of the one or more optical waveguide levels, each of the one or more optical gratings adapted to out-couple light; and one or more metal vias in the intermetal dielectric level, and each of the one or more optical waveguides formed in each of the one or more optical waveguide levels laterally separated from each of the one or more metal vias by a distance D4. |
| Filed: 6/22/2022 |
| Application Number: US17846855A |
| Tech ID: SD 15781.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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