Optoelectronic device having a direct patch mask formed thereon and a method of manufacture therefor

Abstract

The present invention provides an optoelectronic device with superior qualities. The optoelectronic device includes an optical core feature located over a substrate, an outer cladding layer located over the optical core feature and a direct patch mask formed on an outer cladding layer. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the direct patch mask has a light source passed therethrough that corrects birefringence in the optical core feature and the outer cladding layer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An optoelectronic device, comprising: 
 an optical core feature located over a substrate;    an outer cladding layer located over the optical core feature; and    a direct patch mask formed on an outer cladding layer.    
     
     
         2 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the direct patch mask comprises an essentially opaque material.  
     
     
         3 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the opaque material is a metal.  
     
     
         4 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 3  wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, chrome, gold and titanium.  
     
     
         5 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the direct patch mask has a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to about 500 nm.  
     
     
         6 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 5  wherein the direct patch mask has a thickness ranging from about 50 nm to about 200 nm.  
     
     
         7 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 1  further including multiple optical core features.  
     
     
         8 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 7  wherein the direct patch mask has openings located therein and over the optical core features.  
     
     
         9 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 1  further including an inner cladding layer located between the substrate and the outer cladding layer.  
     
     
         10 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 9  wherein the inner cladding layer has a thickness of up to about 35000 nm, the optical core feature has a thickness ranging from about 1000 nm to about 10000 nm and the outer cladding layer has a thickness ranging from about 5000 nm to about 25000 nm.  
     
     
         11 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 10  wherein the optical core feature has a thickness of about 6800 nm.  
     
     
         12 . The optoelectronic device as recited in  claim 9  wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate, the inner cladding layer is an undoped silica inner cladding layer, the optical core feature is a phosphorous doped silica optical core feature and the outer cladding layer is a boron phosphorous doped tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) outer cladding layer.  
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing an optoelectronic device, comprising: 
 forming an optical core feature over a substrate;    forming an outer cladding layer over the optical core feature;    forming a direct patch mask on the outer cladding layer; and    exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to a light source.    
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein forming a direct patch mask include forming an essentially opaque direct patch mask.  
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein forming an opaque direct patch mask includes forming a metal direct patch mask.  
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15  wherein forming a metal direct patch mask includes forming a metal direct patch mask from a metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, chrome, gold and titanium.  
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein forming a direct patch mask includes forming a direct patch mask having a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to about 500 nm.  
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein forming a direct patch mask having a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to about 500 nm includes forming a direct patch mask having a thickness ranging from about 50 nm to about 200 nm.  
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein forming an optical core feature includes forming multiple optical core features.  
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19  wherein forming a direct patch mask includes forming a direct patch mask having openings located therein and over the optical core features.  
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 20  wherein forming a direct patch mask having openings located therein includes forming a direct patch mask having openings located therein using photolithography.  
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to a light source includes exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to an ultraviolet (UV) light source.  
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22  wherein exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to an ultraviolet (UV) light source includes exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to an ultraviolet (UV) light source to correct a birefringence.  
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  13  further including removing the direct patch mask subsequent to exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to a light source.  
     
     
         25 . An optical fiber communications system, comprising: 
 an optical fiber;    a transmitter and a receiver connected by the optical fiber; and    an optoelectronic device including: 
 an optical core feature located over a substrate;  
 an outer cladding layer located over the optical core feature; and  
 a direct patch mask formed on the outer cladding layer.  
   
     
     
         26 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 25  wherein the direct patch mask comprises an opaque material.  
     
     
         27 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 26  wherein the opaque material is a metal.  
     
     
         28 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 27  wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, chrome, gold and titanium.  
     
     
         29 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 25  wherein the direct patch mask has a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to about 500 nm.  
     
     
         30 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 29  wherein the direct patch mask has a thickness ranging from about 50 nm to about 200 nm.  
     
     
         31 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 25  further including multiple optical core features.  
     
     
         32 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 31  wherein the direct patch mask has openings located therein and over the optical core features.  
     
     
         33 . The optical fiber communication system as recited in  claim 25  further including an inner cladding layer located between the substrate and the outer cladding layer.  
     
     
         34 . The optical fiber communication system recited in  claim 25  wherein the transmitter includes the optoelectronic device.  
     
     
         35 . The optical fiber communication system recited in  claim 25  wherein the receiver includes the optoelectronic device.  
     
     
         36 . The optical fiber communication system recited in  claim 25  further including a source.  
     
     
         37 . The optical fiber communication system recited in  claim 36  wherein the source is a laser or a diode.  
     
     
         38 . The optical fiber communication system recited in  claim 25  further including a repeater.  
     
     
         39 . A method of manufacturing an optical fiber communications system, comprising: 
 forming an optical fiber;    forming a transmitter and a receiver connected by the optical fiber; and    forming an optoelectronic device including: 
 forming an optical core feature over a substrate;  
 forming an outer cladding layer over the optical core feature;  
 forming a direct patch mask on the outer cladding layer; and  
 exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to a light source.  
   
     
     
         40 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein forming a direct patch mask include forming an opaque direct patch mask.  
     
     
         41 . The method as recited in  claim 40  wherein forming an opaque direct patch mask includes forming a metal direct patch mask.  
     
     
         42 . The method as recited in  claim 41  wherein forming a metal direct patch mask includes forming a metal direct patch mask from a metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, chrome, gold and titanium.  
     
     
         43 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein forming a direct patch mask includes forming a direct patch mask having a thickness ranging from 10 nm to 500 nm.  
     
     
         44 . The method as recited in  claim 43  wherein forming a direct patch mask having a thickness ranging from 10 nm to 500 nm includes forming a direct patch mask having a thickness ranging from about 50 nm to about 200 nm.  
     
     
         45 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein forming an optical core feature includes forming multiple optical core features.  
     
     
         46 . The method as recited in  claim 45  wherein forming a direct patch mask includes forming a direct patch mask having openings located therein and over the optical core features.  
     
     
         47 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further including forming an inner cladding layer between the substrate and the outer cladding layer.  
     
     
         48 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to a light source includes exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to an ultraviolet (UV) light source.  
     
     
         49 . The method as recited in  claim 48  wherein exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to an ultraviolet (UV) light source includes exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to an ultraviolet (UV) light source to correct a birefringence.  
     
     
         50 . The method as recited in  39  further including removing the direct patch mask subsequent to exposing the core structure and the outer cladding layer to a light source.  
     
     
         51 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein forming a transmitter includes forming a transmitter having the optoelectronic device.  
     
     
         52 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein forming a receiver includes forming a receiver having the optoelectronic device.  
     
     
         53 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further including forming a source.  
     
     
         54 . The method as recited in  claim 53  wherein forming a source includes forming a laser or a diode.  
     
     
         55 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further including forming a repeater.