US2023017023A1PendingUtilityA1

Moscap ring resonator optical modulator

61
Assignee: UNIV BOSTONPriority: Dec 28, 2020Filed: Sep 26, 2022Published: Jan 19, 2023
Est. expiryDec 28, 2040(~14.4 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Hayk GevorgyanMilos Popovic
G02F 2203/50G02F 1/025G02F 2202/104G02F 1/0154G02F 2202/105
61
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Claims

Abstract

A ring resonator optical modulator comprises: an optical region in which optical radiation can propagate in a circular path having an inner radius and an outer radius coincident with an outer perimeter of the ring resonator optical modulator; a MOS capacitor structure having an upper gate device layer and a lower body device layer, and an insulating material being disposed between the upper gate device layer and the lower body device layer; and a cladding region. The optical radiation is confined within the optical region. The insulating material has a first region disposed in the optical region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, the second region being disposed radially inwardly from the inner radius of the optical region, such that the optical radiation is radially confined toward the outer side of the inner radius of the optical region.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A ring resonator optical modulator, comprising:
 a ring-shaped optical region in which optical radiation can propagate in a closed-loop path, the ring-shaped optical region having an inner radius and an outer radius, the outer radius being coincident with an outer perimeter of the ring resonator optical modulator;   a ring-shaped metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structure having an upper gate device layer of the MOS capacitor structure and a lower body device layer of the MOS capacitor structure, and an insulating material being disposed between the upper gate device layer of the MOS capacitor structure and the lower body device layer of the MOS capacitor structure; and   a cladding region comprising cladding material of lower refractive index than the refracting index of the upper gate device layer or the lower body device layer disposed radially outwardly from the outer perimeter of the ring-shaped optical region;   the optical radiation being confined within the optical region, along the radial direction toward the inner side of the outer perimeter of the ring-shaped optical region, due to refractive index contrast between the upper gate device layer/lower body device layer and the cladding region;   wherein the insulating material has a first region and a second region having a respective first thickness and second thickness, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness, the first region being disposed in the ring-shaped optical region, the second region being disposed radially inwardly from the inner radius of the ring-shaped optical region, such that the optical radiation is radially confined toward the outer side of the inner radius of the optical region within the ring-shaped optical region due to refractive index contrast between the ring-shaped optical region and the second region of insulating material.   
     
     
         2 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating material comprises silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ). 
     
     
         3 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating material comprises a high-k dielectric such as hafnium dioxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium dioxide, a hafnium silicate, a zirconium silicate, or a nitrided hafnium silicate or zirconium silicate. 
     
     
         4 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the first thickness of the first region of the oxide layer is nominally 3 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the inner radius of the optical region is in a range of 1 to Sum. 
     
     
         6 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the inner radius of the optical region is nominally 1.5 um. 
     
     
         7 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein a free spectral range of the optical region is in a range of 3 to 10 THz. 
     
     
         8 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein a free spectral range of the optical region is nominally 8.5 THz. 
     
     
         9 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises a semiconductor material. 
     
     
         10 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 9 , having a further silicon nitride layer deposited on top of the upper gate layer. 
     
     
         11 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises silicon. 
     
     
         12 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises monocrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         13 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises polycrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         14 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises a semiconductor material. 
     
     
         15 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises silicon. 
     
     
         16 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises monocrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         17 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 1 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises polycrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         18 . A ring resonator optical modulator, comprising:
 a ring-shaped optical region in which optical radiation can propagate in a closed-loop path, the optical region having an inner radius and an outer radius, the outer radius being coincident with an outer perimeter of the ring resonator optical modulator;   a ring-shaped metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structure having an upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor structure and a lower body layer of the MOS capacitor structure;   an insulating material being disposed between the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor structure and the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor structure;   and a cladding region comprising cladding material of lower refractive index than the refracting index of the upper gate device layer or the lower body device layer disposed radially outwardly from the outer perimeter of the ring-shaped optical region;   the optical radiation being radially confined at the outer perimeter of the ring-shaped optical region within the optical region due to refractive index contrast between the ring-shaped optical region and the cladding material; and   a first electrode electrically coupled to the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor structure and a second electrode electrically coupled to the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor structure, the first and second electrodes being radially disposed radially inwardly from the inner radius of the optical region.   
     
     
         19 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the insulating material comprises silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ). 
     
     
         20 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the first thickness of the first region of the oxide layer is in a range of 1 to 10 nm. 
     
     
         21 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the first thickness of the first region of the oxide layer is nominally 3 nm. 
     
     
         22 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the inner radius of the optical region is nominally 1.5 um. 
     
     
         23 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein a free spectral range of the optical region is in a range of 3 to 10 THz. 
     
     
         24 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein a free spectral range of the optical region is nominally 8.5 THz. 
     
     
         25 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises a semiconductor material. 
     
     
         26 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises silicon. 
     
     
         27 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises monocrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         28 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the upper gate layer of the MOS capacitor comprises polycrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         29 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises silicon. 
     
     
         30 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises monocrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         31 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein the lower body layer of the MOS capacitor comprises polycrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         32 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises silicon. 
     
     
         33 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises monocrystalline silicon. 
     
     
         34 . The ring resonator optical modulator of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises polycrystalline silicon.

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