Patent ID: 6898352
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: B82Y,G02B,G02F,H01L

Abstract:
1. An optical waveguide device that controls the transmission of light through an optical waveguide, the optical waveguide device comprising: an active optical waveguide device formed at least in part on a semiconductor layer and having an electrode portion, a region of altered effective mode index is created by the active optical waveguide device, an effective mode index of the region of altered effective mode index within the optical waveguide is controlled by application of an electric voltage to the electrode portion in a manner that alters a free carrier density of the region of altered effective mode index, wherein changing the electric voltage to the electrode portion changes the effective mode index in the region of altered effective mode index; and a passive optical waveguide device formed at least in part from a polysilicon layer formed at least in part from polysilicon and deposited on the semiconductor layer, an effective mode index of a region of static effective mode index within the optical waveguide is created by the polysilicon layer of the passive optical waveguide device, the polysilicon layer has a shape and a height, the effective mode index of the region of static effective mode index is related to the shape of the polysilicon layer and the height of the polysilicon layer, and wherein a value and a position of the effective mode index within the region of static effective mode index remains substantially unchanged over time and applies a substantially unchanging optical function to light traveling through the region of static effective mode index over the lifetime of the passive optical waveguide device; wherein the optical waveguide forms at least a part of both the active optical waveguide device and the passive optical waveguide device, the optical waveguide couples the active optical waveguide device and the passive optical waveguide device, and the optical waveguide is formed at least in part using the semiconductor layer.