Abstract:
A structure of an optical switch makes the optical switch capable of receiving broadband signals. And the manufacturing procedure is simplified.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a switch; more particularly, relates to obtaining an optical switch having a broadband receiving capacity with a manufacturing procedure simplified. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0002]    A general optical switch, as revealed in Physical Review B, Vol. 4, No. 8, pp. 2621-2633 (1971), is made through an epitaxial manner, sometimes accompanied with a reaction of O 2  and Zn, where the optical switch can be activated by a light source. 
         [0003]    But the general optical switch is manufactured under a high temperature and the procedure is not easy. Besides, although the switch can be used under a certain range of bandwidth, the range is not quite wide so that the switch can only be activated by receiving a light source having a wavelength within a certain range, which deprives of a broadband reception. Hence, the prior art does not fulfill users&#39; requests on actual use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]    The main purpose of the present invention is to obtain an optical switch having a broad band receiving capacity with a manufacturing procedure simplified. 
         [0005]    To achieve the above purpose, the present invention is an optical switch structure, where a proton-implanted region is deposed on a surface of a substrate; the proton-implanted region is processed with an implantation with an energy between 1 kilo electron volt (KeV) and 1 mega electron volt (MeV); the proton-implanted region has an implantation dose between 1×10 12  per square centimeter (1/cm 2 ) and 1×10 16 /cm 2 ; the proton-implanted region is obtained under an annealing ambiance, comprising an inert gas and an annealing temperature; the inert gas has oxygen molecules at least 1 part per million (ppm) and the annealing temperature is located between 350 Celsius degrees (° C.) and 600° C.; and two contact electrodes are separately set at two sides on a surface of the proton-implanted region with a gap in between, or a contact electrode is set on a surface of the substrate and another contact electrode is set on a surface of the proton-implanted region. Accordingly, a novel optical switch structure is obtained. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments according to the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing the first preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a view showing the state of use of the first preferred embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a view showing the relations between current and voltage under various wavelengths; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a view showing the relations between wavelength and A.U. under various bias voltages; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing the second preferred embodiment; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view showing the third preferred embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    The following descriptions of the preferred embodiments are provided to understand the features and the structures of the present invention. 
         [0014]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is a sectional view showing the first preferred embodiment according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the present invention is an optical switch structure  1 , comprising a substrate  11 , a proton-implanted region  12  and two contact electrodes  13 ,  14 , where the optical switch  1  has a broadband receiving capacity and the manufacturing procedure is simplified. 
         [0015]    The substrate  11  is a zinc-doped gallium phosphide (GaP:Zn) substrate, a GaP:Zn epitaxy substrate or a zinc-doped aluminum gallium phosphide (Al x Ga 1-x P:Zn ) epitaxy substrate, where x is a number between 0 and 1. 
         [0016]    The proton-implanted region  12  is deposed on a surface of the substrate  11  is processed with an implantation with an energy between 1 kilo electron volt (KeV) and 1 mega electron volt (MeV); has an implantation dose between 1×10 12  per square centimeter (1/cm 2 ) and 1×10 16 /cm 2 ; and is obtained under an annealing ambiance, comprising an inert gas and an annealing temperature, where the inert gas has oxygen molecules at least 1 part per million (ppm) and the annealing temperature is located between 350 Celsius degrees (° C.) and 600° C. 
         [0017]    The two contact electrodes  13 ,  14  are separately set at two sides of a surface of the proton-implanted region  12  so that the two contact electrodes  13 ,  14  are an anode and a cathode with a gap  15  in between. The contact electrodes  13 ,  14  are ohmic contact electrodes (AuBe/Ni/Au; where Au stands for aurum, Be for beryllium and Ni for nickel) or Schottky metal contact electrodes. Thus, a novel optical switch structure is obtained. 
         [0018]    Please further refer to  FIG. 2 , which is a view showing the state of use of the first preferred embodiment. As shown in the figure, when applying the present invention, the optical switch  1  is deposed on an electronical device (not shown in the figures); and the electronical device is connected with the two contact electrodes  13 ,  14  of the optical switch  1  so that the optical switch  1  becomes a switch for the electronical device. When using the optical switch  1 , an incident light from a light source  2  enters from the gap  15  between the two contact electrodes  13 ,  14  so that, according to the characteristics of the proton-implanted region  12  on the substrate  11 , the optical switch  1  is activated by a sensing from the proton-implanted region  12 . Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a view showing the relations between currents and voltages under various wavelengths. As shown in the figure, four incident lights of a light source with a first wave length  31 , a second wavelength  32 , a third wavelength  33  and a fourth wavelength  34  separately enter into the present invention and the figure show that, with various wavelengths, various responses of currents to voltages appear by using the present invention. Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which is a view showing the relations between wavelengths and strength values of response under various bias voltages. As shown in the figure, three bias voltages of a first bias voltage  41 , a second bias voltage  42  and a third bias voltage  43  separately show that, under various bias voltages, various strength values of response to wavelengths appear by using the present invention. 
         [0019]    Please refer to  FIG. 5 , which is a sectional view showing the second preferred embodiment. As shown in the figure, an optical switch  5  according to the present invention comprises a first contact electrode  51 , a substrate  52 , a proton-implanted region  53  and a second contact electrode  54 . 
         [0020]    The first contact electrode  51  is an ohmic contact electrode (AuBe/Ni/Au). 
         [0021]    The substrate  52  is deposed on a surface of the first contact electrode  51 ; and is a GaP:Zn substrate, a GaP:Zn epitaxy substrate or a Al x Ga 1-x P:Zn epitaxy substrate, where x is a number between 0 and 1. 
         [0022]    The proton-implanted region  53  is deposed on a surface of the substrate  52  is processed with an implantation with an energy of 1 KeV-1 MeV; has an implantation dose of 1×10 12 ˜1×10 16 /cm 2 ; and is obtained under an annealing ambiance, comprising an inert gas and an annealing temperature, where the inert gas has at least 1 ppm of oxygen molecules and the annealing temperature is 350˜600° C. 
         [0023]    The second contact electrode  54  is deposed on a surface of the proton-implanted region  53 ; and is an ohmic contact electrode (AuBe/Ni/Au) or a Schottky metal contact electrode. 
         [0024]    When using the optical switch  5 , incident lights from a light source  2  enters from two sides of the second contact electrodes  54  so that, according to the characteristics of the proton-implanted region  53  on the substrate  52 , the optical switch  5  is activated by a sensing from the proton-implanted region  53 . Hence, the optical switch  5  has a broadband receiving capacity and the manufacturing procedure is simplified. 
         [0025]    Please refer to  FIG. 6 , which is a sectional view showing the third preferred embodiment. As shown in the figure, an optical switch  6  according to the present invention comprises a contact electrode  61 , a substrate  62 , a proton-implanted region  63 , a metal electrode  64  and an insulating layer  65 . 
         [0026]    The contact electrode  61  is an ohmic contact electrode (AuBe/Ni/Au). 
         [0027]    The substrate  62  is deposed on a surface of the contact electrode  61 ; and is a GaP:Zn substrate, a GaP:Zn epitaxy substrate or a Al x Ga 1-x P:Zn epitaxy substrate, where x is a number between 0 and 1. 
         [0028]    The proton-implanted region  63  is deposed on a surface of the substrate  62  is processed with an implantation with an energy of 1 KeV˜1 MeV; has an implantation dose of 1×10 12 ˜1×10 16 /cm 2 ; and is obtained under an annealing ambiance, comprising an inert gas and an annealing temperature, where the inert gas has at least 1 ppm of oxygen molecules and the annealing temperature is 350˜600° C. 
         [0029]    The metal electrode  64  is deposed on a side surface of the proton-implanted region  63  and is made of a light-transparent material. 
         [0030]    The insulating layer  65  is deposed on another side surface of the proton-implanted region  63 ; is corresponding to the metal electrode  64  with a gap  66  in between; and is made of an oxide or a silicon nitride. 
         [0031]    When using the optical switch  6 , an incident light from a light source  2  enters from the gap  66  between the metal electrode  64  and the insulating layer  65  so that, according to the characteristics of the proton-implanted region  63  on the substrate  62 , the optical switch  6  is activated by a sensing from the proton-implanted region  63 . Hence, the optical switch  6  has a broadband receiving capacity and the manufacturing procedure is simplified. 
         [0032]    To sum up, the present invention is an optical switch structure, where the optical switch has a broadband receiving capacity and the manufacturing procedure is simplified. 
         [0033]    The preferred embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, simple modifications or variations belonging to the equivalent of the scope of the claims and the instructions disclosed herein for a patent are all within the scope of the present invention.