Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7220952?dq=6,123,819
Timestamp: 2016-07-30 13:03:08
Document Index: 169534169

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n2', 'art 120', 'art 140', 'art 120', 'art 220', 'art 240', 'art 120', 'art 120', 'art 120', 'art 120', 'art 120', 'art 140', 'art 120', 'art 120', 'art 140', 'art 120', 'art 320', 'art 340', 'art 340', 'art 320', 'art 340', 'art 320']

Patent US7220952 - Electro-optical element and method for manufacturing thereof, optical module ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsAn electro-optical element is provided including a light-emitting element part and a light-receiving element part. An electro-optical element includes a light-emitting element part and a light-receiving element part having an optical surface and formed on the light-receiving element part. The electro-optical...http://www.google.com/patents/US7220952?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7220952 - Electro-optical element and method for manufacturing thereof, optical module and method for driving thereofAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7220952 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/892,372Publication dateMay 22, 2007Filing dateJul 16, 2004Priority dateJul 23, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1578021A, CN100407522C, DE602004013234D1, DE602004013234T2, EP1501160A2, EP1501160A3, EP1501160B1, US7446293, US20050056772, US20070164195Publication number10892372, 892372, US 7220952 B2, US 7220952B2, US-B2-7220952, US7220952 B2, US7220952B2InventorsTsuyoshi KanekoOriginal AssigneeSeiko Epson CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (20), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (1), Classifications (26), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetElectro-optical element and method for manufacturing thereof, optical module and method for driving thereof
US 7220952 B2Abstract
An electro-optical element is provided including a light-emitting element part and a light-receiving element part. An electro-optical element includes a light-emitting element part and a light-receiving element part having an optical surface and formed on the light-receiving element part. The electro-optical element emits light at least in a direction that the light-emitting element part and the light-receiving element part are formed in layers. In addition, an optical member is formed at least on the optical surface.
a light-emitting element part;
a light-receiving element part having an upper surface including an optical surface and formed directly on the light-emitting element part, light being emitted at least in a direction that the light-emitting element part and the light-receiving element part are formed in layers; and
an optical member provided at least on the optical surface;
at least the upper part of the light-emitting element part has a columnar like shape; and
a longest diameter of the cross-sectional surface of the optical member being larger than a longest diameter of an upper surface of the light-receiving element part and narrower than a diameter of a columnar part of the light-emitting element part.
2. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, at least the upper part of the light-receiving element part being in a columnar like shape.
3. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the optical surface being at least one of a circle and the oval and a longest diameter of the cross-sectional surface of the optical member being larger than a longest diameter of the optical surface.
4. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the optical member being formed by curing a liquid member that is cured by applying an energy.
5. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the optical member being formed by an acrylic-type ultraviolet curable resin and epoxy-type resin.
6. The electro-optical element according claim 1, the optical member being formed by at least one of an acrylic-type ultraviolet curable resin, or an epoxy-type resin, and a thermosetting polyimide-type resin.
7. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the light-receiving element part including a function of converting a part of the light emitted from the light-emitting element part into a current.
8. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the light-receiving element part including a function of converting light that is incident on the optical surface from the optical member into current.
9. The electro-optical element according to claim 5, an optical thickness d of the light-receiving element part satisfying the following condition (1):
d=m λ/2 (1)
where a design wavelength of the light-emitting element part is λ and m is a natural number greater than or equal to one.
10. The electro-optical element according to claim 1:
the light-emitting element part including a first mirror, an active layer provided on the first mirror, and a second mirror provided on the active layer; and
the light-receiving element part including a first contact layer, a light absorption layer provided on the first contact layer, and a second contact layer provided on the light absorption layer.
11. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the light-emitting element part functioning as a surface emitting semiconductor laser.
12. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, the optical member functioning as a lens.
13. A method to manufacture an electro-optical element, comprising:
forming a stacked body made up of a light-receiving element part including an optical surface formed directly on a light-emitting element part;
forming an optical member precursor by ejecting a liquid drop to the optical surface; and
forming an optical member by curing the optical member precursor;
14. The method to manufacture an electro-optical element according to claim 13, the liquid drop being made of a liquid member that is cured by applying energy.
15. An optical module, comprising:
a first electro-optical element according to claim 1;
a second electro-optical element according to claim 1; and
an optical waveguide, a light emitted from the optical surface of the first electro-optical element transmitting through the optical waveguide, and being incident on the optical surface of the second electro-optical element, and
a light emitted from the optical surface of the second electro-optical element transmitting through the optical waveguide, and being incident on the optical surface of the first electro-optical element.
16. An optical transmitting device, comprising:
the optical module according to claim 15.
17. A method to drive an optical module that includes a first electro-optical element, a second electro-optical element, and an optical waveguide, the first and the second electro-optical elements being the electro-optical element according to claim 1, the method comprising:
controlling the first and the second electro-optical elements such that if the first electro-optical element is under a light-emitting state, the second electro-optical element becomes a light-receiving state, and if the first electro-optical element is under a light-receiving state, the second electro-optical element becomes a light-emitting state.
18. An electro-optical element, comprising:
a light-emitting element part; and
a light-receiving element part having an upper surface including an optical surface and formed directly on the light-emitting element part, light being emitted at least in a direction that the light-emitting element part and the light-receiving element part are formed in layers;
at least the upper part of the light-emitting element part has a columnar like shape;
a longest diameter of the cross-sectional surface of the optical member being larger than a longest diameter of an upper surface of the light-receiving element part and narrower than a diameter of a columnar part of the light-emitting element part; and
an optical thickness d of the light-receiving element part satisfying the following condition (1):
where a design wavelength of the light-emitting element part is X and m is a natural number greater than or equal to one.
19. The electro-optical element according to claim 1, wherein:
the light-receiving element part includes a lower electrode, the lower electrode having an opening through it with a diameter smaller than a longest diameter of a cross-sectional surface of the optical member; and
the light-emitting element part includes an upper electrode, the upper electrode having an opening through it with a diameter greater than a longest diameter of a cross-sectional surface of the optical member.
An exemplary aspect of the invention provides an electro-optical element including a light-emitting element part and a light-receiving element part, and a method for manufacturing an electro-optical element.
Here, the “optical member” refers to a member having a function of changing an optical characteristic or traveling direction of light. As for the “optical characteristic”, for example, a wavelength, a deflection, a radiation angle or the like are exemplified. An optical member can be, for example, a lens or a deflection element.
Also, the “optical surface” refers to a surface that light passes through. The “optical surface” may be an exiting surface of light traveling from the electro-optical element of an exemplary aspect of the invention to an outside or an incident surface of the light traveling from the outside to the electro-optical element of an exemplary aspect of the invention. The “outside” refers to a region excluding the electro-optical element of the invention.
d=mλ/2 (m is a natural number greater than or equal to one) Formula (1)
Here, the “design wavelength” refers to a wavelength of the light whose intensity is the maximum among the light generated in the light-emitting element part. Also, the “optical thickness” refers to the value that is calculated by multiplying an actual film thickness of the layer by a refractive index.
In an exemplary aspect of the present invention, the “light-receiving state” refers to a state where a light-receiving function is capable of being demonstrated. This does not concern whether the electro-optical element of an exemplary aspect of the invention actually receives the light or not.
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an electro-optical element of a first exemplary embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 14 is a schematic illustrating a first reflecting rate and a second reflecting rate of the electro-optical element shown in FIG. 12 with the condition that a design wavelength is 850 nm;
1. Construction of an Electro-Optical Element
The optical member 160 is formed by curing a liquid material (for example, a precursor of an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin) that is capable of curing by an energy, for example, such as heat or light or the like. Examples of the ultraviolet curable resin include an acrylic-type ultraviolet curable resin and epoxy-type resin. Also, for the thermosetting resin, a thermosetting polyimide-type resin or the like are exemplified.
Here, the “cutting sphere” means a shape obtained by cutting a sphere with a plane. This sphere includes not only a perfect sphere but also a shape similar to the sphere.
Specifically, in the light-receiving element part 120, a part of the light generated in the light-transmitting element part 140 is absorbed in the light absorption layer 112. The absorbed light causes a light excitation in the light absorption layer 112, thereby producing an electron and a positive hole. By an electric field applied from outside of the element, the electron is moved to the third electrode 116, and the positive hole is moved to the fourth electrode respectively. As a result, a current arises in a direction from the first contact layer 111 to the second contact layer 113.
After completion of the processes described above, as shown in FIG. 10, the optical member precursor 160 b is cured by an energy ray (for example, an ultraviolet ray) so as to form the optical member 160 on the upper surface of the light-receiving element part 120 (refer to FIG. 1). Here, the optimum wavelength and irradiation amount of the ultraviolet ray depends on a material of the optical member precursor 160 b. For example, if a precursor of an acrylic-type ultraviolet curable resin is used to form the optical member precursor 160 b, the curing is done by the ultraviolet ray irradiation with the condition that the wavelength is approximately 350 nm, intensity is 10 mw, and irradiation time is 5 minutes. The processes mentioned above achieve the electro-optical element 100 of the exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 1.
1. Construction of the Electro-Optical Element.
The electro-optical element 200 of the exemplary embodiment differs from the electro-optical element 100 of the first exemplary embodiment in that the light-receiving element part 220 and the light-emitting element part 240 are deposited on a semiconductor substrate 201 in this order. As for the electro-optical element 200 of the exemplary embodiment, a similar construction element to a construction element described as “1XX” in the electro-optical element 100 of the first exemplary embodiment is described as “2XX”. Therefore, the “2XX” represents the same construction element and is basically made of the same material as the “1XX” in the electro-optical element of the first exemplary embodiment, thereby omitting its detailed description.
d=mλ/2 Formula (1)
In the electro-optical element 300 of the exemplary embodiment, the optical thickness d of the light-receiving element part 120 is a summation of the each optical thickness of the first contact layer 111, the light absorption layer 112, and the second contact layer 113 as shown in FIG. 12. Since the optical thickness is a value that is calculated by multiplying an actual film thickness of the layer by a refractive index, for example, in case of the layer where the optical thickness is λ/4. the refractive index n is 2.0. and light wavelength is λ, the actual film thickness of the layer is equal to (the optical thickness)/(the refractive index n). Therefore, (λ/4)/2.0=0.125λ. In this exemplary embodiment, “thickness” refers to the actual thickness of the layer.
In the electro-optical element 300 of the exemplary embodiment, FIG. 14 shows a first rate (reflectance factor) of the light that is incident on the light-receiving element part 120 from the optical surface 108 reflected in the light-receiving element part 120 and a second rate (reflectance factor) of the light that is incident on the second mirror 104 from the active layer 103 reflected in the second mirror 104. The first rate, specifically, a reflectance factor of the light that is incident on the light-receiving element part 120 from the optical surface 108, is presented by a solid line and the second rate, specifically, a reflectance factor of the light that is incident on the second mirror 120 from the active layer 103 is presented by a broken line respectively in FIG. 14. Here, this case is based on the conditions as follows. The design wavelength λ is 850 nm. The optical thickness d of the light-receiving element part 120 is 2λ. The second mirror 104 of the light-emitting element part 140 is made up of 29.5 pairs of the p-type Al0.9Ga0.1As layer having the optical thickness of λ/4 and the p-type Al0.15Ga0.85As layer having the optical thickness of λ/4 alternately deposited one after another.
2. Operation of the Electro-Optical Element.
In the electro-optical element 300 of the exemplary embodiment, the light-receiving element part 120 absorbs the light from the outside and converts it to current as described above. In this-case, the light from the outside is incident on the optical member 160. Then, the light is incident on the light-receiving element part 120 from the optical surface 108. The light is absorbed by the light absorption layer 112 and converted to the current. With the value of the current obtained there, an amount of the light that is entered from the outside can be detected. The light generated in the light-emitting element part 140 passes through the light-receiving element part 120. Then, the light is emitted from the optical member 160 in which its radiation angle is reduced. Operations other than those described above are the same as those of the electro-optical element 100 of the first exemplary embodiment, thereby omitting their detailed descriptions.
3. Beneficial Effect.
FIG. 15 is a schematic illustrating an optical module 500 according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention. The optical module 500 includes the electro-optical element 400 (a first electro-optical element 400 a, a second electro-optical element 400 b), a semiconductor chip 20, and an optical waveguide (an optical fiber 30). In the electro-optical element 400, a light-receiving element part 320 includes a first function of converting the light that is incident on an optical surface 308 from a light-emitting element part 340 to current and a second function of converting the light that is incident on an optical surface 308 from an optical member 360 to current in the same manner of the electro-optical element 300 of the third exemplary embodiment. Hereafter, a construction or a function that is common between the first electro-optical element 400 a and the second electro-optical element 400 b is described as “400”.
Each of the first electro-optical element 400 a and the second electro-optical element 400 b function as a light-receiving element or a light-emitting element respectively. The optical module 500 makes bi-directional communication possible. If the first electro-optical element 400 a functions as the light-emitting element and the second electro-optical element 400 b functions as the light-receiving element, the light generated in the light-emitting element part 340 of the first electro-optical element 400 a emits from the optical surface 308 and is incident on the optical member 360. Then, the light that emits from the optical member 360 in which the light is condensed and is incident on the edge 30 a of the optical fiber 30. The incident light transmits through the optical fiber 30 so as to exit from the edge 30 b. Subsequently, the light is incident on the optical surface 308 of the second electro-optical element 400 b after passing through the optical member 360. Then, the light is absorbed in the light-receiving element part 320 of the second electro-optical element 400 b. Alternatively, if the first electro-optical element 400 a functions as the light-receiving element and the second electro-optical element 400 b functions as the light-emitting element, the light generated in the light-emitting element part 340 of the first electro-optical element 400 b is emitted from the optical surface 308 and is incident on the optical member 360. Then, the light is emitted from the optical member 360 in which the light is condensed and is incident on the edge 30 b of the optical fiber 30. The incident light transmits through the optical fiber 30 so as to exit from the edge 30 a. Subsequently, the light is incident on the optical surface 308 of the second electro-optical element 400 a after passing through the optical member 360. Then, the light is absorbed in the light-receiving element part 320 of the second electro-optical element 400 a. A relative position of the first electro-optical element 400 a with respect to the edge 30 a of the optical fiber 30 is fixed. A relative position of the first electro-optical element 400 b with respect to the edge 30 b of the optical fiber 30 is fixed. The optical surface 308 of the first electro-optical element 400 a faces the edge 30 a of the optical fiber 30. The optical surface 308 of the first electro-optical element 400 b faces the edge 30 b of the optical fiber 30.
FIG. 17 is a schematic illustrating an optical transmitting device according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention. An optical transmitting device 90 interconnects electronic equipment 92, such as a computer, a display, a storage device, a printer or the like. The electronic equipment 92 may be information-communication equipment. The optical transmitting device 90 may include a plug 96 provided at both end of a cable 94. The cable 94 includes the optical fiber 30 (refer to FIG. 15). The plug 96 includes the electro-optical element 400 (400 a, 400 b) and the semiconductor chip 20. The optical fiber 30 is included in the cable 94. The electro-optical element 400 and the semiconductor chip 20 are included in the plug 96. Therefore, those are not shown in FIG. 17. A fixing condition between the optical fiber and the electro-optical element 400 is the same manner as described in the fourth exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 18 is a schematic illustrating a usage of an optical transmitting device according to a sixth exemplary embodiment of the invention. The optical transmitting device 90 is connected among electronic equipment 80. As for the electronic equipment, a liquid crystal display monitor or a digital CRT (may be used in field of financial, mail-order, medical care, education), a liquid crystal projector, a plasma, display (PDP), a digital TV, a cash register for retail sales (for point of sales scanning (POS)), a video recorder, a tuner, a game device, a printer or the like are exemplified.
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