Patent ID: 7943229

Claim:
An optical apparatus, comprising: a substrate; at least one optical device on a first substrate surface, at least one optical waveguide on the first substrate surface, or at least one optical element on the first substrate surface; a reflection-suppressing layer on at least a portion of a second substrate surface opposite the first substrate surface; a metal absorbing layer on at least a portion of the reflection-suppressing layer, so that over at least a portion of the second substrate surface the reflection-suppressing layer is between the second substrate surface and the metal absorbing layer, wherein: the metal absorbing layer absorbs light over at least a portion of an operative wavelength range of the optical apparatus; and at least a portion of the second substrate surface, where the reflection-suppressing layer is between the second substrate surface and the metal absorbing layer, exhibits reflectivity that is reduced relative to reflectivity exhibited by a substrate surface having only the metal absorbing layer present, for internal reflection of light propagating within the substrate over at least a portion of the operative wavelength range of the optical apparatus.