Patent ID: 8306087

Claim:
A photonic device, comprising: a substrate; a waveguide structure formed on said substrate, said waveguide structure having a surface defining an x-y plane of said photonic device and a height defining a z-axis of said photonic device; at least a first photonic component formed in said waveguide structure wherein light travels along a path in said component that is parallel to an x-axis of said photonic device; and at least a first trench in said waveguide structure that includes a side which forms a facet of said first photonic component, said trench having an opening on the surface of said waveguide structure and passing downwardly into said waveguide structure at an angle of greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees to said z-axis of said photonic device, at an angle of greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees to said x-axis of said photonic device and at an angle of greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees to a y-axis of said photonic device, whereby said trench has both an x-axis component and a y-axis component as said trench passes downwardly along said z-axis through said waveguide structure.