Patent ID: 8260098

Claim:
An integrated optocoupler circuit comprising: a silicon-on-insulator substrate having a silicon layer on a buried insulator layer; first and second circuits located in the silicon layer and respectively operating at voltages that are at least an order of magnitude different from one another; an insulator in a portion of the silicon layer, the insulator and the buried insulator layer being configured to galvanically isolate the first circuit from the second circuit; and an optocoupler including a transmitter circuit electrically connected to one of the first and second circuits, and configured to transmit an optical signal based upon an electrical signal received from the one of the first and second circuits, and a receiver circuit electrically connected to the other one of the first and second circuits, and configured to receive the optical signal communicated from the transmitter circuit and to communicate an electrical signal to the other one of the first and second circuits, based upon the received optical signal; and a waveguide optically coupling the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit thereby facilitating communications between them.