Patent ID: 7187818

Claim:
A planar lightwave circuit device comprising: a planar lightwave circuit including: an optical layer having a lightwave circuit substantially disposed in a plane, and a substrate supporting the optical layer, the substrate having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and stress applying means for inducing one of a compressive and a tensile stress to the optical layer in the plane thereof for modifying a performance characteristic of the planar lightwave circuit; wherein the stress applying means comprises a package base including a first support structure for suspending the planar lightwave circuit above a portion of the package base, the package base having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that differs from the first coefficient of thermal expansion, whereby a change in temperature causes the first support structure to induce one of a compressive and a tensile stress in the plane or parallel to the plane of the optical layer; and wherein the first support structure comprises: a first support wall portion extending from the package base to the planar lightwave circuit, and a second support wall portion extending from the package base to the planar lightwave circuit, defining a gap therebetween.