Patent ID: 7933478

Claim:
A planar lightwave circuit (PLC) waveguide capable of being integrated with a surface-mounted component, the PLC waveguide comprising: a silicon substrate having a slanted wall formed in an inner area away from edges of the silicon substrate; a nonreflective waveguide portion formed on the silicon substrate, wherein light travels through the nonreflective waveguide portion in substantially a first direction; and a reflective layer formed on the slanted wall such that light from the nonreflective waveguide portion strikes the reflective layer to be redirected in substantially a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein the PLC waveguide is monolithic; and wherein the nonreflective waveguide portion has an exit facet that is spaced apart from the slanted wall by a gap, and wherein the light coming out of the exit facet travels across the gap in a first direction before striking the reflective layer, the gap being filled with a material having a different index of refraction from the nonreflective waveguide portion.