PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15875340
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-01
Publication Date: 2018-07
Patent Classification: ["385", "123000"]

Abstract:
A phase controller for controlling the phase of a light signal in a surface waveguide and a method for its fabrication are disclosed. The phase controller controls the phase of the light signal by inducing stress in the waveguide structure, thereby controlling the refractive indices of at least some of its constituent layers. The phase controller includes a phase-control element formed on topographic features of the top cladding of the waveguide, where these features (1) provide a shape to the phase-control element that matches the shape of the mode field of the light signal and (2) give rise to stress-concentration points that focus and direct induced stress into specific regions of the waveguide structure, thereby providing highly efficient phase control. As a result, the phase controller can operate at a lower voltage, lower power, and/or over a shorter interaction length than integrated-optic phase controllers of the prior art.

Claim (Index 7):
A method for forming a phase controller ( 104 ), the method comprising:\n providing a waveguide ( 302 ) that is operative for conveying a light signal ( 112 ) having a mode field ( 324 ) having a first shape, the waveguide comprising:\n a first cladding ( 306 ) having a first field region ( 516 ) and a spine ( 530 ) that projects from the first field region; \n a core ( 308 ) that is disposed on the spine, wherein the core has a first surface ( 514 ) that defines a first plane (P 1 ), and wherein the core and the spine collectively define a ridge ( 518 ); and \n a second cladding ( 310 ) that includes a second field region ( 520 ) and a projection ( 316 ) that projects from the second field region, wherein the second cladding is conformally disposed on the first field region and the ridge such that the ridge and the second cladding collectively define the projection, and wherein the second field region has a second surface ( 524 ) that defines a second plane (P 2 ); and \n forming a phase-control (PC) element ( 304 ) comprising:\n a first electrode ( 312 - 1 ) that is in direct contact with the third surface; \n a second electrode ( 312 - 2 ) that is distal to the third surface; and \n a piezoelectric layer ( 314 ) that is between the first and second electrodes.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 1.0
- Percentile: 86.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.84091
- Patent Class: 385.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['14580831', '14998174', '15846755', '10756627', '15004037']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8130735250552567
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5044554209384093
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7822117146435719
- Mean Citation Score: 221.133768
- Max Citation Score: 261.47037
- Similarity Product: 175.78365720159172

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test