Abstract: Cleaved grooves, also referred to herein as “cleave streets”, are formed exclusively in a wafer passivation layer overlaying a wafer to provide for correctly aligned and sharp cleaves prior to singulation of the wafer into separate die or chips.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 27, 2006
Date of Patent:
October 9, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
Charles H. Joyner, Mark J. Missey, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Fred A. Kish, Jr.
Abstract: A broadband optical via provides a low loss interconnection between waveguides in two vertically adjacent planar waveguiding layers. Two waveguides, one in each planar layer, evanescently interact over an interaction length, and substantially all of the power on one waveguide is transferred to the second waveguide. The relative detuning between waveguides is varied along the interaction region by tapering the width of one or both guides along the direction of propagation. The interaction strength is also varied by varying the physical separation between the two waveguides such that the interaction approaches zero near the two ends of the interaction length. The performance of the broadband optical via is fabrication tolerant, polarization tolerant, wavelength tolerant, and dimensionally tolerant.
Abstract: An optical transport network comprises a monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) InP-based chip and a monolithic receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) InP-based chip.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 15, 2005
Date of Patent:
June 26, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Mark J. Missey, Vincent G. Dominic, Atul Mathur, Frank H. Peters, Charles H. Joyner, Richard P. Schneider, Ting-Kuang Chiang
Abstract: An optical receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxFIC) comprises a semiconductor monolithic chip having an input to receive from an optical transmissior link a combined channel signal originating from an optical transmitter source and comprising a plurality of channel signals having different wavelengths forming a wavelength grid. An optical decorobiner is integrated in the chip and optically coupled to the input to receive the multiplexed channel signal and provide a decombined individual channel signal on an output waveguide of a plurality of such output waveguides provided from the optical decombiner. A plurality of photodetectors are also integrated in the chip and each photodetector is optically coupled to one of the output waveguides to receive a decombined channel signal and convert the channel signal to an electrical signal.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 6, 2005
Date of Patent:
May 29, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Ting-Kuang Chiang, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Vincent G. Dominic, Fred A. Kish, Jr.
Abstract: A monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chip and a monolithic receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) chip include a plurality of optical signal channels together with other active elements integrated on a semiconductor chip, which chips further include an optical combiner or decombiner that is a wavelength selective comprising a supergrating or an Echelle grating which provides for a more compact chip compared to an integrated on-chip arrayed waveguide grating functioning as a wavelength selective combiner or decombiner.
Abstract: In photonic integrated circuits (PICs) having at least one active semiconductor device, such as, a buried heterostructure semiconductor laser, LED, modulator, photodiode, heterojunction bipolar transistor, field effect transistor or other active device, a plurality of semiconductor layers are formed on a substrate with one of the layers being an active region. A current channel is formed through this active region defined by current blocking layers formed on adjacent sides of a designated active region channel where the blocking layers substantially confine the current through the channel. The blocking layers are characterized by being an aluminum-containing Group III-V compound, i.e., an Al-III-V layer, intentionally doped with oxygen from an oxide source. Also, wet oxide process or a deposited oxide source may be used to laterally form a native oxide of the Al-III-V layer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 16, 2005
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
Fred A. Kish, Jr., Sheila Hurtt, Charles H. Joyner, Richard P. Schneider
Abstract: An optical transmitter comprises a monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chip that includes an array of modulated sources formed on the PIC chip and having different operating wavelengths approximating a standardized wavelength grid and providing signal outputs of different wavelengths. A wavelength selective combiner is formed on the PIC chip having a wavelength grid passband response approximating the wavelength grid of the standardized wavelength grid. The signal outputs of the modulated sources optically coupled to inputs of the wavelength selective combiner to produce a combined signal output from the combiner. A first wavelength tuning element coupled to each of the modulated sources and a second wavelength tuning element coupled to the wavelength selective combiner. A wavelength monitoring unit is coupled to the wavelength selective combiner to sample the combined signal output.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 14, 2005
Date of Patent:
April 3, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
Fred A. Kish, Jr., Charles H. Joyner, David F. Welch, Robert B. Taylor, Alan C. Nilsson
Abstract: A method of establishing the properties of a three-mirror laser, where the properties are the three mirror reflectivities and the two cavity lengths (i.e., the separations between the mirrors). Initially, a conventional two-mirror laser is designed, providing values for a laser cavity length and for power reflectivities of a high reflectance mirror and an effective mirror. Then, the effective mirror is replaced by a pair of mirrors with a separation equal to an external cavity length, and reflectivities that may be varied in tandem so that when the reflections from the pair of mirrors are in phase, the combined power reflectivity of the pair of mirrors is equal to that of the effective mirror. A quantity ? is defined to measure the relative shift in power reflectivity between the pair of mirrors. ? is varied over all its possible values, and various criteria are evaluated with respect to ?.
Abstract: Electro-optic amplitude varying elements (AVEs) or electro-optic multi-function elements (MFEs) are integrated into signal channels of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) or at the output of such PICs to provide for various optical controlling and monitoring functions. In one case, such PIC signal channels may minimally include a laser source and a modulator (TxPIC) and in another case, may minimally include a photodetector to which channels, in either case, an AVE or an MFE may be added.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 7, 2005
Date of Patent:
January 9, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Alan C. Nilsson, Robert L. Taylor
Abstract: A method is disclosed for optimizing optical channel signal demultiplexing in a monolithic receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) chip by providing an integrated channel signal demultiplexing with multiple waveguide input verniers provided to an WDM signal demultiplexer. The RxPIC chip may optionally include an integrated amplifier in at least some of the waveguide input verniers. The RxPIC chip may be comprised of, in monolithic form, a plurality of optional semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) at the input of the chip to receive a WDM signal from an optical link which is provided along a plurality of waveguide input verniers to an integrated optical demultiplexer, such as, but not limited to, an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), as a WDM signal demultiplexer. Thus, optical outputs from the respective semiconductor laser amplifiers are provided as vernier inputs to the optical demultiplexer forming a plurality of input verniers at the input to the optical demultiplexer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 24, 2005
Date of Patent:
January 2, 2007
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Mark J. Missey, Vincent G. Dominic, Atul Mathur, Frank H. Peters, Charles H. Joyner
Abstract: An optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) comprises a semiconductor monolithic chip with a plurality of optical signal channels where each channel comprises a modulated signal source. The output from the modulated signal sources are coupled to an input of an integrated optical combiner to form a WDM output signal for transmission off the TxPIC chip to an optical transmission link. An optical service channel (OSC) is also integrated on the TxPIC chip to receive a service signal from the optical receiver source which is also coupled the optical transmission link.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 7, 2005
Date of Patent:
December 26, 2006
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Ting-Kuang Chiang, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Vincent G. Dominic, Fred A. Kish, Jr.
Abstract: A digital signal channel bypass is provided as bypass around an optical network optical amplifier, in particular, an analog type optical amplifier, such as an EDFA, in an optical transport network or system. The digital signal bypass provides for an ability to maintain the existing optical amplifier OO amplification site while inserting a bypass that provides ultra low-cost OEO REGEN in a digital optical network (DON) utilizing both semiconductor electronic integrated circuit chips and semiconductor photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chips where all the optical components are in semiconductor integrated chip form providing 1R, 2R, 3R or 4R regeneration as well as other signal caring functionality. A salient feature of the digital signal bypass is to regenerate signals in the optical span that are outside the gain bandwidth of the EDFA or other such amplifier.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 8, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 12, 2006
Assignee:
Infineria Corporation
Inventors:
Stephen G. Grubb, Matthew L. Mitchell, Robert B. Taylor, Vincent G. Dominic, Alan C. Nilsson
Abstract: An enhanced forward error correction system is disclosed. Transmitted data is encoded into codewords in multiple dimensions. The decoding of received data by a decoder is performed in multiple passes in each dimension, with corrected data provided as an output from each pass into another decoder for the next decode pass. The encoder in one embodiment comprises a parallel inner RS(247,239) encoder or encoders and parallel outer BCH(255,247) encoder or encoders. Additional steps are added for error multiplication reduction. The system provides an approach to detect generally uncorrectable patterns for concatenated codes and provides a correction mechanism for improving error correction performance.
Abstract: A method and apparatus operates an array of laser sources as an integrated array on a single substrate or as integrated in an optical transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) maintaining the emission wavelengths of such integrated laser sources at their targeted emission wavelengths or at least to more approximate their desired respective emission wavelengths. Wavelength changing elements may accompany the laser sources to bring about the change in their operational or emission wavelength to be corrected to or toward the desired or target emission wavelength. The wavelength changing elements may be comprise of temperature changing elements, current and voltage changing elements or bandgap changing elements.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 28, 2006
Date of Patent:
November 14, 2006
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
Fred A. Kish, Jr., Charles H. Joyner, David F. Welch, Robert B. Taylor, Alan C. Nilsson
Abstract: An optical communication module comprises a plurality of monolithic semiconductor transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips each having a plurality of optical signal channels approximating wavelengths on a standardized grid. Each of the channels comprises a laser source optically coupled to an electro-optic modulator. The outputs of the electro-optic modulators are coupled to inputs of an optical combiner integrated on each of the chips for combining the inputs to form a combined signal output from the chip. A second optical combiner combines the combined signal outputs from the TxPICs to form a combined optical signal group output. A booster optical amplifier is optically coupled to the second optical combiner to receive and amplify the combined optical signal group output from the second optical combiner.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 15, 2005
Date of Patent:
October 31, 2006
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
Stephen G. Grubb, Matthew L. Mitchell, Robert B. Taylor, Ting-Kuang Chiang, Vincent G. Dominic
Abstract: In photonic integrated circuits (PICs) having at least one active semiconductor device, such as, a buried heterostructure semiconductor laser, LED, modulator, photodiode, heterojunction bipolar transistor, field effect transistor or other active device, a plurality of semiconductor layers are formed on a substrate with one of the layers being an active region. A current channel is formed through this active region defined by current blocking layers formed on adjacent sides of a designated active region channel where the blocking layers substantially confine the current through the channel. The blocking layers are characterized by being an aluminum-containing Group III-V compound, i.e., an Al-III-V layer, intentionally doped with oxygen from an oxide source. Also, wet oxide process or a deposited oxide source may be used to laterally form a native oxide of the Al-III-V layer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 16, 2005
Date of Patent:
October 17, 2006
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
Fred A. Kish, Jr., Sheila Hurtt, Charles H. Joyner, Richard P. Schneider
Abstract: An optical-to-electrical-to-optical converter comprises a monolithic receiver photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) InP-based chip comprising an optical waveguide formed in the chip from a chip input to receive a first multiplexed channel signal from an optical link and provide them to an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) which demultiplexes the multiplexed channel signals and provides a plurality of electrical channel signals to an electronic regenerator. The regenerator regenerates the electrical channel signals to an original signal waveform and provides the reformed electrical signals to a monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) InP-based chip having an array of modulated sources formed in the chip that are coupled as inputs to an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG). The TxPIC modulates the reformed electrical signals to form a plurality of optical channel sign which are combined to form a second first multiplexed channel signal for transmission on an optical link.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 5, 2005
Date of Patent:
October 17, 2006
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Mark J. Missey, Vincent G. Dominic, Atul Mathur, Frank H. Peters, Charles H. Joyner, Richard P. Schneider, Ting-Kuang Chiang
Abstract: A method is disclosed for monitoring and controlling the bit error rate (BER) in an optical communication network where an optical receiver in the optical transmission network is a monolithic photonic integrated circuit (RxPIC) chip. The method includes the steps of decombining on-chip a combined channel signal received from the network and then monitoring a real time bit error rate (BER) of a decombined channel signal. The determined BER is then communicated, such as through an optical service channel (OSC) to an optical transmitter source that is the source of origin of the channel signal. Based upon the determined BER, the chirp of a channel signal modulator at the optical transmitter source that generated the monitored channel signal is adjusted by, for example, adjusting its bias. The same channel signal received at the RxPIC chip can be monitored again to determine if an acceptable level for the BER has been achieved by the previous chirp adjustment.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 7, 2005
Date of Patent:
October 3, 2006
Assignee:
Infinera Corporation
Inventors:
David F. Welch, Ting-Kuang Chiang, Vincent G. Dominic, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Radhakrishnan L. Nagarajan