Patents by Inventor Debra M. Koker

Debra M. Koker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Optoelectronic integrated circuits formed of polycrystalline semiconductor waveguide
    Patent number: 6108464
    Abstract: Methods of forming polycrystalline semiconductor waveguides include the steps of forming a first cladding layer (e.g., SiO.sub.2) on a substrate (e.g., silicon) and then forming a polycrystalline semiconductor layer (e.g., poly-Si) on the first cladding layer using a direct deposition technique or by annealing amorphous silicon (a-Si) to form a polycrystalline layer, for example. The deposited polycrystalline semiconductor layer can then be polished at a face thereof to have a root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness of less than about 6 nm so that waveguides patterned therefrom have loss ratings of better than 35 dB/cm. The polished polycrystalline semiconductor layer is then preferably etched in a plasma to form a plurality of polycrystalline strips. A second cladding layer is then formed on the polycrystalline strips to form a plurality of polycrystalline waveguides which provide relatively low-loss paths for optical communication between one or more optoelectronic devices coupled thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: James S. Foresi, Anu M. Agarwal, Marcie R. Black, Debra M. Koker, Lionel C. Kimerling
  • Methods of forming polycrystalline semiconductor waveguides for optoelectronic integrated circuits, and devices formed thereby
    Patent number: 5841931
    Abstract: Methods of forming polycrystalline semiconductor waveguides include the steps of forming a first cladding layer (e.g., SiO.sub.2) on a substrate (e.g., silicon) and then forming a polycrystalline semiconductor layer (e.g., poly-Si) on the first cladding layer using a direct deposition technique or by annealing amorphous silicon (a-Si) to form a polycrystalline layer, for example. The deposited polycrystalline semiconductor layer can then be polished at a face thereof to have a root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness of less than about 6 nm so that waveguides patterned therefrom have loss ratings of better than 35 dB/cm. The polished polycrystalline semiconductor layer is then preferably etched in a plasma to form a plurality of polycrystalline strips. A second cladding layer is then formed on the polycrystalline strips to form a plurality of polycrystalline waveguides which provide relatively low-loss paths for optical communication between one or more optoelectronic devices coupled thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: James S. Foresi, Anu M. Agarwal, Marcie R. Black, Debra M. Koker, Lionel C. Kimerling