Abstract: The polarization instability inherent in laterally-oxidized VCSELs may be mitigated by employing an appropriately-shaped device aperture, a misoriented substrate, one or more cavities or employing the shaped device aperture together with a misoriented substrate and/or cavities. The laterally-oxidized VCSELs are able to operate in a single polarization mode throughout the entire light output power versus intensity curve. Combining the use of misoriented substrates with a device design that has an asymmetric aperture that reinforces the polarization mode favored by the substrate further improves polarization selectivity. Other device designs, however, can also be combined with substrate misorientation to strengthen polarization selectivity.

Abstract: An electrical interconnect structure that includes a spring portion that extends out of a plane. The electrical interconnect including curved regions to improve the lateral compliance of the interconnect. The curved region may be incorporated into a release region of the spring. The release region may include either or both an uplifted region and a planar region. The curves in the release region are arranged to improve the spring contact with a mating surface and also improve lateral compliance compared to prior art spring designs.

Abstract: An array of light emitters includes a plurality of light emitting structures formed over a layered structure with at least one quantum well layer. At least one cladding layer is formed on over the at least one quantum well layer. At least one waveguide layer is formed on or over the at least one cladding layer. At least one isolation region is formed at least in between at least two of the plurality of light emitting structures. The at least one isolation region isolates the at least two light emitting structures from each other.

Abstract: A light-producing device integrated with a power monitoring system include a light-producing device from which light is emitted in wavelengths that can range from approximately 700 nm to approximately 3 microns. A semi-transparent sensor is located such that at least a portion of the light emitted passes through the semi-transparent sensor and at least a portion of light is absorbed by the semi-transparent sensor. The semi-transparent sensor is configured to be semi-transparent at wavelengths that can range from 700 nm to 3 microns. The semi-transparent sensor may also be used with an external light source, for example with fiber-optic cables.

Abstract: Lithographically defined and etched spring structures are produced by various methods such that they avoid the formation of a plated metal wedge on an underside of the spring structure after release. A post is utilized to offset the spring from an underlying substrate by a distance greater than the thickness of the plated metal. A trench is etched into the substrate below the spring to provide clearance during deflection of the spring. Another spring includes a knee (bend) that provides the necessary clearance during deflection. A plating process is limited to the upper side of another spring. A released spring is used as a shadow mask for patterning resist that prevents wedge formation during plating.

Abstract: An out-of-plane micro-structure which can be used for on-chip integration of high-Q inductors and transformers places the magnetic field direction parallel to the substrate plane without requiring high aspect ratio processing. The photolithographically patterned coil structure includes an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The intrinsic stress profile biases a free portion away from the substrate forming a loop winding. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate. The free portion end becomes a second anchor portion which may be connected to the substrate via soldering or plating. A series of individual coil structures can be joined via their anchor portions to form inductors and transformers.

Abstract: Spring structures are subjected to pre-release and post-release annealing to tune their tip height to match a specified target. Post-release annealing increases tip height, and pre-release annealing decreases tip height. The amount of tuning is related to the annealing temperature and/or time. Annealing schedules are determined for a pre-fabricated cache of unreleased spring structures such that finished spring structures having a variety of target heights can be economically produced by releasing/annealing the cache according to associated annealing schedules. Selective annealing is performed using lasers and heat absorbing/reflecting materials. Localized annealing is used to generate various spring structure shapes. Both stress-engineered and strain-engineered spring structures are tuned by annealing.

Abstract: A nitride based resonant cavity semiconductor structure has highly reflective mirrors on opposite sides of the active layer. These highly reflective mirrors can be distributed Bragg reflectors or metal terminated layer stacks of dielectric materials. The nitride based resonant cavity semiconductor structure can be vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), a light emitting diode (LED), or a photodetector (PD), or a combination of these devices.

Abstract: An out-of-plane micro-structure which can be used for on-chip integration of high-Q inductors and transformers places the magnetic field direction parallel to the substrate plane without requiring high aspect ratio processing. The photolithographically patterned coil structure includes an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The intrinsic stress profile biases a free portion away from the substrate forming a loop winding. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate. The free portion end becomes a second anchor portion which may be connected to the substrate via soldering or plating. A series of individual coil structures can be joined via their anchor portions to form inductors and transformers.

Abstract: A new type of high-Q variable capacitor includes a substrate, a first electrically conductive layer fixed to the substrate, a dielectric layer fixed to a portion of the electrically conductive layer, and a second electrically conductive layer having an anchor portion and a free portion. The anchor portion is fixed to the dielectric layer and the free portion is initially fixed to the dielectric layer, but is released from the dielectric layer to become separated from the dielectric layer, and wherein an inherent stress profile in the second electrically conductive layer biases the free portion away from the dielectric layer. When a bias voltage is applied between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer, electrostatic forces in the free portion bend the free portion towards the first electrically conductive layer, thereby increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

Abstract: An out-of-plane micro-structure which can be used for on-chip integration of high-Q inductors and transformers places the magnetic field direction parallel to the substrate plane without requiring high aspect ratio processing. The photolithographically patterned coil structure includes an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The intrinsic stress profile biases a free portion away from the substrate forming a loop winding. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate. The free portion end becomes a second anchor portion which may be connected to the substrate via soldering or plating. A series of individual coil structures can be joined via their anchor portions to form inductors and transformers.

Abstract: A hybrid structure or device is provided wherein carried on a single substrate is at least one micro-spring interconnect having an elastic material that is initially fixed to a surface of the substrate, an anchor portion which is fixed to the substrate surface and a free portion. The spring contact is self-assembling in that as the free portion is released it moves out of the plane of the substrate. Also integrated on the substrate is a sensor having an active layer and contacts. The substrate and sensor may be formed of materials which are somewhat partially transparent to light at certain infrared wavelengths. The integrated sensor/spring contact configuration may be used in an imaging system to sense output from a light source which is used for image formation. The light source may be a laser array, LED array or other appropriate light source. The sensor is appropriately sized to sense all or some part of light from the light source.

Abstract: A method of aligning optical components is described. The system utilizes a highly transmissive sensor positioned in the optical path of an optical signal to determine the precise position of the optical signal. A feedback loop uses output from the highly transmissive sensor to readjust elements that maintains the optical signal in a desired position. The current system is particularly suitable for use in an optical cross switch.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for making shaped optical moems components with stressed thin films. In particular, stressed thin films are used to make mirror structures.

Abstract: An active semiconductor device is made using planar lateral oxidation to define a core region that is surrounded by regions of buried oxidized semiconductor material in. The buried oxidized semiconductor material provides optical waveguiding, and or a defined electrical path.

Abstract: A nitride based resonant cavity semiconductor structure has highly reflective mirrors on opposite sides of the active layer. These highly reflective mirrors can be distributed Bragg reflectors or metal terminated layer stacks of dielectric materials. The nitride based resonant cavity semiconductor structure can be vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), a light emitting diode (LED), or a photodetector (PD), or a combination of these devices.

Abstract: Several methods and structures for improving the yield of out-of-plane micro-device structures including springs and coils are described. In one method the elastic members have graded perforations for controlling rate of release. In another method and structure, a layout enables the contact landing area to be increased. The high yield structures may be used in numerous electronic applications such as filter circuits.

Abstract: An out-of-plane micro-structure which can be used for on-chip integration of high-Q inductors and transformers places the magnetic field direction parallel to the substrate plane without requiring high aspect ratio processing. The photolithographically patterned coil structure includes an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The intrinsic stress profile biases a free portion away from the substrate forming a loop winding. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate. The free portion end becomes a second anchor portion which may be connected to the substrate via soldering or plating. Alternately, the loop winding can be formed of two elastic members in which the free ends are joined in mid-air. A series of individual coil structures can be joined via their anchor portions to form inductors and transformers.

Abstract: An out-of-plane micro-structure which can be used for on-chip integration of high-Q inductors and transformers places the magnetic field direction parallel to the substrate plane without requiring high aspect ratio processing. The photolithographically patterned coil structure includes an elastic member having an intrinsic stress profile. The intrinsic stress profile biases a free portion away from the substrate forming a loop winding. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate. The free portion end becomes a second anchor portion which may be connected to the substrate via soldering or plating. A series of individual coil structures can be joined via their anchor portions to form inductors and transformers.

Abstract: A photonic device includes a plurality of semi-conductor layers formed on a substrate. The semi-conductor layers include an active layer and a current controlling region in close proximity to the active layer. The current controlling region includes a relatively small electrically conductive section or aperture, and a relatively large non-conductive section. A plurality of channels in the device are arranged to bound the electrically conductive section within their perimeter. The channels are spaced close enough together, and close enough to the desired aperture region to permit a relatively brief oxidation process to precisely isolate the aperture. The remainder of the current controlling region, i.e. beyond the aperture is also altered to present a high resistance. The photonic device also includes a relatively large surface area electrical contact used to drive the device. The large size desirably lowers overall resistance.