US 12,353,017 B1
Optical switching system
Yakov Roizin, Afula (IL); and Avi Strum, Haifa (IL)
Assigned to Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Migdal Haemek (IL)
Filed by Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Migdal Haemek (IL)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/822,015.
Int. Cl. G02B 6/35 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/3502 (2013.01) [G02B 6/3546 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical switching system, comprising:
a silicon substrate;
a first switching cell that is formed on the silicon substrate, wherein the first switching cell comprises:
a first port;
a second port;
a third port;
a monocrystalline silicon waveguide (MSW) that comprises a first MSW segment and a second MSW segment;
an actuation unit that is configured to move each one of the first MSW segment and the second MSW segment between at least three different positions thereby determining whether an optical signal received at the first port is (a) directed through the MSW to the second port, or (b) is directed to the third port through a first bus waveguide, wherein the first bus waveguide is made of Silicon Nitride and comprises a bottom cladding oxide and a top cladding oxide, wherein a thickness of the bottom cladding oxide ranges between 0.1 and 0.2 microns and a thickness of the top cladding oxide ranges between 0.3 to 1 micron.