US 12,443,061 B2
Optical device with phase-change materials and method of fabricating the same
Kuo-Pin Chang, Hsinchu County (TW); Kuo-Ching Huang, Hsinchu (TW); Yu-Wei Ting, Taipei (TW); and Hung-Ju Li, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/473,211.
Prior Publication US 2025/0102839 A1, Mar. 27, 2025
Int. Cl. G02F 1/035 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/035 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical device, having a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone arranged in order in a traversal direction, the optical device comprising:
a waveguide comprising a base portion and a rib portion, the rib portion extending from a top surface of the base portion relative to the second zone;
a light modulator comprising:
a bridge segment positioned on the rib portion of the waveguide; and
two extension segments connected to two ends of the bridge segment and positioned relative to the first zone and the third zone, wherein the bridge segment and the two extension segments comprise a phase-change material; and
a heating member comprising:
an intermediate segment being in direct contact with the bridge segment of the light modulator; and
two electric contact segments connected to two ends of the intermediate segment and positioned above the two extension segments, wherein heat produced from the heating member is directly transferred to the bridge segment and the two extension segments of the light modulator thereby inducing a phase transition thereof.