US 11,841,561 B2
Silicon photonic device with backup light paths
Weiwei Song, San Jose, CA (US); Stefan Rusu, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Chan-Hong Chern, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Chih-Chang Lin, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/379,620.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/178,102, filed on Apr. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0342239 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. G02F 1/025 (2006.01); G02F 1/225 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/025 (2013.01) [G02F 1/2255 (2013.01); G02F 1/2257 (2013.01); G02F 2201/508 (2013.01); G02F 2201/58 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first silicon ring modulator, wherein the first silicon ring modulator comprises:
a first bus waveguide configured to transmit a first light signal having a first wavelength;
a first silicon ring optically coupled to the first bus waveguide;
a second silicon ring optically coupled to the first bus waveguide;
a first heater configured to heat the first silicon ring;
a second heater configured to heat the second silicon ring;
a first switch having a first switching position and a second switching position, wherein the first switch is configured to:
at the first switching position, electrically couple the first silicon ring to a first radio frequency (RF) circuit, wherein the first silicon ring is configured to modulate the first light signal having the first wavelength with an RF signal from the first RF circuit when the first switch is at the first switching position; and
at the second switching position, electrically couple the second silicon ring to the first RF circuit, wherein the second silicon ring is configured to modulate the first light signal having the first wavelength with the RF signal from the first RF circuit when the first switch is at the second switching position; and
a first heater control circuit configured to control the first heater and the second heater such that during operation of the first silicon ring modulator, the first silicon ring and the second silicon ring are heated to a first temperature and a second temperature, respectively, wherein the first heater control circuit is configured to:
heat the first silicon ring and the second silicon ring such that when the first switch is at the first switching position, a first resonant wavelength of the first silicon ring matches the first wavelength of the first light signal, and a second resonant wavelength of the second silicon ring matches a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; and
heat the first silicon ring and the second silicon ring such that when the first switch is at the second switching position, the first resonant wavelength of the first silicon ring matches the second wavelength, and the second resonant wavelength of the second silicon ring matches the first wavelength of the first light signal.