Low cost integrated photonic systems

Bostock, R.M.; Townsend, J.E.; Jones, Robert E.; Jansen, R.; Moore, David F.

doi:10.1109/leos.1997.645415

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The fabrication process is simple and the silicon nitride clips have excellent mechanical characteristics. This concept is similar to research using single crystal silicon clips in Sweden [16][17][18][19] that post-dates the silicon nitride work [13][14][15]. Silicon cantilevers have a smaller Young's modulus and are more brittle than silicon nitride.…”

Section: Silicon Nitride Clipsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Silicon nitride microclips for the kinematic location of optic fibres in silicon V-shaped grooves

Bostock

Collier

Jansen

et al. 1998

J. Micromech. Microeng.

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Flexible silicon nitride clips are used to hold single mode optical fibres in position in grooves etched in silicon substrates to connect either subsurface or surface mounted optical components. The fabrication process for the buried fibre connector requires only one lithographic step, and a silicon substrate coated with a 3 m thick silicon nitride film. The light coupled between two single mode optic fibres buried in the same V groove has been measured as a function of the separation of the ends of the fibres. The Young's modulus and mechanical properties of silicon nitride from various sources have been measured using the clips. In another process using two lithographic steps a clipped fibre is made having the fibre core level with the silicon surface or up to 20 m above it, and the tolerances are sufficiently tight for optical system manufacture. Light coupling has been demonstrated between a semiconductor laser and a fibre. The clip technology is versatile and tolerant of lateral and angular misalignments during insertion. Fabrication and mechanical design rules for the silicon nitride clip technology are summarized, and possible applications in fibre connection, waveguide sensor and telecommunication systems are discussed.

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Section: Silicon Nitride Clipsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Silicon nitride microclips for the kinematic location of optic fibres in silicon V-shaped grooves

Bostock

Collier

Jansen

et al. 1998

J. Micromech. Microeng.

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“…A variety of approaches have been attempted to achieve this, including gluing, twin aluminium V-grooves [1], LIGA-based flexible structures [2,3], and welding of metal-coated fibres onto metal-coated V-grooves [1]. More recently, it has been proposed to use mechanical clips based on either silicon [4,5] or silicon nitride [6][7][8]. Here, the clips fabricated as part of the silicon motherboard which protrude from the edges of V grooves are deflected by the raised fibre, and act as springs holding the fibre kinematically in place [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, it has been proposed to use mechanical clips based on either silicon [4,5] or silicon nitride [6][7][8]. Here, the clips fabricated as part of the silicon motherboard which protrude from the edges of V grooves are deflected by the raised fibre, and act as springs holding the fibre kinematically in place [7,8]. Figure 1 shows an optical micrograph of a set of silicon nitride clips protruding over V-shaped grooves with (111) edges etched in the silicon substrate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Single-crystal silicon clips were first processed in Sweden [4,5]. These were subsequently found to have inferior stiffness and strength than silicon nitride clips, in addition to their higher manufacturing costs and restrictions on the geometries available [7,8]. Although silicon nitride clips have been shown to perform better than silicon clips, it is yet unclear if cantilever clips made of other materials such as silicon carbide and diamond with higher stiffnesses would perform still better than the silicon nitride clips do.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimal design of optical fibre-holding microclips with metamorphic development

Liu

2001

J. Micromech. Microeng.

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Silicon-or silicon nitride-based microclips have recently been developed to hold optical fibres in micro-optical systems for high optical coupling efficiency. The fabrication process is simple, with one or two lithographic steps required on a thin film deposited on a silicon substrate. Single-mode optical fibres are inserted and held in position in V-shaped grooves etched in silicon substrates by the cantilever clips protruding from the edges of the V grooves. As the fibre core is, in general, either level with or above the silicon surface, the clips are deflected by the fibre and act as springs holding the fibres kinematically in place. Ideally, the mass and thickness of the film clips should be minimized. However, the design of the microclips is faced with apparent contradicting constraints: on the one hand, the clips need to be sufficiently flexible for fibre connections and disconnections; on the other hand, they need to be sufficiently stiff so that the clamping force exerted on the fibres is reliable. Additional problems that must be addressed in designing the clips include substrate spalling and interfacial debonding due to stress concentrations at the clip-substrate joint. In this work the optimal thickness, mass and shape of the fibre-holding clips are studied with an effective optimization procedure, called 'metamorphic development' (MD). This procedure, coupled with the method of finite elements, aims at finding structural shapes and topologies of the microclips that minimize their structural compliance and weight, subject to stress and deflection constraints. It allows the clips to grow and degenerate from the simplest possible start-up geometry towards an optimum topological layout.

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