JPH0719001B2 - Semiconductor optical switch - Google Patents
Semiconductor optical switchInfo
- Publication number
- JPH0719001B2 JPH0719001B2 JP59257843A JP25784384A JPH0719001B2 JP H0719001 B2 JPH0719001 B2 JP H0719001B2 JP 59257843 A JP59257843 A JP 59257843A JP 25784384 A JP25784384 A JP 25784384A JP H0719001 B2 JPH0719001 B2 JP H0719001B2
- Authority
- JP
- Japan
- Prior art keywords
- optical
- optical switch
- semiconductor
- semiconductor optical
- light
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 title claims description 28
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 title claims description 17
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 229910001218 Gallium arsenide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 238000009792 diffusion process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000012776 electronic material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000012535 impurity Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910000980 Aluminium gallium arsenide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000010365 information processing Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005693 optoelectronics Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013139 quantization Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
- G02F1/29—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
- G02F1/31—Digital deflection, i.e. optical switching
- G02F1/313—Digital deflection, i.e. optical switching in an optical waveguide structure
- G02F1/3137—Digital deflection, i.e. optical switching in an optical waveguide structure with intersecting or branching waveguides, e.g. X-switches and Y-junctions
- G02F1/3138—Digital deflection, i.e. optical switching in an optical waveguide structure with intersecting or branching waveguides, e.g. X-switches and Y-junctions the optical waveguides being made of semiconducting materials
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Nonlinear Science (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Optical Integrated Circuits (AREA)
Description
【発明の詳細な説明】 （産業上の利用分野） 本発明は光ファイバ伝送や光情報処理システムに於いて
用いられる半導体光スイッチに関する。The present invention relates to a semiconductor optical switch used in optical fiber transmission and optical information processing systems.
（従来技術とその問題点） 光の進行方向を電気信号に変換することなく、直接に切
り換えられる光スイッチは光交換や光コンピュータとい
った高度な光応用システムや多機能機器を実限する上で
欠くことのできないデバイスである。光スイッチに周辺
の半導体レーザや受光素子をモノリシック集積化して、
コンパクト化し、高速動作を可能にするためには光スイ
ッチは半導体基板上に作る必要がある。半導体光スイッ
チとしては例えばジャーナル・オブ・アプライド・フィ
ジックス（J.Appl.Phys 49（1978）5404）に報告されて
いる第２図のような方向性結合器が知られている。第２
図において21は半導体基板、22はその上に形成された光
ガイド層、241及び242は光ガイド層22に加工し、形成さ
れたリブである。又231、232及び233は電極である。リ
ブ241及び242に印加する電圧とその長さを制御すること
により光の進行方向を切り換えることができる。しかし
ながらこの構造の光スイッチでは厳密な結合長の調整が
困難であり、完全なクロス状態ができず漏話が生ずると
いう欠点があった。(Prior art and its problems) Optical switches that can be switched directly without converting the traveling direction of light into electrical signals are indispensable for limiting advanced optical application systems such as optical switching and optical computers and multifunctional devices. It is a device that cannot. Monolithically integrating the semiconductor laser and the light receiving element around the optical switch,
The optical switch must be formed on a semiconductor substrate in order to make it compact and enable high-speed operation. As a semiconductor optical switch, for example, a directional coupler as shown in FIG. 2 reported in Journal of Applied Physics (J. Appl. Phys 49 (1978) 5404) is known. Second
In the figure, 21 is a semiconductor substrate, 22 is an optical guide layer formed thereon, and 241 and 242 are ribs formed by processing the optical guide layer 22. Further, 231, 232 and 233 are electrodes. The traveling direction of light can be switched by controlling the voltage applied to the ribs 241 and 242 and the length thereof. However, the optical switch having this structure has a drawback that it is difficult to precisely adjust the coupling length, a perfect cross state cannot be obtained, and crosstalk occurs.
（発明の目的） 本発明は上記欠点に鑑みなされたものであり、漏話が無
く、多素子長の調整も不要で製作も簡単な半導体光スイ
ッチを提供することを目的とする。(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor optical switch that is free from crosstalk, does not require adjustment of multiple element lengths, and is easy to manufacture.
（発明の構成） 本発明は、半導体基板上に、超格子構造の光導波路から
成る光分岐回路を備え、さらに、前記光分岐回路の分岐
枝及び幹に各々独立した電極をそれぞれ備えている構成
となっている。(Structure of the Invention) The present invention has a structure in which an optical branch circuit including an optical waveguide having a superlattice structure is provided on a semiconductor substrate, and further, an independent electrode is provided in each of the branch branch and the trunk of the optical branch circuit. Has become.
（本発明の作用・原理） 超格子半導体層では通常の層厚の半導体層と比べて電気
光学効果が格段に大きい。本発明では超格子半導体層か
ら成る複数個の光導波路に於いてそれに印加する電圧を
各部で独立に変えることによって屈折率を違え、所望の
方向に光導波状態を形成し、光の進行方向を切り換え
る。(Operation and Principle of the Present Invention) The super-lattice semiconductor layer has a remarkably large electro-optical effect as compared with a semiconductor layer having a normal thickness. In the present invention, in a plurality of optical waveguides composed of a superlattice semiconductor layer, the voltage applied to it is changed in each part independently to make the refractive index different, thereby forming an optical waveguide state in a desired direction and changing the traveling direction of light. Switch.
また、製法も簡単である。すなわち半導体基板上に超格
層を形成後、光導波路とする部分の周囲に不純物拡散す
るだけでよい。不純物拡散領域は無秩序化し、屈折率が
変化するため容易に光導波路が形成できる。The manufacturing method is also simple. That is, it is only necessary to diffuse the impurities around the portion to be the optical waveguide after forming the super layer on the semiconductor substrate. Since the impurity diffusion region is disordered and the refractive index changes, an optical waveguide can be easily formed.
（実施例） 第１図は本発明に係わる一実施例である。同図に於い
て、11はｎ−GaAs基板、12はｎ−Al0.6Ga0.4As（ｎ＝２
×1018cm-3,d＝５μｍ）,13は量子化準位が形成される
程薄いｐ−ｉ−ｎ層133,132,131が50層、連続的に形成
されて作られた超格子層である。131はｎ−Al0.4Ga0.6A
s（ｎ＝２×1017cm-3,d＝50Å）,132はｉ−Al0.1Ga0.9A
s（ｄ＝100Å）,133はｐ−Al0.4Ga0.6As（ｐ＝１×1017
cm-3,d＝50Å）である。又14はｎ−Al0.6Ga0.4As（ｎ＝
２×1018cm-3,d＝５μｍ）,15はｎ−GaAs（ｎ＝８×10
18cm-3,d＝１μｍ）,16はZnの拡散領域、17,181,182及
び183は電極である。拡散領域16では超格子が無秩序化
し、組成が平均化されている。そのために超格子層13の
屈折率は、その周囲の領域より高くなる。超格子層13の
屈折率は電圧を印加することによって更に高めることが
でき、数Ｖ程度の電圧で周囲との を10％程度にできる。この位の屈折率差がつけられると
光は超格子層で閉じ込められる超格子の電気光学効果に
ついては、例えばジャーナル・オブ・エレクトロニック
・マテリアルズ（J.Electronic Materials 12（1983）3
97）を参照されたい。この組成に対して吸収のない0.87
μｍのAlGaAs/GaAs半導体レーザ光を第１図で矢印で示
した方向から超格子層13に入射させた場合、電極17を接
地し、電極181及び電極182に5Vの電圧を、又電極183を
アース電位にすると光は電極181及び電極182方向に導波
される。又電極182と電極183の印加電圧を逆にすると光
は反対方向に導波され、光のスイッチングが可能とな
る。(Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment according to the present invention. In the figure, 11 is an n-GaAs substrate, 12 is n-Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 As (n = 2
X10 18 cm -3 , d = 5 μm), 13 is a superlattice layer formed by continuously forming 50 p-i-n layers 133, 132, 131 which are thin enough to form a quantization level. 131 is n-Al 0.4 Ga 0.6 A
s (n = 2 × 10 17 cm -3 , d = 50Å), 132 is i-Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 A
s (d = 100Å), 133 is p-Al 0.4 Ga 0.6 As (p = 1 × 10 17)
cm -3 , d = 50Å). 14 is n-Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 As (n =
2 × 10 18 cm -3 , d = 5 μm, 15 is n-GaAs (n = 8 × 10
18 cm −3 , d = 1 μm), 16 is a Zn diffusion region, and 17, 181, 182 and 183 are electrodes. In the diffusion region 16, the superlattice is disordered and the composition is averaged. Therefore, the refractive index of the superlattice layer 13 becomes higher than that of the surrounding region. The refractive index of the superlattice layer 13 can be further increased by applying a voltage. Can be about 10%. Light is confined in a superlattice layer when a refractive index difference of this order is given. For the electro-optic effect of a superlattice, see, for example, Journal of Electronic Materials (J. Electronic Materials 12 (1983) 3
See 97). No absorption for this composition 0.87
When a μm AlGaAs / GaAs semiconductor laser beam is incident on the superlattice layer 13 from the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the electrode 17 is grounded, a voltage of 5 V is applied to the electrodes 181 and 182, and a voltage of the electrode 183 is applied. When set to the ground potential, light is guided in the directions of the electrodes 181 and 182. When the voltages applied to the electrodes 182 and 183 are reversed, the light is guided in the opposite directions, and the light can be switched.
（発明の効果） 以上のように本発明では、方向性結合器のように結合長
の厳密な調整が不要である。光は分岐点において光導波
路の屈折率変化に基づき、そのために素子設計も簡単と
なる半導体光スイッチが実現される。(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, unlike the directional coupler, strict adjustment of the coupling length is unnecessary. Light is based on the change in the refractive index of the optical waveguide at the branch point, so that a semiconductor optical switch whose element design is simple can be realized.
第１図は本発明に係わる一実施例を示す図、第２図は従
来例の図である。 11はｎ−GaAs基板、12及び14はｎ−Al0.6Ga0.4As,13は
超格子層、131はｎ−Al0.4Ga0.6As,132はｉ−Al0.1Ga
0.9,133はｐ−Al0.4Ga0.6As,15はｎ−GaAs,16は拡散領
域、17,181,182,183,231,232及び233は電極、21は半導
体基板、22は光ガイド層、241及び242はリブである。FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of a conventional example. 11 is an n-GaAs substrate, 12 and 14 are n-Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 As, 13 is a superlattice layer, 131 is n-Al 0.4 Ga 0.6 As, 132 is i-Al 0.1 Ga
0.9 and 133 are p-Al 0.4 Ga 0.6 As, 15 is n-GaAs, 16 is a diffusion region, 17,181,182,183,231,232 and 233 are electrodes, 21 is a semiconductor substrate, 22 is an optical guide layer, and 241 and 242 are ribs.
Claims (1)
ら成る光分岐回路を備え、さらに前記光分岐回路の分岐
枝及び幹に各々独立した電極をそれぞれ備えていること
を特徴とする半導体光スイッチ。1. A semiconductor device comprising an optical branch circuit formed of an optical waveguide having a superlattice structure on a semiconductor substrate, and further provided with independent electrodes on a branch branch and a trunk of the optical branch circuit, respectively. Optical switch.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP59257843A JPH0719001B2 (en) | 1984-12-06 | 1984-12-06 | Semiconductor optical switch |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP59257843A JPH0719001B2 (en) | 1984-12-06 | 1984-12-06 | Semiconductor optical switch |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| JPS61134740A JPS61134740A (en) | 1986-06-21 |
| JPH0719001B2 true JPH0719001B2 (en) | 1995-03-06 |
Family
ID=17311914
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP59257843A Expired - Lifetime JPH0719001B2 (en) | 1984-12-06 | 1984-12-06 | Semiconductor optical switch |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPH0719001B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2538567B2 (en) * | 1986-09-18 | 1996-09-25 | 日本電気株式会社 | Light switch |
| JPH02125232A (en) * | 1988-11-04 | 1990-05-14 | Furukawa Electric Co Ltd:The | light switch |
| JPH02205804A (en) * | 1989-02-06 | 1990-08-15 | Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> | Semiconductor light guide |
| CN108776367B (en) * | 2018-04-20 | 2021-07-13 | 江伟 | A high-density photonic integrated waveguide grating array |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS57200016A (en) * | 1981-06-04 | 1982-12-08 | Sumitomo Electric Ind Ltd | Waveguide type optical control element |
| CA1248381A (en) * | 1982-10-01 | 1989-01-10 | Anis Husain | Selection and application of highly nonlinear optical media |
-
1984
- 1984-12-06 JP JP59257843A patent/JPH0719001B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS61134740A (en) | 1986-06-21 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXPY | Cancellation because of completion of term |