Marvell Technology has filed a patent for an optical modulator that includes a semiconductor substrate, an optical waveguide portion, a signal contact, and two ground lines. The ground lines are spaced at different distances from the signal contact, allowing for efficient modulation of light. GlobalData’s report on Marvell Technology gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Marvell Technology, Network virtualization was a key innovation area identified from patents. Marvell Technology's grant share as of September 2023 was 79%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
The patent filed is for an optical modulator design
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230314896A1) describes an optical modulator that can be used to modulate light. The modulator includes a semiconductor substrate and an optical waveguide portion that provides a path for the light to be modulated. A signal contact is positioned alongside the optical path, and there are two ground lines spaced at different distances from the signal contact. The second ground line is positioned further away from the signal contact than the first ground line.
The second ground line is configured to match the wave velocities between the electrical-domain signal on the signal contact and the light that is being modulated on the optical path. The width of the signal contact and the distance between the signal contact and the second ground line determine the target impedance for the electrical-domain signal. The width of the signal contact is between 5 microns and 15 microns.
The optical modulator also includes a Mach-Zehnder modulator, which consists of two arms. In the first arm, the signal contact and the first ground line are asymmetrically positioned, while in the second arm, there is another signal contact asymmetrically positioned between two second-arm ground lines. The first ground line is shared with the second-arm ground lines.
The patent also describes a method for matching the wave velocities of the light and the electrical-domain signal. The method involves electrically coupling the electrical domain signal across different spacings from the signal contact to the ground lines. The first spacing is transverse to the optical path and transverse to the direction of travel of the electrical domain signal, while the second spacing is transverse to the direction of travel along the signal contact.
Overall, this patent describes an optical modulator and a method for matching wave velocities between the electrical-domain signal and the light to be modulated. The modulator includes specific configurations of ground lines and signal contacts to achieve this matching. The disclosed technology has potential applications in various fields that require precise modulation of light.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
