JPS6396605A - Optical integrated circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit use of plural beams of laser light and to improve information processing capacity to a greater extent by providing gratings for condensing the propagated laser light to a prescribed direction to plural two-dimensional optical waveguides. CONSTITUTION:Optical clad layers 2 consisting of SiO2 and the two-dimensional optical waveguide layers 3 are alternately laminated on a substrate 1 of an integrated pickup. The gratings 4 for condensing the beams of the laser light propagated in the respective waveguides to the specified direction or one point in the outside space are formed on the optical waveguide layers 3. The beams of the light from plural lasers 5 are, therefore, propagated in the waveguides 3 and are focused 6 to the outside space by the gratings 2. The condensing position is controllable by changing the shape of the gratings and the wavelength of the light. The application of the plural beams of the laser light to the integrated optical pickup is, therefore, permitted and the information processing capacity is improved to a greater extent.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an optical integrated circuit used in a pickup for reading out information recorded on an optical recording medium such as an optical disk or a sensor using light. It is.

Conventional technology In recent years, the importance of recording original information as typified by optical discs and compact discs has increased, and the demand for optical pickup using semiconductor lasers has increased. Furthermore, it is expected to improve mass productivity.

In order to realize the miniaturization of optical pickups, an integrated pickup has already been proposed (References: Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Communication Engineers, Mol J 68-0803, '85
).

Problems to be Solved by the Invention This integrated optical pickup has great effects in reducing the size and weight of devices, but since only one laser beam spot is obtained, the amount of information that can be written and read is limited. and speed was limited.

Another problem was that erasure, writing, and reading of memory could not be performed simultaneously.

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems and provides an optical integrated circuit element structure that can be applied to original information processing equipment such as ultra-large capacity, high-speed original disk files.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides a plurality of laser beam spots by configuring a plurality of two-dimensional optical waveguide functions on one substrate and a focusing grating in each optical waveguide layer,
It reads, writes, or erases multiple pieces of information at once.

In the present invention, two-dimensional optical waveguides for laser beam propagation are formed in a laminated structure on one substrate, and the laser beam propagating through each waveguide is externally connected to the optical waveguide layer of each two-dimensional optical waveguide. A grating is formed to focus light in a certain direction or at one point in space. Here, the laser light propagating through each two-dimensional optical waveguide is radiated or focused in any direction or position in the external space by the grating.

Embodiment An optical integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a sectional view, and FIG. 2 is a top view. 81 board 1
SiO□O optical cladding layer 2 and grating 4 on top of
All two-dimensional optical waveguide layers 3 are alternately laminated. The laser beam emitted from laser 5 is one side i11! It is coupled to each two-dimensional optical waveguide layer 3 from the end face of I. Here, the original cladding layer 2 is made sufficiently thick so that the elements propagating through each two-dimensional optical waveguide do not interact with each other. Two-dimensional optical waveguide 3
The light propagating through the grating 4 focuses the light 6 on the external space. Here, these focal points 6 can be designed at arbitrary positions by controlling the grating shape. Furthermore, by changing the wavelength of the light propagating through each waveguide layer, it is also possible to control the focusing position of the laser. Here, it is preferable that the materials of the optical gland 2 and the two-dimensional optical waveguide layer 3 have a large difference in refractive index. For example, high refractive index glass or a UV group compound is suitable for the two-dimensional optical waveguide layer 3, and 5102, SiN, etc. are suitable for the optical cladding layer 2.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, multiple laser beams can be applied to a compact and compact integrated pickup,
This method significantly improves the information processing ability and function of an optical disk system using an integrated pickup, and has a great effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the optical integrated circuit of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a top view of the same circuit. 1...Substrate, 2...Original cladding layer, 3
. . . Optical waveguide layer, 4 . . . Grating, 5 . . . Laser. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
Figure G

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of two-dimensional optical waveguides through which laser light propagates are formed in a laminated configuration on one substrate, and each of the two
An optical integrated circuit in which a grating is formed in an optical waveguide layer of a secondary optical waveguide to focus laser light propagating through the two-dimensional optical waveguide in a certain direction or at one point in an external space. (2) The optical integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength of light propagating through the two-dimensional optical waveguides is different between each waveguide.