How Tiny Bumps in Light Paths Improve Chip Communication
This patent describes a way to make tiny light-directing structures on computer chips more efficient by adding small, irregular bumps or changes to the light paths, helping chips talk to each other faster using light.
Original patent title: “Method and system for grating couplers incorporating perturbed waveguides”
This patent describes a way to make tiny light-directing structures on computer chips more efficient by adding small, irregular bumps or changes to the light paths, helping chips talk to each other faster using light. Granted to Luxtera in 2021 with 21 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2039.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a "grating coupler" on a "semiconductor photonics die" that sends or receives light signals. The core mechanism involves using "perturbed waveguides" within this coupler. These waveguides are not smooth; they have "spatially overlapping scatterers along the waveguides," meaning the light paths have tiny, irregular features like a "varying shape, a varying width, or a varying spacing" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). For example, a light signal entering a chip could be efficiently guided by these specially designed waveguides, which might have tiny bumps or wider sections that help direct the light precisely. The patent also covers "polarization splitting grating couplers" which can separate light based on its oscillation direction (Claim 3), often using two sets of these perturbed waveguides at an angle (Claim 4).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Grating couplers that use perfectly smooth, unperturbed waveguides without varying shapes, widths, or spacing.
- Grating couplers that do not have "spatially overlapping scatterers" along the waveguides as defined.
- Methods of communicating optical signals that do not involve a grating coupler on a semiconductor photonics die.
- Grating couplers where the perturbed waveguides do not have *any* variation in shape, width, or spacing (e.g., all are uniform).
- Grating couplers that handle only a single polarization without using the specific "polarization splitting" features described, such as two angled sets of perturbed waveguides with scatterers at intersections.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in intentionally introducing "perturbations" (like varying shapes, widths, or spacing, and scatterers) into the waveguides of a grating coupler. Instead of trying to make waveguides perfectly uniform, this patent uses controlled irregularities to improve the coupler's performance, especially for managing light polarization.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Optical transceivers in data centers
Silicon photonics modules for high-speed networking
On-chip optical interconnects
Future high-bandwidth computing architectures
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is important for improving how computer chips communicate using light instead of electricity. As data centers and high-performance computing demand faster connections, optical communication on chips becomes critical. Efficient grating couplers are essential for getting light signals on and off these chips, which can lead to faster data transfer and lower power consumption in devices like network switches and servers.
Filed
December 17, 2019
Granted
October 5, 2021
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Intel, which acquired Luxtera (the original assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →), continues to be a major player in silicon photonics, developing integrated optical solutions for data centers and high-performance computing. Other companies like Broadcom and Cisco also invest heavily in optical interconnect technologies that rely on efficient light coupling for their networking products.
Market impact
This type of technology helps enable the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth in data centers and telecommunications. By improving the efficiency and functionality of on-chip optical communication, it contributes to the development of faster, more power-efficient network infrastructure, supporting the growth of cloud computing and AI applications.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a "grating coupler" on a "semiconductor photonics die" that sends or receives light signals. The core mechanism involves using "perturbed waveguides" within this coupler. These waveguides are not smooth; they have "spatially overlapping scatterers along the waveguides," meaning the light paths have tiny, irregular features like a "varying shape, a varying width, or a varying spacing" (Claim 1). For example, a light signal entering a chip could be efficiently guided by these specially designed waveguides, which might have tiny bumps or wider sections that help direct the light precisely. The patent also covers "polarization splitting grating couplers" which can separate light based on its oscillation direction (Claim 3), often using two sets of these perturbed waveguides at an angle (Claim 4).
The clever bit
The novelty lies in intentionally introducing "perturbations" (like varying shapes, widths, or spacing, and scatterers) into the waveguides of a grating coupler. Instead of trying to make waveguides perfectly uniform, this patent uses controlled irregularities to improve the coupler's performance, especially for managing light polarization.
What it does not cover
- Grating couplers that use perfectly smooth, unperturbed waveguides without varying shapes, widths, or spacing.
- Grating couplers that do not have "spatially overlapping scatterers" along the waveguides as defined.
- Methods of communicating optical signals that do not involve a grating coupler on a semiconductor photonics die.
- Grating couplers where the perturbed waveguides do not have *any* variation in shape, width, or spacing (e.g., all are uniform).
- Grating couplers that handle only a single polarization without using the specific "polarization splitting" features described, such as two angled sets of perturbed waveguides with scatterers at intersections.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$44K – $140K
Midpoint $88K · 13.2 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Verslegers, L., & Mekis, A. (2021). How Tiny Bumps in Light Paths Improve Chip Communication (U.S. Patent No. 11,137,544). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11137544/method-and-system-for-grating-couplers-incorporating-perturbed-waveguides
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Tiny Bumps in Light Paths Improve Chip Communication cover?
This patent describes a way to make tiny light-directing structures on computer chips more efficient by adding small, irregular bumps or changes to the light paths, helping chips talk to each other faster using light.
Who owns patent US 11137544?
Luxtera owns this patent, granted in 2021.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on December 17, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is important for improving how computer chips communicate using light instead of electricity. As data centers and high-performance computing demand faster connections, optical communication on chips becomes critical. Efficient grating couplers are essential for getting light signals on and off these chips, which can lead to faster data transfer and lower power consumption in devices like network switches and servers.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Grating couplers that use perfectly smooth, unperturbed waveguides without varying shapes, widths, or spacing.
Patent monitoring