Flexible Silicon Chips That Send Data Using Light
This patent describes a flexible silicon chip that uses light to send data between different parts of a computer, making connections faster and potentially more compact.
Original patent title: “Photonic flexible interconnect”
This patent describes a flexible silicon chip that uses light to send data between different parts of a computer, making connections faster and potentially more compact. Owned by Individual with 28 claims and 33 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2032.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a silicon photonic interconnect built on a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate. It includes a waveguide, a tiny path for light, that has a specific 'first optical mode' (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). This interconnect is designed to exchange optical data with an integrated circuit (IC) through a 'coupling region' (Claim 1). A key feature is that this coupling region has a 'second optical mode larger than the first optical mode' (Claim 1), which helps light transfer efficiently. The interconnect can be made 'flexible' by adding a 'polymer layer' on the SOI substrate (Claim 2). It can connect to the IC using methods like 'evanescent coupling' (Claim 3), an 'optical grating' (Claim 4), or an 'etched taper' (Claim 5). It can also connect to external 'optical fiber connections' through a 'fiber coupling region' (Claim 7), which might use 'v-grooves' for alignment (Claim 8) or 'vertical couplers' to redirect light (Claim 9). For example, this technology could be used to create flexible optical cables that connect different processing units within a data center rack, replacing traditional electrical wires for higher speed.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover purely electrical interconnects that do not exchange 'optical data' (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover silicon photonic interconnects where the coupling region's optical mode is not larger than the SOI waveguide's optical mode (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover photonic interconnects built on substrates other than 'silicon on insulator (SOI)' (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover optical coupling to components that are not 'integrated circuits' or 'optical fiber connections' as described (ClaimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → 1, 7).
- Does not cover systems where the silicon photonic interconnect lacks a waveguide with a first optical mode (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
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 combining silicon photonics on an SOI substrate with a specific design for the coupling region, which has an optical mode larger than the waveguide it connects to (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). This 'mode matching' helps efficiently transfer light between the tiny on-chip waveguide and the larger components it connects to, minimizing signal loss. The optional flexible polymer layer (Claim 2) also offers a practical advantage for integration and packaging.
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
High-performance computing interconnects
Chip-to-chip optical links
Fiber optic communication modules
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Traditional electrical connections struggle to keep up with the increasing demand for high-speed data transfer over short distances due to signal loss and interference. Optical interconnects, which use light instead of electricity, can carry much more data faster and with less power. This patent aims to make these optical connections more practical by integrating them directly with silicon chips and adding flexibility, which is crucial for compact packaging and efficient routing in modern electronics and data centers.
Filed
March 5, 2012
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Intel are major players in silicon photonics, developing optical transceivers that integrate optical components directly onto silicon chips for data centers. Broadcom and Cisco are also active in optical networking components. Startups such as Ayar Labs are exploring optical interconnects for chip-to-chip communication within high-performance computing systems, where flexible and efficient light-based connections are critical.
Market impact
This technology contributes to the ongoing shift from electrical to optical interconnects in high-bandwidth applications, enabling faster data transfer rates and lower power consumption in data centers and high-performance computing. The inclusion of flexibility could lead to more compact and versatile packaging solutions for optical modules, reducing space requirements and improving thermal management in densely packed electronic systems. It helps address the 'data bottleneck' challenge in modern computing infrastructure.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a silicon photonic interconnect built on a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate. It includes a waveguide, a tiny path for light, that has a specific 'first optical mode' (Claim 1). This interconnect is designed to exchange optical data with an integrated circuit (IC) through a 'coupling region' (Claim 1). A key feature is that this coupling region has a 'second optical mode larger than the first optical mode' (Claim 1), which helps light transfer efficiently. The interconnect can be made 'flexible' by adding a 'polymer layer' on the SOI substrate (Claim 2). It can connect to the IC using methods like 'evanescent coupling' (Claim 3), an 'optical grating' (Claim 4), or an 'etched taper' (Claim 5). It can also connect to external 'optical fiber connections' through a 'fiber coupling region' (Claim 7), which might use 'v-grooves' for alignment (Claim 8) or 'vertical couplers' to redirect light (Claim 9). For example, this technology could be used to create flexible optical cables that connect different processing units within a data center rack, replacing traditional electrical wires for higher speed.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in combining silicon photonics on an SOI substrate with a specific design for the coupling region, which has an optical mode larger than the waveguide it connects to (Claim 1). This 'mode matching' helps efficiently transfer light between the tiny on-chip waveguide and the larger components it connects to, minimizing signal loss. The optional flexible polymer layer (Claim 2) also offers a practical advantage for integration and packaging.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover purely electrical interconnects that do not exchange 'optical data' (Claim 1).
- Does not cover silicon photonic interconnects where the coupling region's optical mode is not larger than the SOI waveguide's optical mode (Claim 1).
- Does not cover photonic interconnects built on substrates other than 'silicon on insulator (SOI)' (Claim 1).
- Does not cover optical coupling to components that are not 'integrated circuits' or 'optical fiber connections' as described (Claims 1, 7).
- Does not cover systems where the silicon photonic interconnect lacks a waveguide with a first optical mode (Claim 1).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
31/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
19/20
Very broad protection
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
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
$123K – $393K
Midpoint $246K · 5.4 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
28 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Fish, G. A. Flexible Silicon Chips That Send Data Using Light (U.S. Patent No. 20,130,230,274). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20130230274/photonic-flexible-interconnect
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 Flexible Silicon Chips That Send Data Using Light cover?
This patent describes a flexible silicon chip that uses light to send data between different parts of a computer, making connections faster and potentially more compact.
Who owns patent US 20130230274?
This patent is owned by Individual.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 5, 2032, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 20130230274 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 33 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Traditional electrical connections struggle to keep up with the increasing demand for high-speed data transfer over short distances due to signal loss and interference. Optical interconnects, which use light instead of electricity, can carry much more data faster and with less power. This patent aims to make these optical connections more practical by integrating them directly with silicon chips and adding flexibility, which is crucial for compact packaging and efficient routing in modern electronics and data centers.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover purely electrical interconnects that do not exchange 'optical data' (Claim 1).
Same assignee
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