Integrated optical-electronic solid-state system having two superimposed circuit planes linked by optical and/or electronic and horizontal and/or vertical connections

Claim 1

An integrated optical-electronic solid-state system for miniaturizing optical-electronic compound systems primarily comprising combined coacting optical-electronic, electrical, optical and photoelectric components, a compound system comprising a base crystal for integrating optical and electronic operations, said base crystal having a surface, a matrix provided on the surface of said base crystal and defining a spatial integration system and containing the complete function of desired optical-electronic operations, said matrix comprising at least two layers interchangeable with regard to their optical and electronic integrated functions, at least a first of the layers of said matrix being provided at the surface of said base crystal, a second of the layers of said matrix being additionally provided on the surface of said base crystal and at least the first layer of said matrix integrating the electronic component functions of the compound system and impressing electrical current paths and including electronic component regions and optical component systems, and electronic component systems, at least the second layer of said matrix having said optical component systems embedded therein, said first layer of said matrix being functionally subordinated in its cross section to said optical component systems in a manner which produces a reciprocal action between the electronic and optical function elements of the compound system which extend along specific paths and substantially parallel to the surface of said base crystal in at least the first of the layers of said matrix in order to provide an optical coupling between the optical component systems, said optical function elements extending through specific regions of the surface of said base crystal perpendicularly to said matrix in order to produce opticalelectronic coupling of the optical component systems with the electronic component systems in accordance with the integration system of said matrix, said integrated optical-electronic solidstate system comprising at least two superimposed circuit planes linked by one of optical and electronic and one of horizontal and vertical connections for permitting in each of the circuit planes and between the circuit planes horizontal, vertical, optical and electronic communication operations via a matrix, said matrix functioning at least partially as a carrier of electrical current paths and optical and electrical elements of the system and having vertical and horizontal recesses formed therein for permitting the penetration of information-carrying light beams in predetermined regions and in predetermined directions, and at least one optically conductive member for transferring light within and parallel to said member in any desired direction.