Optical bench subassembly having integrated photonic device

Abstract

An optical bench subassembly including an integrated photonic device. Optical alignment of the photonic device with the optical bench can be performed outside of an optoelectronic package assembly before attaching thereto. The photonic device is attached to a base of the optical bench, with its optical input / output in optical alignment with the optical output / input of the optical bench. The optical bench supports an array of optical fibers in precise relationship to a structured reflective surface. The photonic device is mounted on a submount to be attached to the optical bench. The photonic device may be actively or passively aligned with the optical bench. After achieving optical alignment, the submount of the photonic device is fixedly attached to the base of the optical bench. The optical bench subassembly may be structured to be hermetically sealed as a hermetic feedthrough, to be hermetically attached to a hermetic optoelectronic package.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]This application:[0002](1) claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 136,601 filed on Mar. 22, 2015;[0003](2) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 861,273 filed on Apr. 11, 2013, which:[0004](a) claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 623,027 filed on Apr. 11, 2012,[0005](b) claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 699,125 filed on Sep. 10, 2012, and[0006](c) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 786,448 filed on Mar. 5, 2013, which claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 606,885 filed on Mar. 5, 2012;[0007](3) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 714,211 filed on May 15, 2015, which[0008](a) claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 994,094 filed on May 15, 2014, and[0009](b) is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 695,008 filed on A...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a better way to align optical components in a way that reduces the risk of failure. It combines a photonic device with an optical bench in a subassembly, which allows for precise alignment and testing outside of the actual package. This saves money by reducing waste caused by early failures in the photonic devices installed in the package.

Problems solved by technology

This is challenging especially for multiple fiber applications, where multiple optical fibers need to be optically aligned to multiple optoelectronic devices using an active optical alignment approach in which the position and orientation of the optical fiber(s) is adjusted by machinery until the amount of light transferred between the fiber and optoelectronic is maximized.

Active optical alignment involves relatively complex, low throughput processes since the VCSEL or PD must be energized during the active alignment process.

Manufacturers of integrated circuits often have expensive capital equipment capable of sub-micron alignment (e.g. wafer probers and handlers for testing integrated circuits), whereas companies that package chips generally have less capable machinery (typically several micron alignment tolerances which is not adequate for single-mode devices) and often use manual operations.

The current state of the art is expensive due to the inclusion of a package, excludes the use of common electronics and assembly processes, and / or often not suited to single-mode applications.

The package is a relatively more expensive assembly (which includes expensive circuit components, such as ICs, etc.) as compared to the hermetic feedthrough subassembly.

Given the required preassembly of components in the package to support active optical alignment, and further given the active alignment and soldering process involve high risk steps towards the end of the overall packaging process, failure to achieve active alignment because of defective components, which may be induced in the active alignment process, would lead to the entire package being discarded, including the photonic devices and other components already packaged therein.

In addition, while VCSEL and PD components may be tested in a static state prior to assembly, however they cannot be tested in an operational state until assembled in the package along with the electronics to drive these components.

This would lead to further waste of packages (i.e., low yield of packages) that are relatively more expensive module as assembled, as a result of defective but relatively inexpensive VCSEL and PD components.

VCSEL and PD components are known to contribute to a relatively high number of failures of assembled packages.

The long structural loop is more sensitive to thermal-mechanical deformations, which could render the package to stray outside of intended design specification, thus resulting in failure mode.

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