Silicon photonic chip based flip-coupling device and method

Abstract

The application relates to a silicon optical chip-based flip coupling device and method, and belongs to the technical field of optical communication. The device comprises a coupling table, which comprises a platform for placing a PCB board, and the platform is provided with an observation hole for observing an end face coupling waveguide of a silicon optical chip. An image information of the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon optical chip exposed by a light transmission hole on the PCB board can be acquired through the observation hole on the platform by a first visual camera of an observation mechanism, so that the operator can also obtain a visual field when the chip is flipped, and then the fiber array can be conveniently and quickly adjusted to be aligned with the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon optical chip, the operator is prevented from blind adjustment, the difficulty of optical interconnection between the fiber and the optical integrated chip is reduced, the coupling precision is high, the coupling loss is small, the coupling position is exposed downward, the difficulty of dropping optical path refractive index matching glue during the coupling process is also reduced, the coverage and filling conditions of the optical path refractive index matching glue are observed conveniently, and the coupling efficiency and product quality are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to a flip-chip coupling device and method based on silicon photonics chips. Background Technology

[0002] With the commercialization of 5G technology and the development of 6G technology, people's demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data storage, and the Internet of Things has increased significantly, and the requirements for transmission speed are getting higher and higher. As a result, the demand for high-speed, highly integrated optical communication devices and modules is also increasing. The corresponding packaging technology is high-speed interconnect CPO packaging of optical and electrical integrated chips. However, in this technology, traditional gold wire bonding interconnect cannot achieve high-speed signal transmission. Therefore, gold ball flip-chip bonding technology, which can support high-speed transmission, is used to replace the traditional gold wire interconnect technology.

[0003] However, this also creates new problems. After the optical integrated chip is flipped, the optical coupling surface faces down and is attached to the PCB substrate. This significantly increases the difficulty of using optical fiber to interconnect the optical path of the optical integrated chip. The end-face coupling waveguide of the optical integrated chip cannot be observed by the platform's vision camera CCD imaging system, let alone achieve end-face optical path coupling of a multi-channel fiber array.

[0004] However, the optical path coupling packaging used in this type of packaging solution basically requires experienced packaging engineers to "blindly adjust" to control the coupling accuracy between the optical fiber and the optical integrated chip in order to minimize the loss.

[0005] The disadvantages of this coupling method include low coupling efficiency, excessively high professional requirements for coupling personnel, difficulty in applying refractive index matching adhesive to the optical path during coupling, and high coupling loss. Therefore, this application proposes a flip-chip coupling device and method based on silicon photonics chips to overcome the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a flip-chip coupling device and method based on silicon photonics chips to solve the problems of low coupling efficiency of multi-channel optical paths in related technologies, excessively high professional requirements for coupling personnel, and difficulty in applying optical path refractive index matching glue during the coupling process, resulting in high coupling loss.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a flip-chip coupling device based on a silicon photonics chip, comprising:

[0008] A coupling stage includes a platform for placing a PCB board, and the platform has an observation hole for observing the waveguide coupled to the end face of a silicon photonic chip.

[0009] The observation apparatus includes a first visual camera for acquiring image information of the waveguide coupled to the end face of the silicon photonics chip.

[0010] A clamping mechanism is used to clamp and adjust the fiber array so that each fiber in the fiber array is coupled to the end face of the silicon photonic chip waveguide.

[0011] In some embodiments, the coupling stage further includes a reflector disposed below the observation hole, through which the first vision camera acquires image information of the silicon photonic chip end face coupled waveguide.

[0012] In some embodiments, the coupling platform is provided with a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the reflector.

[0013] In a first aspect, in some embodiments, the observation mechanism further includes a first displacement stage for adjusting the position of the first visual camera;

[0014] The observation mechanism also includes a second visual camera for observing the position of the fiber optic array, and a second displacement stage for adjusting the position of the second visual camera.

[0015] In one aspect, in some embodiments, the clamping mechanism includes a clamp for fixing the fiber array and a third displacement stage for adjusting the position of the fiber array.

[0016] In a first aspect, in some embodiments, the clamp includes a connecting arm connected to a third displacement stage, the end of the connecting arm being provided with a first clamping block and a second clamping block for mutually cooperating to clamp the fiber array, and a locking member for locking the first clamping block and the second clamping block.

[0017] Both the first clamping block and the second clamping block are provided with notches for positioning the fiber optic array.

[0018] In one aspect, in some embodiments, the fiber array includes a housing, a cover plate enclosing the housing, and multiple single-mode optical fibers fixed between the housing and the cover plate.

[0019] The housing has a beveled surface on the side away from the cover plate, near the fiber optic coupling end, which is used to guide the optical path adhesive to the fiber optic coupling end.

[0020] In some embodiments, the platform is provided with a PCB board, on which a silicon photonic chip is flip-chip soldered, and the PCB board has a light-transmitting hole for observing the waveguide coupled to the end face of the silicon photonic chip.

[0021] Secondly, this application provides a flip-chip coupling method based on a silicon photonic chip, the method using the flip-chip coupling device based on a silicon photonic chip as described in any of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps:

[0022] The silicon photonics chip is flip-chip soldered onto the PCB board, so that the light-transmitting holes on the PCB board expose the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon photonics chip.

[0023] The PCB board is placed on the platform of the coupling stage, and the first vision camera of the observation mechanism is used to obtain the image information of the silicon photonic chip end face coupled waveguide through the observation hole on the platform.

[0024] The fiber array is fixed on the clamping mechanism, and the clamping mechanism is controlled to align each fiber in the fiber array with the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon photonic chip.

[0025] Connect an optical power meter to the fiber optic array to monitor the coupling loss of the fiber optic array;

[0026] The position of the fiber array is finely adjusted by a clamping mechanism, and the adjustment stops when the coupling loss value monitored by the optical power meter reaches the set value.

[0027] The fiber array is lifted along the z-axis by a clamping mechanism, and the curing adhesive is evenly applied between the fiber array and the PCB board. The fiber array is then slowly moved down along the z-axis to its original position by the clamping mechanism, so that the curing adhesive fixes the fiber array to the PCB board.

[0028] After the adhesive has fully cured, the clamping mechanism is removed to complete the optical encapsulation of the silicon photonic chip.

[0029] Secondly, in some embodiments, the method further includes applying optical adhesive to the inclined surface of the fiber array, using the inclined surface to guide the optical adhesive to the contact area between the silicon photonics chip and the fiber array.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include:

[0031] This application provides a flip-chip coupling device and method based on silicon photonics chips. The coupling stage includes a platform for placing a PCB board, and the platform has an observation hole for observing the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon photonics chip. The observation mechanism includes a first vision camera for acquiring image information of the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon photonics chip. The clamping mechanism is used to clamp and adjust the fiber array so that each fiber of the fiber array is coupled to the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon photonics chip.

[0032] Therefore, the first-vision camera can acquire image information of the silicon photonic chip end face coupling waveguide exposed by the light-transmitting hole on the PCB board through the observation hole on the platform. This ensures that the operator can also have a field of view when the coupling part is facing downwards. This allows the operator to quickly adjust the fiber array through the clamping mechanism to align each fiber in the fiber array with the end face coupling waveguide of the silicon photonic chip, avoiding blind adjustment by the operator and reducing the difficulty of interconnecting the optical path between the fiber and the optical integrated chip. It has the advantages of high coupling accuracy and low coupling loss. At the same time, the downward exposure of the optical coupling part also reduces the difficulty of applying optical path refractive index matching glue during the coupling process, making it easier to observe the coverage and filling of the optical path refractive index matching glue, thus improving coupling efficiency and product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the inverted coupling device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the coupling stage according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the PCB board structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the silicon photonics chip according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fixture according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fiber optic array according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the PCB board and the silicon photonics chip in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a partial bottom view of the PCB board according to an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the coupling structure between the silicon photonic chip and the fiber array in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0044] 10. Coupling stage; 11. Platform; 111. Observation hole; 12. Reflector; 13. Support plate; 14. Circular tube; 15. Base; 16. Slide rod; 17. Locking screw; 18. Strip groove; 19. Limiting rod;

[0045] 20. Observation mechanism; 21. First visual camera; 22. First displacement stage; 23. Second visual camera; 24. Second displacement stage;

[0046] 30. Clamping mechanism; 31. Fixture; 311. Connecting arm; 312. First clamping block; 313. Second clamping block; 314. Locking element; 315. Notch; 33. Third displacement stage;

[0047] 40. PCB board; 41. Light-transmitting hole;

[0048] 50. Silicon photonics chip; 51. End-face coupled waveguide;

[0049] 60. Fiber optic array; 61. Housing; 611. Bevel; 62. Cover plate; 63. Single-mode fiber. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] This application provides a flip-chip coupling device and method based on silicon photonics chips, which can solve the problems of low coupling efficiency of multi-channel optical paths in related technologies, excessively high professional requirements for coupling personnel, and the difficulty of applying optical path refractive index matching glue and high coupling loss during the coupling process.

[0052] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the first aspect of this application provides a flip-chip coupling device based on a silicon photonics chip, comprising:

[0053] The coupling stage 10 includes a platform 11 for placing the PCB board 40, and the platform 11 has an observation hole 111 for observing the coupling waveguide 51 of the end face of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0054] Observation unit 20 includes a first vision camera 21 for acquiring image information of the end face coupled waveguide 51 of silicon photonic chip 50;

[0055] The clamping mechanism 30 is used to clamp and adjust the fiber array 60 so that each fiber of the fiber array 60 is coupled to the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0056] The coupling stage 10 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip in this embodiment of the application is provided with an observation hole 111 on its platform 11. The silicon photonics chip 50 end face coupling waveguide 51 exposed by the light-transmitting hole 41 on the PCB board 40 can be observed through the observation hole 111 on the platform 11. At the same time, an observation mechanism 20 and a clamping mechanism 30 are also provided. The observation mechanism 20 includes a first vision camera 21 for acquiring image information of the silicon photonics chip 50 end face coupling waveguide 51. The clamping mechanism 30 is used to clamp and adjust the fiber array 60 so that each fiber of the fiber array 60 is coupled to the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonics chip 50.

[0057] Specifically, the PCB board 40 with the silicon photonic chip 50 flip-chip soldered is placed on the platform 11 of the coupling stage 10, so that the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupling waveguide 51 exposed by the light-transmitting hole 41 on the PCB board 40 is directly above the observation hole 111. The first vision camera 21 obtains the image information of the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupling waveguide 51 from the observation hole 111, ensuring that the operator can also have a field of view when the coupling part is facing down. This makes it convenient for the operator to quickly adjust the fiber array 60 through the clamping mechanism 30 so that each fiber in the fiber array 60 is aligned with the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0058] The device described in this application avoids blind adjustments by operators, reduces the professional requirements for operators, and ensures that operators can quickly perform alignment operations with the assistance of images. It also facilitates subsequent fine-tuning to find the optimal coupling position, reduces the difficulty of interconnecting the optical fiber and the optical integrated chip, and has the advantages of high coupling accuracy and low coupling loss. At the same time, the optical coupling part is exposed downwards, which allows for the filling of optical path refractive index matching adhesive between the fiber array 60 and the silicon photonic chip 50. This reduces the difficulty of dripping optical path refractive index matching adhesive during the coupling process, facilitates the observation of the coverage and filling of the optical path refractive index matching adhesive, and improves coupling efficiency and product quality.

[0059] In this embodiment, the silicon photonic chip 50 can be a ball-mounted optical chip. The optimal coupling position is the position where the coupling loss value is minimized when fine-tuning the fiber array 60 or the silicon photonic chip 50 during optical path loss testing.

[0060] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 4As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip. The coupling stage 10 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip also includes a reflector 12 disposed below the observation hole 111. The first vision camera 21 obtains image information of the waveguide 51 coupled to the end face of the silicon photonics chip 50 through the reflector 12.

[0061] A reflector 12 is also provided below the coupling stage 10 in this embodiment of the application, so that the first vision camera 21 can obtain the image information of the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupled waveguide 51 through the reflector 12. The reflector 12 can reflect light, so that the first vision camera 21 does not need to be arranged directly below the observation hole 111, reducing the difficulty of installing and arranging the first vision camera 21.

[0062] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chips. The coupling stage 10 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chips is provided with a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the reflector 12.

[0063] The coupling stage 10 of this application embodiment is provided with a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the reflector 12, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the height of the reflector 12 to cooperate with the first vision camera 21 to acquire image information of the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupled waveguide 51.

[0064] For example, the height adjustment mechanism includes a base 15 with mounting holes, a round tube 14 fixedly connected to the top of the base 15, support plates 13 symmetrically distributed and fixedly connected to the bottom of the platform 11 fixedly on the outside of the round tube 14, a slide rod 16 slidably connected inside the round tube 14, a slope surface for fixing a reflector 12 provided at the top of the slide rod 16, the reflector 12 is bonded to the slope surface and tilted towards the first vision camera 21, and a locking screw 17 is threadedly connected to the round tube 14, the end of the locking screw 17 abutting against the slide rod 16.

[0065] Meanwhile, a strip groove 18 is formed along the length of the circular tube 14, and a limiting rod 19 passing through the strip groove 18 is fixedly connected to the slide rod 16. The diameter of the limiting rod 19 is adapted to the width of the strip groove 18, which can prevent the slide rod 16 from rotating inside the circular tube 14, thereby preventing the reflector 12 from colliding with the support plates 13 on both sides. At the same time, the limiting rod 19 can also act as a lever. When the locking screw 17 is not in contact with the slide rod 16, the position of the slide rod 16 can be easily adjusted by moving the limiting rod 19, thereby changing the height of the reflector 12, so as to cooperate with the first vision camera 21 to acquire the image information of the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupled waveguide 51.

[0066] In some alternative embodiments: see Figure 1As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip. The observation mechanism 20 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip further includes a first displacement stage 22 for adjusting the position of the first vision camera 21.

[0067] The observation mechanism 20 also includes a second visual camera 23 for observing the position of the fiber optic array 60, and a second displacement stage 24 for adjusting the position of the second visual camera 23.

[0068] The observation mechanism 20 in this embodiment of the application also includes a first displacement stage 22 for adjusting the position of the first visual camera 21. The first displacement stage 22 can adjust the position of the first visual camera 21 in space to ensure that the first visual camera 21 can accurately acquire the image information of the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupled waveguide 51.

[0069] In addition, the observation mechanism 20 also includes a second vision camera 23 for observing the position of the fiber optic array 60, and a second displacement stage 24 for adjusting the position of the second vision camera 23. The second vision camera 23 and the second displacement stage 24 cooperate with each other to accurately obtain the relative position information of the silicon photonic chip 50 and the fiber optic array 60 on the platform 11, so as to assist the operator in performing coupling operations. In this embodiment, the displacement stage can be a three-axis displacement stage, and the vision camera can be a CCD camera.

[0070] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chips. The clamping mechanism 30 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chips includes a clamp 31 for fixing an optical fiber array 60 and a third displacement stage 33 for adjusting the position of the optical fiber array 60.

[0071] The clamping mechanism 30 of this application embodiment includes a clamp 31 and a third displacement stage 33. The fiber array 60 can be clamped and fixed on the clamp 31. The position of the clamp 31 is adjusted by the third displacement stage 33, thereby clamping and adjusting the fiber array 60 so that each fiber of the fiber array 60 is coupled to the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0072] In some alternative embodiments: see Figure 5 As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip. The clamp 31 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip includes a connecting arm 311 connected to a third displacement stage 33. The end of the connecting arm 311 is provided with a first clamping block 312 and a second clamping block 313 for mutually clamping the fiber array 60, and a locking member 314 for locking the first clamping block 312 and the second clamping block 313.

[0073] Both the first clamping block 312 and the second clamping block 313 are provided with notches 315 for positioning the fiber optic array 60.

[0074] The clamp 31 in this embodiment includes a connecting arm 311. The end of the connecting arm 311 is integrally provided with a first clamping block 312 and a second clamping block 313. The first clamping block 312 and the second clamping block 313 can cooperate to clamp the fiber array 60. The locking member 314 is a locking bolt. The locking bolt passes through the first clamping block 312 and is threadedly connected to the second clamping block 313. By rotating the locking bolt, the first clamping block 312 and the second clamping block 313 can be brought closer to each other and clamp and fix the fiber array 60, which facilitates the movement and position adjustment of the fiber array 60.

[0075] In addition, both the first clamping block 312 and the second clamping block 313 are provided with notches 315 for positioning the fiber array 60. The notches 315 can match the shape of the housing 61 of the fiber array 60, so as to facilitate clamping and fixing the fiber array 60. Specifically, the notches 315 are right-angled, ensuring that when clamping and fixing the fiber array 60, the cover plate 62 of the fiber array 60 can face downwards horizontally, which facilitates the bonding and position adjustment of the fiber array 60 with the PCB board 40 surface.

[0076] In some alternative embodiments: see Figure 6 As shown, this application provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chips. The fiber array 60 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chips includes a housing 61, a cover plate 62 that closes the housing 61, and multiple single-mode optical fibers 63 fixed between the housing 61 and the cover plate 62.

[0077] The housing 61 has a bevel 611 on the side away from the cover plate 62, which is close to the optical fiber coupling end. The bevel 611 is used to guide the optical path adhesive to the optical fiber coupling end.

[0078] When the fiber array 60 of this embodiment is clamped and fixed, the cover plate 62 of the fiber array 60 faces downward. At the same time, the housing 61 is provided with a bevel 611 near the fiber coupling end on the side away from the cover plate 62. After the fiber array 60 is coupled with the silicon photonic chip 50, optical path adhesive can be applied to the bevel 611. The bevel 611 is used to guide the optical path adhesive to the part where the silicon photonic chip 50 and the fiber array 60 are in contact.

[0079] Specifically, the optical adhesive can fill the gap between the fiber end face of the fiber array 60 and the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50, and can match the refractive index of both to enable better light transmission. At the same time, it protects the chip's optical coupling waveguide structure, increases stability, reduces coupling loss, and improves coupling tolerance and coupling efficiency.

[0080] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 7 to 9As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip. The platform 11 of the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip is provided with a PCB board 40, on which a silicon photonics chip 50 is flip-chip soldered. A light-transmitting hole 41 is opened on the PCB board 40 for observing the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonics chip 50.

[0081] In this embodiment of the application, a PCB board 40 is provided on the platform 11. A light-transmitting hole 41 is provided on the PCB board 40. When the silicon photonic chip 50 is flip-chip soldered onto the PCB board 40, the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50 is exposed at the position of the light-transmitting hole 41. When the PCB board 40 is placed on the platform 11 of the coupling stage 10, the first vision camera 21 of the observation mechanism 20 can obtain the image information of the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50 through the observation hole 111 on the platform 11, thereby assisting the operator in performing the coupling operation.

[0082] See Figures 1 to 9 As shown, a second aspect of this application provides a flip-chip coupling method based on a silicon photonic chip. The method uses the flip-chip coupling device based on a silicon photonic chip from any of the above embodiments, and includes the following steps:

[0083] S1. The silicon photonic chip 50 is flip-chip soldered onto the PCB board 40, so that the light-transmitting hole 41 on the PCB board 40 exposes the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0084] S2. Place the PCB board 40 on the platform 11 of the coupling stage 10, and use the first vision camera 21 of the observation mechanism 20 to obtain the image information of the silicon photonic chip 50 end face coupled waveguide 51 through the observation hole 111 on the platform 11.

[0085] S3. Fix the fiber array 60 on the clamping mechanism 30 and control the clamping mechanism 30 to align each fiber in the fiber array 60 with the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0086] S4. Connect an optical power meter to the fiber array 60 to monitor the coupling loss of the fiber array 60.

[0087] S5. The position of the fiber array 60 is fine-tuned by the clamping mechanism 30, and the adjustment stops when the coupling loss value monitored by the optical power meter reaches the set value; specifically, the set value is the minimum value that can be achieved during the fine-tuning process.

[0088] S6. The fiber array 60 is raised along the z-axis by the clamping mechanism 30. The curing adhesive is evenly applied between the fiber array 60 and the PCB board 40. The fiber array 60 is slowly moved down and reset to its original position along the z-axis by the clamping mechanism 30, so that the curing adhesive fixes the fiber array 60 to the PCB board 40. Specifically, the z-axis direction is the direction perpendicular to the top surface of the platform 11.

[0089] S7. After the curing adhesive has fully cured, remove the clamping mechanism 30 to complete the optical encapsulation of the silicon photonic chip 50.

[0090] The silicon photonics chip-based flip-chip coupling method of this application, using the silicon photonics chip-based flip-chip coupling device of any of the above embodiments, can avoid blind adjustment by operators, reduce the professional requirements of operators, ensure that operators can quickly perform alignment operations with the assistance of images, reduce the difficulty of optical fiber and optical integrated chip optical path interconnection, and has the advantages of high coupling accuracy and low coupling loss, while improving coupling efficiency and product quality.

[0091] In some alternative embodiments: see Figures 1 to 9 As shown, this application embodiment provides a flip-chip coupling method based on silicon photonics chip. The method further includes applying optical adhesive to the inclined surface 611 of the fiber array 60, and using the inclined surface 611 to guide the optical adhesive to the contact area between the silicon photonics chip 50 and the fiber array 60.

[0092] The optical path adhesive of this application embodiment can fill the gap between the fiber end face of the fiber array 60 and the end face coupling waveguide 51 of the silicon photonic chip 50, and can match the refractive index of both to enable better light transmission, while protecting the chip optical coupling waveguide structure, increasing stability, reducing coupling loss, improving coupling tolerance and coupling efficiency.

[0093] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0094] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0095] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A flip-chip coupling device based on a silicon photonic chip, characterized in that, include: The coupling stage (10) includes a platform (11) for placing a PCB board (40), and the platform (11) has an observation hole (111) for observing the end face coupling waveguide (51) of the silicon photonic chip (50). The observation device (20) includes a first vision camera (21) for acquiring image information of the end-face coupled waveguide (51) of the silicon photonic chip (50); A clamping mechanism (30) is used to clamp and adjust the fiber array (60) so that each fiber of the fiber array (60) is coupled to the end face coupling waveguide (51) of the silicon photonic chip (50). The coupling stage (10) also includes a reflector (12) disposed below the observation hole (111), through which the first vision camera (21) acquires image information of the silicon photonic chip (50) end face coupled waveguide (51); The platform (11) is provided with a PCB board (40), on which a silicon photonic chip (50) is flip-chip soldered, and a light-transmitting hole (41) is provided on the PCB board (40) for observing the end face coupling waveguide (51) of the silicon photonic chip (50).

2. The flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The coupling platform (10) is provided with a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the reflector (12).

3. The flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The observation mechanism (20) also includes a first displacement stage (22) for adjusting the position of the first visual camera (21); The observation mechanism (20) also includes a second vision camera (23) for observing the position of the fiber optic array (60) and a second displacement stage (24) for adjusting the position of the second vision camera (23).

4. The flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism (30) includes a clamp (31) for fixing the fiber array (60) and a third displacement stage (33) for adjusting the position of the fiber array (60).

5. The flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The clamp (31) includes a connecting arm (311) connected to the third displacement stage (33), and the end of the connecting arm (311) is provided with a first clamping block (312) and a second clamping block (313) for mutually cooperating to clamp the fiber array (60), and a locking member (314) for locking the first clamping block (312) and the second clamping block (313). Both the first clamping block (312) and the second clamping block (313) are provided with notches (315) for positioning the fiber optic array (60).

6. The flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The fiber array (60) includes a housing (61), a cover plate (62) that encloses the housing (61), and multiple single-mode optical fibers (63) fixed between the housing (61) and the cover plate (62). The housing (61) has a bevel (611) on the side away from the cover plate (62) that is close to the fiber coupling end. The bevel (611) is used to guide the optical path adhesive to the fiber coupling end.

7. A flip-chip coupling method based on silicon photonics chips, characterized in that, The method uses the flip-chip coupling device based on silicon photonics chip as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the method includes the following steps: The silicon photonic chip (50) is flip-chip soldered onto the PCB board (40), so that the light-transmitting hole (41) on the PCB board (40) exposes the end face coupling waveguide (51) of the silicon photonic chip (50). The PCB board (40) is placed on the platform (11) of the coupling stage (10), and the first vision camera (21) of the observation mechanism (20) is used to obtain the image information of the silicon photonic chip (50) end face coupled waveguide (51) through the observation hole (111) on the platform (11); The fiber array (60) is fixed on the clamping mechanism (30), and the clamping mechanism (30) is controlled to align each fiber in the fiber array (60) with the end face coupling waveguide (51) of the silicon photonic chip (50). An optical power meter is connected to the fiber array (60) to monitor the coupling loss of the fiber array (60); The position of the fiber array (60) is finely adjusted by the clamping mechanism (30), and the adjustment stops when the coupling loss value monitored by the optical power meter reaches the set value. The fiber array (60) is raised along the z-axis by the clamping mechanism (30), and the curing adhesive is evenly applied between the fiber array (60) and the PCB board (40). The fiber array (60) is slowly moved down along the z-axis to its original position by the clamping mechanism (30), so that the curing adhesive fixes the fiber array (60) on the PCB board (40). After the curing adhesive has fully cured, the clamping mechanism (30) is removed to complete the optical encapsulation of the silicon photonic chip (50).

8. The flip-chip coupling method based on silicon photonics chip as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Apply optical adhesive to the inclined surface (611) of the fiber array (60) and use the inclined surface (611) to guide the optical adhesive to the contact area between the silicon photonic chip (50) and the fiber array (60).

Images