A highly integrated silicon optical module

Abstract

The present application relates to a highly integrated silicon optical module, comprising: a carrier frame, the carrier frame includes an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface is recessed downward toward the lower surface to form an upper step, the lower surface is recessed upward toward the upper surface to form a lower step, and the upper step and the lower step are spaced apart to form a receiving space; an optical emission structure, including a PCB board disposed on the lower step and a laser component disposed on the PCB board, the laser component being located in the receiving space; a silicon optical component, disposed on the upper step, the silicon optical component includes a silicon substrate, and an optical waveguide and a microlens located at the end of the optical waveguide are formed on the surface of the silicon substrate; and an optical fiber component, including a clamping body and a plurality of optical fibers arranged side by side, each optical fiber includes a coupling surface disposed opposite to the microlens, and the laser beam emitted by the optical emission component is guided by the microlens and the optical waveguide and coupled into the optical fiber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of optical modules, and in particular to a highly integrated silicon optical module. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of optical communication technology, optical fiber media are widely used to achieve the purpose of high-speed data transmission. Among them, optical modules are the core components of optical fiber communication systems. Their working principle is to convert optical signals into electrical signals and vice versa.

[0003] The related art discloses an integrated optical module, including a PCB substrate, an optical fiber array, a detector assembly, a laser assembly and a silicon substrate. The optical fiber array, the detector assembly and the laser assembly are all mounted on the surface of the PCB substrate, a sinking groove is provided in the PCB substrate, the optical fiber array is located on one side of the sinking groove of the PCB substrate, and the detector assembly and the laser assembly are located on the other side of the sinking groove of the PCB substrate, that is, the optical fiber array and the detector assembly and the laser assembly are relatively distributed on both sides of the sinking groove.

[0004] For this integrated optical module, since it is necessary to open a groove in the PCB substrate, there will be two technical problems. First, it will affect the existing circuit board manufacturing process; second, for the existing circuit board thinning manufacturing process, opening a groove in the PCB board will make the circuit board process difficult and will also affect the strength of the circuit board, making the product reliability cannot be guaranteed. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a highly integrated silicon photonic module, which can solve the technical problem that existing silicon photonic modules need to provide a sink groove in a PCB board.

[0006] A highly integrated silicon photonic module, comprising:

[0007] A carrying frame, the carrying frame comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface is concavely arranged in the direction of the lower surface to form an upper step, the lower surface is concavely arranged in the direction of the upper surface to form a lower step, and the upper step and the lower step are spaced to form an accommodating space;

[0008] A light emitting structure, comprising a PCB board arranged on the lower step and a laser assembly arranged on the PCB board, wherein the laser assembly is located in the accommodating space;

[0009] A silicon optical component is disposed on the upper step, wherein the silicon optical component comprises a silicon substrate, and an optical waveguide and a microlens located at an end of the optical waveguide are formed on the surface of the silicon substrate; and

[0010] The optical fiber assembly comprises a clamping body and a plurality of optical fibers arranged side by side, each optical fiber comprises a coupling surface arranged opposite to a microlens, and a laser beam emitted by the optical emission assembly is coupled into the optical fiber through the guidance of the microlens and an optical waveguide.

[0011] In one embodiment, the side wall of the carrier frame is provided with a socket, the socket is communicated with the accommodating space, and the clamping body included in the optical fiber assembly is penetrated by the socket so that the opposite ends of the optical fiber are respectively located inside and outside the accommodating space.

[0012] In one of the embodiments, the portion of the optical fiber exposed from the clamping body is laid flat on the PCB board.

[0013] In one embodiment, a groove is provided in the silicon substrate, the optical waveguide is formed in the groove and extends along the length direction of the silicon substrate, a microlens is formed at opposite ends of the optical waveguide, and the laser beam emitted by the laser assembly is vertically coupled into the microlens.

[0014] In one embodiment, the optical waveguide is protruding from the surface of the silicon substrate, the microlens is formed at one end of the optical waveguide close to the optical fiber component, and the laser beam emitted by the laser component is horizontally coupled into the optical waveguide.

[0015] In one embodiment, the light emitting structure includes a laser chip, a collimating lens, two reflectors, and a converging lens. Each of the reflectors is a prism structure. Each of the reflectors includes two reflective surfaces. The top ends of the two reflectors are arranged opposite to each other. The reflectors are configured to adjust the light emitted by the laser chip to non-axial transmission.

[0016] In one embodiment, there are multiple laser chips, and each reflector can be arranged corresponding to at least one laser chip; or

[0017] There are four laser chips, and each reflector can be arranged corresponding to two laser chips.

[0018] In one of the embodiments, the highly integrated silicon photonic module further includes a housing, and the carrying frame is located inside the housing.

[0019] In one of the embodiments, a combiner is further included, and the combiner is located outside the housing.

[0020] In one embodiment, the circuit board is a double-sided circuit board or a multi-layer circuit board, a receiving hole is provided on the circuit board, the laser chip is arranged on the surface of the circuit board away from the silicon substrate, and the light energy emitted by the laser chip can be emitted through the receiving hole.

[0021] The highly integrated silicon photonic module provided in this application can achieve the following technical effects:

[0022] 1. The highly integrated silicon photonic module provided in the present application provides a carrier frame, and the two opposite surfaces of the carrier frame are respectively recessed to form an upper step and a lower step, so that the PCB board and the silicon photonic component can be respectively arranged on the upper step and the lower step, without opening a sink groove in the PCB board, and thus, there is no need to change the existing PCB board manufacturing process and process, and because the silicon substrate is arranged toward the PCB board but spaced from the PCB board, the optical waveguide can be protected from damage.

[0023] 2. The light emitting structure includes a laser chip, a collimating lens, two reflectors, and a converging lens. Each of the reflectors is a prism structure. Each of the reflectors includes two reflective surfaces. The top ends of the two reflectors are arranged opposite to each other. The reflectors are configured to adjust the light emitted by the laser chip to non-axial transmission. The reflectors can help adjust the propagation path and number of reflections of the light, thereby optimizing the total transmission distance or path length of the light. Therefore, through the design of the reflectors, multiple light beam adjustments can be achieved in a limited space, which is conducive to achieving the usual high integration and compact design of silicon photonic modules, especially in high-density deployment applications such as data centers.

[0024] 3. The laser components and silicon optical waveguide are both located in the accommodation space. During assembly, the integrated components only need to be inserted into the housing without causing damage to them and without the need for additional alignment design, which can speed up the assembly process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a highly integrated silicon photonic module provided in the first embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a carrier frame included in the provided highly integrated silicon photonic module;

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a light emitting structure and an optical fiber component included in a highly integrated silicon photonic module is provided;

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a laser component included in a highly integrated silicon photonic module is provided;

[0029] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a reflector included in the provided laser assembly;

[0030] Figure 6It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a highly integrated silicon photonic module provided in the second embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 100, highly integrated silicon photonic module; 1, carrying frame; 101, upper surface; 102, lower surface; 10, upper step; 12, lower step; 110, accommodating space; 2, light emitting structure; 20, PCB board; 22, laser component; 3, silicon photonic component; 30, silicon substrate; 32, optical waveguide; 34, microlens; 4, optical fiber component; 42, optical fiber; 420, coupling surface; 104, socket; 40, clamping body; 301, groove; 220, laser chip; 222, collimating lens; 224, reflector; 226, converging lens; 5, shell; 234, reflecting surface; 6, combiner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following is combined with Figure 1-6 The highly integrated silicon photonic module provided in the present application is further described in detail. Example 1

[0033] See also Figure 1-3 The highly integrated silicon photonic module 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a carrier frame 1, a light emitting structure 2, a silicon photonic component 3, an optical fiber component 4 and a housing 5.

[0034] The carrying frame 1 includes an upper surface 101 and a lower surface 102 . The upper surface 101 is recessed toward the lower surface 102 to form an upper step 10 . The lower surface 102 is recessed toward the upper surface 101 to form a lower step 12 . The upper step 10 and the lower step 12 are spaced apart to form an accommodating space 110 .

[0035] The light emitting structure 2 includes a PCB board 20 disposed on the lower step 12 and a laser assembly 22 disposed on the PCB board 20 . The laser assembly 22 is located in the accommodating space 110 .

[0036] The silicon photonic component 3 is disposed on the upper step 10 . The silicon photonic component 3 includes a silicon substrate 30 . An optical waveguide 32 and a microlens 34 located at the end of the optical waveguide 32 are formed on the surface of the silicon substrate 30 .

[0037] The optical fiber assembly 4 includes a clamping body 40 and a plurality of optical fibers 42 arranged side by side. Each optical fiber 42 includes a coupling surface 420 arranged opposite to the microlens 34 . The laser beam emitted by the optical emitting assembly is coupled into the optical fiber 42 through the guidance of the microlens 34 and the optical waveguide 32 .

[0038] Specifically, the carrier frame 1 can be made of resin material, aluminum alloy or other high-strength materials to ensure its structural strength and stability. In this embodiment, the side wall of the carrier frame 1 is provided with a socket 104, and the socket 104 is connected to the accommodating space 110. The clamping body 40 included in the optical fiber assembly 4 is penetrated by the socket 104 so that the opposite ends of the optical fiber 42 are respectively located inside and outside the accommodating space 110. This design makes the installation and disassembly of the optical fiber assembly 4 more convenient, and also facilitates the adjustment and optimization of the optical signal transmission path inside the module.

[0039] Specifically, the socket 104 can be designed in a rectangular or circular shape, depending on the dimensions of the optical fiber assembly 4. The connection design between the socket 104 and the accommodating space 110 allows the optical fiber assembly 4 to flexibly adjust its position and angle without destroying the overall structure of the module. The clamping body 40 can be made of elastic material to facilitate the fixation and protection of the optical fiber 42. The opposite ends of the optical fiber 42 are located inside and outside the accommodating space 110, respectively, making the input and output of the optical signal more convenient, and also facilitating the connection with other devices. This design not only improves the flexibility and maintainability of the module, but also enhances the adaptability and reliability of the module.

[0040] The PCB board 20 in the light emitting structure 2 can be a single-layer or multi-layer circuit board, and a power device and a control chip (not shown) are arranged on the PCB board 20 to control the normal operation of the laser component 22. In other embodiments, the PCB board (20) is a double-sided circuit board or a multi-layer circuit board, and a receiving hole (not shown) is concavely arranged on the PCB board (20), and the laser component (22) is arranged in the receiving hole. In this way, the integration of the light emitting structure can be further improved, the distance between the laser component (22) and the silicon substrate can be increased, and the influence of heat on the silicon substrate when the laser component (22) is working can be reduced.

[0041] The laser assembly 22 may include various types of laser chips 220, such as DFB lasers, VCSEL lasers, etc. These laser chips 220 may be mounted on the PCB board 20 by welding or other fixing methods. The silicon substrate 30 in the silicon photonic assembly 3 may be made of high-purity single crystal silicon material to ensure low-loss transmission of the optical waveguide 32. The optical waveguide 32 may be a planar optical waveguide 32 or a ridge optical waveguide 32, and the microlens 34 may be a spherical lens or an aspherical lens.

[0042] Please also read Figure 4-5In this embodiment, the light emitting structure 2 includes a laser chip 220, a collimating lens 222, two reflectors 224, and a converging lens 226. The reflector 224 is located between the collimating lens 222 and the converging lens 226. Each of the reflectors 224 is a positive prism structure. Each of the reflectors 224 includes two reflective surfaces 234. The top ends of the two reflectors 224 are arranged opposite to each other. The reflectors 224 are configured to adjust the light emitted by the laser chip 220 to non-axial transmission. In other words, the light emitted by each laser chip 220 needs to be transmitted through the reflective surface 234 in front of its optical path and the reflective surface 234 of the adjacent reflector 224 before being reflected and then reaching the converging lens 226 at the diagonal position for reception. In a multi-channel silicon photonic module, such as a 400G or 800G optical module, a plurality of laser chips 220 are usually required to realize multi-channel transmission of optical signals. In the above structure, a reflector 224 is arranged between the collimating lens 222 and the converging lens 226. Each reflector 224 includes two reflective surfaces 234 connected at an angle, thereby guiding the laser emitted by the laser chip 220 to be transmitted along a preset path, thereby reducing interference between the laser beams emitted by the plurality of laser chips 220.

[0043] In one embodiment, there are four laser chips 220 , and each reflector 224 can be disposed corresponding to two laser chips 220 . In other words, the laser chips 220 , the collimating lens 222 , and the converging lens 226 can all be arranged along the length direction of the reflector 224 .

[0044] More specifically, in this embodiment, a groove 301 is provided in the silicon substrate 30, an optical waveguide 32 is formed in the groove 301 and extends along the length direction of the silicon substrate 30, a microlens 34 is formed at opposite ends of the optical waveguide 32, and a laser beam emitted by the laser assembly 22 is vertically coupled into the microlens 34, and after reflection by the microlens 34, is coupled into the optical waveguide 32, and is reflected by the microlens 34 at the other end of the optical waveguide 32 to reach the coupling surface 420 of the optical fiber 42, and is transmitted in the optical fiber 42 after reflection by the coupling surface 420. Specifically, the groove 301 can be made by precision machining technology to ensure the accuracy of its size and shape. The optical waveguide 32 can be a planar optical waveguide 32 or a ridge optical waveguide 32, and the specific selection depends on the accuracy requirements of the optical signal transmission. The microlens 34 can be a spherical lens or an aspherical lens, and the specific selection depends on the focusing requirements of the optical signal transmission. The laser beam emitted by the laser assembly 22 can enter the microlens 34 in a vertical coupling manner, which not only reduces the loss during the optical signal transmission process, but also improves the transmission efficiency of the optical signal.

[0045] The coupling surface 420 of each optical fiber 42 can be made by precision machining technology to ensure good docking with the microlens 34. The laser beam emitted by the optical emitting component is guided by the microlens 34 and the optical waveguide 32 and can be efficiently coupled to the optical fiber 42, thereby realizing reliable transmission of optical signals.

[0046] In this embodiment, the housing 5 covers the bearing frame 1 to protect the circuit board and the silicon substrate 30. In this embodiment, the housing 5 is made of metal, which can provide good heat dissipation and shield external signals to prevent interference with the transmission of signals in the optical waveguide 32.

[0047] Please refer again Figure 3 In this embodiment, the highly integrated silicon photonic module 100 further includes a combiner, which is located outside the housing 5 and is used to combine multiple optical signals emitted from the optical fiber 42 for transmission along the same channel. The combiner may be a coupled grating.

[0048] The implementation principle of this embodiment is: by adding a carrier frame 1 to the silicon photonic module, optimizing the structural design of the carrier frame 1 to reasonably arrange the light emitting structure 2 and the silicon photonic component 3, the silicon photonic module is highly integrated and miniaturized. Since there is no need to open a sink 301 in the PCB to accommodate the silicon substrate 30, there is no need to change the manufacturing process and flow of the existing PCB board 20, and since the silicon substrate 30 is arranged toward the circuit board but spaced from the circuit board, the surface of the optical waveguide 32 can be protected from damage. Moreover, the highly integrated optical module provided by the present application can realize the independent manufacturing and assembly of the light transmission module and the light emitting structure 2, which can simplify the manufacturing process. Example 2

[0049] See also Figure 6 , Embodiment 2 is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the portion of the optical fiber 42 exposed from the clamping body 40 is laid flat on the PCB board 20. This design makes the wiring of the optical fiber 42 more neat, reduces the risk of bending and damage of the optical fiber 42, and also facilitates the heat dissipation management inside the module. In other words, the optical fiber 42 can be clamped and fixed by the clamping body 40 and the PCB board 20, and the bending damage of the optical fiber 42 can be avoided.

[0050] The optical fiber 42 can be made of a material with good flexibility so as to be laid flat on the surface of the PCB board 20. The flat design makes the direction of the optical fiber 42 clearer and reduces the interference and signal attenuation between the optical fibers 42.

[0051] The implementation principle of this embodiment is: by laying the part of the optical fiber 42 exposed from the clamping body 40 flat on the PCB board 20, the wiring of the optical fiber 42 is more neat, reducing the risk of bending and damage of the optical fiber 42, and also facilitating the heat dissipation management inside the module. The flat design not only improves the reliability and stability of the module, but also extends the service life of the module. This design not only solves the problem of chaotic wiring of the optical fiber 42 of the traditional silicon photonic module, but also improves the reliability and stability of the module to a certain extent, and enhances the market competitiveness of the product. Example 3

[0052] Please continue reading Figure 6 The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 2 is that: the optical waveguide 32 is protruding from the surface of the silicon substrate 30, the microlens 34 is formed at one end of the optical waveguide 32 close to the optical fiber component 4, and the laser beam emitted by the laser component 22 is horizontally directly coupled into the optical waveguide 32. Since the laser beam is emitted horizontally, that is, the substructure included in the laser component 22 is horizontally arranged, which can reduce the overall thickness of the silicon photonic module.

[0053] The assembly method of the highly integrated silicon photonic module 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application comprises the following steps:

[0054] S1, preparing a carrying frame 1, comprising an upper surface 101 and a lower surface 102, wherein the upper surface 101 is recessed in the direction of the lower surface 102 to form an upper step 10, and the lower surface 102 is recessed in the direction of the upper surface 101 to form a lower step 12, and the upper step 10 and the lower step 12 are spaced apart to form an accommodating space 110;

[0055] S2, installing the light emitting structure 2, including a PCB board 20 disposed on the lower step 12 and a laser assembly 22 disposed on the PCB board 20, wherein the laser assembly 22 is located in the accommodating space 110;

[0056] S3, installing a silicon optical component 3, which is disposed on the upper step 10 and includes a silicon substrate 30, on the surface of which an optical waveguide 32 and a microlens 34 located at the end of the optical waveguide 32 are formed;

[0057] S4, install the optical fiber assembly 4, including a clamping body 40 and a plurality of optical fibers 42 arranged side by side, each optical fiber 42 includes a coupling surface 420 arranged opposite to the microlens 34, and the laser beam emitted by the optical emitting assembly is coupled to the optical fiber 42 through the guidance of the microlens 34 and the optical waveguide 32.

[0058] In summary, the highly integrated silicon photonic module 100 provided in the present application provides a carrier frame 1, and the two opposite surfaces of the carrier frame 1 are respectively recessed to form an upper step 10 and a lower step 12, so that the PCB board 20 and the silicon photonic component 3 can be respectively arranged on the upper step 10 and the lower step 12, without opening a groove 301 in the PCB board 20, thereby, there is no need to change the existing circuit board manufacturing process and process, and because the silicon substrate 30 is arranged toward the circuit board but separated from the circuit board, the optical waveguide 32 surface can be protected from damage.

Claims

1. A highly integrated silicon photonic module, characterized in that: include: A carrying frame (1), the carrying frame (1) comprising an upper surface (101) and a lower surface (102), the upper surface (101) being recessed in the direction of the lower surface (102) to form an upper step (10), the lower surface (102) being recessed in the direction of the upper surface (101) to form a lower step (12), the upper step (10) and the lower step (12) being spaced apart to form an accommodation space (110); A light emitting structure (2), comprising a PCB board (20) arranged on the lower step (12) and a laser assembly (22) arranged on the PCB board (20), wherein the laser assembly (22) is located in the accommodating space (110), and the laser assembly (22) comprises a laser chip (220), a collimating lens (222), two reflective elements (224), and a converging lens (226), wherein each of the reflective elements (224) is a prism structure, and each of the reflective elements (224) comprises two reflective surfaces (234), and the top ends of the two reflective elements (224) are arranged opposite to each other, and the reflective elements (224) are configured to adjust the light emitted by the laser chip (220) to non-axial transmission; A silicon optical component (3) is arranged on the upper step (10), the silicon optical component (3) comprising a silicon substrate (30), a surface of the silicon substrate (30) being provided with an optical waveguide (32) and a microlens (34) located at an end of the optical waveguide (32); as well as The optical fiber assembly (4) comprises a clamping body (40) and a plurality of optical fibers (42) arranged side by side, each optical fiber (42) comprising a coupling surface (420) arranged opposite to a microlens (34), and the laser beam emitted by the laser assembly (22) is coupled into the optical fiber (42) through the guidance of the microlens (34) and the optical waveguide (32).

2. A highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wall of the carrier frame (1) is provided with a socket (104), the socket (104) being in communication with the accommodating space (110), and the clamping body (40) included in the optical fiber assembly (4) is penetrated by the socket (104) so ​​that the opposite ends of the optical fiber (42) are respectively located inside and outside the accommodating space (110).

3. A highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The portion of the optical fiber (42) exposed from the clamping body (40) is laid flat on the PCB board (20).

4. The highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: A groove (301) is provided in the silicon substrate (30), the optical waveguide (32) is formed in the groove (301) and extends in the length direction of the silicon substrate (30), a microlens (34) is formed at opposite ends of the optical waveguide (32), and a laser beam emitted by the laser assembly (22) is vertically coupled into the microlens (34).

5. The highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The optical waveguide (32) is protruding from the surface of the silicon substrate (30), the microlens (34) is formed at one end of the optical waveguide (32) close to the optical fiber component (4), and the laser beam emitted by the laser component (22) is horizontally coupled into the optical waveguide (32).

6. The highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of laser chips (220), and each reflector (224) can be arranged corresponding to at least one laser chip (220); or There are four laser chips (220), and each reflector (224) can be arranged corresponding to two laser chips (220).

7. The highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The highly integrated silicon photonic module (100) further comprises a housing (5), the carrying frame (1) is located inside the housing (5), and the housing (5) seals the carrying frame (1).

8. The highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a combiner (6), and the combiner (6) is located outside the shell (5).

9. The highly integrated silicon photonic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PCB board (20) is a double-sided circuit board or a multi-layer circuit board. A receiving hole is recessed on the PCB board (20), and the laser assembly (22) is arranged in the receiving hole.

Images