Optical Chip Integration Module and Its Manufacturing Method

By forming grooves in the interposer layer and using polymer waveguides to connect the optical chip, the process problem of improving the integration of the photonic chip is solved, and an optical chip integration module with high integration and low coupling loss is achieved.

CN119846775BActive Publication Date: 2025-07-22ZHEJIANG LAB
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510338009.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-03-21
Publication Date
2025-07-22
Estimated Expiration
2045-03-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The performance of traditional electronic chips encountered bottlenecks after Moore's Law slowed down. The improvement of photonic chip integration faced the problem of process difficulty and yield decline, and there were process challenges in stacking packaging methods.

Method used

By forming a groove in the interposer layer, the optical chip is placed into the groove, and the polymer waveguide is used to achieve communication between the optical chips, combining glue-based material fixation and the stacking of polymer waveguides to form an optical chip integration module.

Benefits of technology

It realizes high integration, low coupling loss and high transmission efficiency of optical chip integration modules, large process tolerance, high manufacturing accuracy, and easy execution.

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Abstract

The present application relates to an optical chip integration module and a manufacturing method thereof. The method includes: forming an interposer structure including a plurality of grooves; respectively disposing at least two optical chips in corresponding grooves; forming a polymer waveguide; and stacking the polymer waveguide on the interposer structure so that one optical chip is connected to another optical chip through the polymer waveguide. The method is easy to execute, has high manufacturing precision, and has a large process tolerance.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of silicon-based photonic chips, and particularly to an optical chip integration module and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] From the PC + Internet era to the mobile + social media era, and to the future AI + big data era, the growing and diverse system requirements have driven the development of many technologies. Traditional electronic chips are limited by physical principles, and their performance is increasingly encountering bottlenecks. Against the backdrop of the slowdown of Moore's Law, photonic chips applied to photonic computing have been proposed to replace traditional electronic chips.

[0003] Photonic chips have advantages such as low loss and high bandwidth. At the same time, there is still a desire to increase the integration density. However, if the manufacturing process is simply reduced, the process difficulty will be greatly increased, and problems such as a decrease in yield may also occur.

[0004] Limited by the process difficulty of reducing the manufacturing process, a stacked packaging method of mounting an optical chip on an interposer can be adopted, and stacked packaging has become one of the methods to increase the integration density. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an optical chip integration module and a manufacturing method thereof for at least one of the above problems.

[0006] In one aspect, this application provides a method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module, the method comprising: forming an interposer structure including a plurality of slots; respectively disposing at least two optical chips in corresponding slots; forming polymer waveguides; and stacking the polymer waveguides on the interposer structure so that one optical chip is connected to another optical chip through the polymer waveguides.

[0007] By forming slots in the interposer layer, the optical chips can be placed in the slots, thereby greatly reducing the thickness of the optical chip integration module. The polymer waveguides can ensure the connection between the optical chips, and the coupling effect is good. The method of this application is easy to execute, has high manufacturing precision, and a large process tolerance.

[0008] In some embodiments, the step of forming the interposer structure includes: forming a first waveguide pattern in the interposer layer; and forming a plurality of slots respectively penetrating the first waveguide pattern and extending into the interposer layer; wherein, forming a plurality of polymer waveguides; and at least two optical chips include a laser chip and a first optical chip, the laser chip is connected to the first waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and the first waveguide pattern is connected to the first optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide.

[0009] The connection between the laser chip and the first optical chip can be ensured through the polymer waveguide, and the coupling effect is good. The laser chip and the first optical chip can have different thicknesses. The method of the present application has high manufacturing precision and large process tolerance.

[0010] In some embodiments, the step of respectively disposing at least two optical chips in corresponding slots includes: disposing a glue-like material at the bottom of the slot; pressing the laser chip and the first optical chip onto the glue-like material through a front-side mounting process to make the surfaces of the laser chip, the first optical chip, and the intermediate structure flush; and heating and curing the glue-like material.

[0011] With such a setting, the connection strength of the intermediate structure can be ensured, the manufacturing precision can be ensured, and it is convenient to place the polymer waveguide.

[0012] In some embodiments, the step of forming the intermediate structure further includes: forming a first upper cladding covering the first waveguide pattern and the intermediate layer; wherein, a plurality of slots respectively penetrate through the upper cladding.

[0013] With such a setting, it is beneficial to stably support and connect the polymer waveguide; it is beneficial to ensure the transmission performance of the first waveguide pattern.

[0014] In some embodiments, the slot depths of the plurality of slots are the same.

[0015] With such a setting, the process of forming the slots is simple and easy to execute, and it can still ensure that the surfaces of the laser chip, the first optical chip, and the intermediate structure are substantially flush.

[0016] In some embodiments, the step of forming the first upper cladding includes: growing a silica material, and forming a first upper cladding with a flat surface through chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the materials of the intermediate layer and the first waveguide pattern are both silicon or silicon nitride.

[0017] With such a setting, an optical chip integration module with a stable structure can be formed; an optical chip integration module with lower transmission loss can be formed, which is beneficial for large-scale cascading.

[0018] Exemplarily, a plurality of slots are etched and formed through a deep etching process.

[0019] With such a setting, it is ensured that deep slots can be made, and the influence on the existing structure of the intermediate layer is small.

[0020] In some embodiments, the step of forming the intermediate structure further includes: forming a second waveguide pattern on the intermediate layer, wherein the first upper cladding also covers the second waveguide pattern; the method further includes: disposing a second optical chip in a corresponding slot; in the step of respectively stacking a plurality of polymer waveguides on the intermediate structure, connecting the first optical chip to the second waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and connecting the second waveguide pattern to the second optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide.

[0021] With such a setting, an optical chip integration module with richer functions can be realized, the integration degree can be improved, which is beneficial to large-scale cascading.

[0022] In some embodiments, the step of forming multiple polymer waveguides includes: depositing SU-8 material on a transfer plate of borosilicate glass material; etching to obtain multiple polymer waveguides at predetermined positions; the step of stacking the multiple polymer waveguides on the intermediate structure respectively includes: filling an adhesive assistant around the polymer waveguides; separating the polymer waveguides from the transfer plate by heating.

[0023] With such a setting, the formation and transfer of the polymer waveguides are ensured, and the structure of the optical chip integration module is firm.

[0024] On the other hand, the present application provides an optical chip integration module, which includes: an intermediate structure having multiple slots; at least two optical chips respectively disposed in corresponding slots; and polymer waveguides stacked on the intermediate structure, and one optical chip is connected to another optical chip through the polymer waveguides.

[0025] By disposing the optical chips in the slots of the intermediate layer and using the polymer waveguides to achieve connection, the optical chip integration module has a high integration degree in the thickness direction and ensures the transmission effect. The optical chip integration module is easy to manufacture and has a low process cost.

[0026] In some embodiments, the intermediate structure includes an intermediate layer and a first waveguide pattern stacked in sequence, and the multiple slots respectively penetrate through the first waveguide pattern and extend into the intermediate layer; at least two optical chips include a laser chip and a first optical chip; the number of polymer waveguides is multiple, the laser chip is connected to the first waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and the first waveguide pattern is connected to the first optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide.

[0027] With such a setting, the laser chip and the first optical chip are disposed in the slots of the intermediate layer, and the connection is achieved by using the polymer waveguides and the first waveguide pattern of the intermediate structure, so that the optical chip integration module has a high integration degree in the thickness direction and ensures the transmission effect. The optical chip integration module can achieve a complex layout and large-scale cascading.

[0028] In some embodiments, the optical chip integration module further includes multiple glue layers, the glue layers are disposed at the bottoms of the corresponding slots, and the glue layers are used to fix the laser chip or the first optical chip; the slot depths of the multiple slots are the same.

[0029] Exemplarily, the material of the glue layer is conductive silver glue; the materials of the intermediate layer and the first waveguide pattern are both silicon or silicon nitride; the material of the polymer waveguides is SU-8.

[0030] Exemplarily, the polymer waveguide includes an arc segment; the waveguide end in the first waveguide pattern for coupling to the polymer waveguide has an inverse taper, and the waveguide end in the first optical chip for coupling to the polymer waveguide has an inverse taper.

[0031] In some embodiments, the intermediate structure further includes a second waveguide pattern and a first upper cladding covering the first waveguide pattern and the second waveguide pattern; the optical chip integration module further includes a second optical chip disposed in a corresponding groove, the first optical chip is connected to the second waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and the second waveguide pattern is connected to the second optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide.

[0032] With such an arrangement, multiple optical chips can be encapsulated in a single intermediate structure to achieve more functions.

[0033] Exemplarily, the thickness of the second upper cladding of the laser chip is less than or equal to 1 μm, and the thickness of the third upper cladding in the first optical chip is less than or equal to 1 μm.

[0034] With such an arrangement, adiabatic coupling is achieved between the output waveguide and the corresponding polymer waveguide, and adiabatic coupling is achieved between the waveguide end and the corresponding polymer waveguide.

[0035] Exemplarily, the material of the first upper cladding is silica.

[0036] With such an arrangement, the optical chip integration module has at least one beneficial effect such as low coupling loss, high transmission efficiency, high cascade number, and high integration degree. Description of the Drawings

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic flow block diagram of a method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to one or more embodiments;

[0038] Figure 2 It is a schematic flow diagram of a method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to one or more embodiments;

[0039] Figure 3 It is a schematic top view of an optical chip integration module according to one or more embodiments;

[0040] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a transfer board and a polymer waveguide according to one or more embodiments;

[0041] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a polymer waveguide and a waveguide end according to one or more embodiments.

[0042] Description of reference numerals: 1. intermediary structure; 110. groove; 11. intermediary layer; 12. first waveguide pattern; 13. second waveguide pattern; 14. first upper cladding; 2. laser chip; 21. output waveguide; 22. second upper cladding; 3. first optical chip; 31. first optical waveguide; 311. first waveguide end; 32. third upper cladding; 4. second optical chip; 41. second optical waveguide; 42. fourth upper cladding; 50. transfer plate; 5. polymer waveguide; 51. first coupling end; 52. arc segment; 53. second coupling end; 6. adhesive layer; 7. adhesion-promoting structure;

[0043] 100. Optical chip integrated module; 10. Optical chip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments of the following disclosed implementation methods.

[0045] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "perpendicular", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0046] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above”, and “above” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below”, and “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0047] In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Exemplarily, the first waveguide pattern may also be referred to as the second waveguide pattern, and the second waveguide pattern may also be referred to as the first waveguide pattern. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0048] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected", "coupled", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a flexible connection or a rigid connection along at least one direction; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or directly connected while there is an intermediate medium, and it may also be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components, unless otherwise clearly limited. The terms "mounted", "arranged", "fixed", etc. can be understood in a broad sense as connection. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0049] The terms "layer" and "region" used in the present application refer to a material part that includes a certain area and has a certain thickness. The layer can extend horizontally, vertically, and / or along a tapered surface. The layer can be a region of a uniform or non-uniform continuous structure, and its thickness perpendicular to the extension direction may not be greater than the thickness of the continuous structure. The layer can include multiple layers, which can be multiple stacked layers or multiple discretely extending layers. The shapes of various regions and layers in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are only exemplary and may actually deviate due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 shows a method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module in the present application. In an exemplary embodiment, the method 1000 for manufacturing an optical chip integration module includes steps S110 to step S140. The following will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 5 as shown, the method 1000 for manufacturing an optical chip integration module.

[0051] Step S110, form the intermediate structure 1. Specifically, form the intermediate structure 1 including a plurality of slots 110. For convenience of description, a spatial rectangular coordinate system XYZ is established. Along the Z-axis direction, the slots 110 extend downward from the upper surface of the intermediate structure 1. The different slots 110 are arranged at intervals, and a part of the material of the intermediate structure 1 can be left. The material of the intermediate structure 1 can include silicon. Different regions of a large groove can also be regarded as different slots 110.

[0052] Exemplarily, step S110 includes steps S111 to S113.

[0053] Step S111, form the first waveguide pattern 12 on the intermediate layer 11. Specifically, the intermediate layer 11 and the precursor of the first waveguide pattern 12 can be silicon wafers, and then the silicon wafers can be subjected to photolithography and etching processes to form the first waveguide pattern 12. The first waveguide pattern 12 can be stacked on the intermediate layer 11, and the material of the first waveguide pattern 12 can also be silicon. The step of forming the intermediate structure 1 may further include: forming a second waveguide pattern 13 on the intermediate layer 11. Multiple waveguide patterns can be formed synchronously.

[0054] Step S112, form the first upper cladding 14. In some embodiments, the step of forming the first upper cladding 14 includes: growing a silica material, and forming a first upper cladding 14 with a flat surface by chemical mechanical polishing. The first upper cladding 14 covers the first waveguide pattern 12, and the first upper cladding 14 covers at least a part of the intermediate layer 11 adjacent to the first waveguide pattern 12. The first upper cladding 14 also covers the second waveguide pattern 13. The flat top surface of the first upper cladding 14 is beneficial for subsequent mating.

[0055] In some embodiments, step S112 is not performed, and step 113 is executed. In some embodiments, step S112 is performed, but the thickness of the upper cladding at the waveguide pattern is polished to 0 μm, and only the upper cladding covering the intermediate layer 11 is obtained. The thickness of the part of the first upper cladding 14 covering the first waveguide pattern 12 can be less than or equal to 1 μm, such as 0.8 μm, 0.4 μm, 0.1 μm or substantially 0 μm.

[0056] Step S113, form a plurality of slots 110. Exemplarily, form a plurality of slots 110 that respectively penetrate the first waveguide pattern 12 and extend into the intermediate layer 11. Refer to Figure 2 , slots 110 with different depths can be formed to better adapt to optical chips 10 with different thicknesses. When step S112 is performed, the slots 110 also penetrate the first upper cladding 14.

[0057] Step S120: Place the optical chip 10 in the slot 110. Specifically, at least two optical chips 10 are respectively placed in the corresponding slots 110. The at least two optical chips may include a laser chip 2 and a first optical chip 3, or may include a first optical chip 3 and a second optical chip 4. Multiple laser chips 2 can be provided. For example, the laser chip 2 is placed in the first slot, the first optical chip 3 is placed in the second slot, and the second optical chip 4 is placed in the third slot.

[0058] In some embodiments, the step of respectively placing at least two optical chips 10 in the corresponding slots 110 includes the following steps.

[0059] A glue-like material, such as conductive silver glue, is provided at the bottom of the slot 110. It can be fully covered or not, and the glue-like material can be sprayed in a certain pattern. Alternatively, glue can be first applied to the bottom of the optical chip 10, and thus when the optical chip 10 is placed, the glue-like material is provided at the bottom of the slot 110.

[0060] The optical chips 10, such as the laser chip 2 and the first optical chip 3, are pressed against the glue-like material through a front-side mounting process, making the surfaces of the laser chip 2, the first optical chip 3, and the intermediate structure 1 flush. By pressing and leveling from the top and using the glue-like material to absorb deviations, a deviation of less than 1 μm can be achieved, which can ensure manufacturing accuracy and then facilitate the placement of the polymer waveguide 5.

[0061] The glue-like material is heated and cured to form a glue layer 6. At this time, the optical chip 10 is fixed to the intermediate structure 1 by means of the glue layer 6. The glue layer 6 can ensure the connection strength of the intermediate structure 1.

[0062] By forming the glue layer 6, when the dimensions of the plurality of optical chips 10 to be placed in the Z-axis direction are approximately the same or the same, in step S113, a plurality of slots 110 with the same depth can be formed synchronously. The depths of the plurality of slots 110 are the same, and the process of forming the slots 110 is simple and easy to execute. Using the glue layer 6 to absorb deviations can still ensure that the surfaces of the respective optical chips 10 and the intermediate structure 1 are substantially flush.

[0063] Exemplarily, the depth of the slot 110 can be about 300 μm. The depth of the slot 110 can be 60 μm greater than the thickness of the corresponding optical chip 10, and this part of the thickness space is left for the glue layer 6 to fill. A plurality of slots 110 can be etched through a deep etching process to ensure that deep slots can be made with less impact on the existing structure of the intermediate layer 11. The waveguide pattern can be exposed on the sidewalls of the slot 110 to achieve a compact structure; but it can also not be exposed on the sidewalls of the slot 110.

[0064] Step S130: Form the polymer waveguide 5. Multiple polymer waveguides 5 can be formed synchronously and then transferred together.

[0065] In some embodiments, the steps of forming the polymer waveguide 5 include: depositing SU-8 material on the transfer plate 50 of borosilicate glass material; etching to obtain the polymer waveguide 5, which can ensure the alignment accuracy so that the polymer waveguide 5 is located at a predetermined position, and multiple polymer waveguides 5 can be located at their respective predetermined positions. The step of stacking the polymer waveguide 5 on the intermediate structure 1 includes: filling an adhesive assistant around the polymer waveguide 5; separating the polymer waveguide 5 from the transfer plate 50 by heating. Refer to Figure 2 For the structure obtained in the second step, the adhesive assistant can be cured into an adhesive structure 7, and multiple polymer waveguides 5 can be respectively stacked at predetermined positions of the intermediate structure 1. The borosilicate glass material is relatively stable, suitable for carrying the polymer and separable from the polymer. The SU-8 material can effectively realize the functions of coupling and transmitting light, and has a certain flexibility to achieve a certain deformation and then achieve good adhesion. The adhesive assistant is beneficial to separating the polymer waveguide 5 from the transfer plate 50 and also beneficial to firmly bonding the polymer waveguide 5 to the optical chip 10. This step can ensure the formation and transfer of the polymer waveguide 5 and make the structure of the optical chip integration module 100 firm.

[0066] Step S140, stacking the polymer waveguide 5 on the intermediate structure 1 so that one optical chip 10 is connected to another optical chip 10 through the polymer waveguide 5. This connection can be a direct connection or an indirect connection.

[0067] Refer to Figure 2 For the structure obtained in the third step, the laser chip 2 is connected to the first waveguide pattern 12 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5, and the first waveguide pattern 12 is connected to the first optical chip 3 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. Further, in the step of stacking multiple polymer waveguides 5 on the intermediate structure 1 respectively, the first optical chip 3 is connected to the second waveguide pattern 13 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5, and the second waveguide pattern 13 is connected to the second optical chip 4 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. More optical chips 10 with connections can realize an optical chip integration module 100 with richer functions, improve the integration degree, and are beneficial to large-scale cascading. The waveguide pattern can adapt to a complex layout; the mounting and matching accuracy of the short-span polymer waveguide 5 is high.

[0068] Refer to Figure 3 , in some other embodiments, the first optical chip 3 can be directly connected to the second optical chip 4 through two polymer waveguides 5. The laser chip 2 is connected to the first waveguide pattern 12 of the intermediate structure 1 through two other polymer waveguides 5, and then connected to the first optical chip 3 through two other polymer waveguides 5. The direct connection method makes the structure simple.

[0069] The method 1000 for manufacturing an optical chip integration module of the present application can encapsulate multiple optical chips 10. By forming a groove 110 in the interposer 11, the optical chips 10 can be placed in the groove 110, thereby greatly reducing the thickness of the optical chip integration module 100. The polymer waveguide 5 can ensure the connection between the optical chips 10, and the coupling effect is good. The polymer waveguide 5 can also absorb dimensional deviations, and the process tolerance is large.

[0070] Each step of the method 1000 for manufacturing an optical chip integration module of the present application can be implemented under a conventional wafer-level processing technology, and it is easy to execute.

[0071] Exemplarily, the materials of the interposer 11 and the first waveguide pattern 12 are silicon nitride. The refractive index of silicon nitride is closer to that of the polymer, and the waveguide pattern of the silicon nitride material has lower transmission loss, which can form an optical chip integration module 100 with lower transmission loss, facilitating large-scale cascading.

[0072] The structure of the optical chip 10 can have certain design adjustments. For example, the laser chip 2 and the first optical chip 3 can have different thicknesses due to design or manufacturing, and the method 1000 for manufacturing an optical chip integration module has a large process tolerance.

[0073] Exemplarily, an output waveguide 21 and a second upper cladding 22 are provided on the body of the laser chip 2; a first optical waveguide 31 and a third upper cladding 32 are provided on the body of the first optical chip 3; a second optical waveguide 41 and a fourth upper cladding 42 are provided on the body of the second optical chip 4. Exemplarily, the thickness of the second upper cladding 22 of the laser chip 2 is configured to achieve adiabatic coupling between the output waveguide 21 and the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. The thickness of the third upper cladding 32 in the first optical chip 3 is configured to achieve adiabatic coupling between the waveguide end and the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. The thickness of the fourth upper cladding 42 of the second optical chip 4 can also be configured to achieve adiabatic coupling between the waveguide end and the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. The coupling loss of each component of the optical chip integration module 100 is low. The thickness of each upper cladding can be minimized to improve the adiabatic coupling efficiency. The thicknesses of the second upper cladding 22, the third upper cladding 32, and the fourth upper cladding 42 can each be less than or equal to 1 μm, such as 0.8 μm, 0.4 μm, or 0.1 μm. Exemplarily, no upper cladding is fabricated on the waveguides of each optical chip 10.

[0074] Reference Figure 4 , the layout of the multiple polymer waveguides 5 on the transfer plate 50 is a predetermined layout so as to directly correspond to the appropriate position of the intermediate structure 1. Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5, Exemplarily, the polymer waveguide 5 includes an arc segment 52. The polymer waveguide 5 further includes a first coupling end 51 and a second coupling end 53. Light is transmitted between the two ends of the polymer waveguide 5. Due to the arrangement of the arc segment 52, reflection can be reduced and the transmission efficiency can be improved. The position, angle, etc. between the first coupling end 51 and the second coupling end 53 can be designed according to the position of the optical chip 10 or the waveguide pattern, for example, being substantially parallel but misaligned; two arc segments 52 can form an S-shaped path.

[0075] The first waveguide pattern 12 or the second waveguide pattern 13 can have two waveguide ends, and the first optical waveguide 31 or the second optical waveguide 41 can also have two waveguide ends. For example, the waveguide end 311 in the first optical chip 3 for coupling to the polymer waveguide 5 has an inverse taper. The second waveguide end in the first waveguide pattern 12 for coupling to the polymer waveguide 5 has an inverse taper. The third waveguide end in the second waveguide pattern 13 for coupling to the corresponding polymer waveguide 5 can also have an inverse taper. Through the polymer waveguide 5, the connection between the optical chips 10 can be ensured. Specifically, the coupling effect between the optical chip 10 and the waveguide pattern can be improved, the coupling loss can be reduced, and the transmission efficiency can be improved.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 An optical chip integration module is shown. The optical chip integration module 100 can be manufactured through the aforementioned steps. The optical chip integration module 100 is easy to manufacture and has a low process cost.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, the optical chip integration module 100 includes an interposer structure 1, at least two optical chips 10, and a polymer waveguide 5. The interposer structure 1 has a plurality of slots 110. At least two optical chips 10 are respectively disposed in the corresponding slots 110. The polymer waveguide 5 is stacked on the interposer structure 1, and one optical chip 10 is connected to another optical chip 10 through the polymer waveguide 5. By disposing the optical chips 10 in the slots 110 of the interposer layer 11 and using the polymer waveguide 5 to achieve connection, the optical chip integration module 100 has a high integration degree in the thickness direction and ensures the transmission effect.

[0078] In some embodiments, the intermediate structure 1 includes an intermediate layer 11, a first waveguide pattern 12, and a first upper cladding layer 14 stacked in sequence. The intermediate structure 1 may further include a second waveguide pattern 13 covered by the first upper cladding layer 14. A plurality of slots 110 respectively penetrate through the first upper cladding layer 14 and the first waveguide pattern 12 and extend into the intermediate layer 11. The optical chip integration module 100 includes a plurality of optical chips 10. The laser chip 2 is used to emit light. Compared with the light emission of the laser chip 2, the first optical chip 3 and the second optical chip 4 can be referred to as optical processing chips. The functions of the first optical chip 3 and the second optical chip 4 may be different. For example, the first optical chip 3 may be a computing chip. There may also be other laser chips 2 that transmit light to the second optical chip 4.

[0079] The number of polymer waveguides 5 is multiple. The laser chip 2 is connected to the first waveguide pattern 12 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5, and the first waveguide pattern 12 is connected to the first optical chip 3 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. The optical chip integration module 100 further includes a second optical chip 4. The second optical chip 4 is disposed in the corresponding slot 110. The first optical chip 3 is connected to the second waveguide pattern 13 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5, and the second waveguide pattern 13 is connected to the second optical chip 4 through the corresponding polymer waveguide 5. The optical chip integration module 100 can achieve a complex layout, realize large-scale cascading, and realize more functions.

[0080] The optical chip integration module 100 further includes a plurality of adhesive layers 6. The adhesive layers 6 are disposed at the bottom of the corresponding slots 110 and are used to fix the corresponding optical chips 10. The depths of the plurality of slots 110 may be the same. Exemplarily, the material of the adhesive layer 6 is conductive silver paste. The materials of the intermediate layer 11, the first waveguide pattern 12, and the second waveguide pattern 13 are all silicon nitride. The material of the first upper cladding layer 14 is silicon dioxide. The material of the polymer waveguide 5 is SU-8. Exemplarily, the thickness of the second upper cladding layer 22 of the laser chip 2 is configured to achieve adiabatic coupling between the output waveguide 21 and the corresponding polymer waveguide 5, and the thickness of the third upper cladding layer 32 in the first optical chip 3 is configured to achieve adiabatic coupling between the two waveguide ends of the first optical waveguide 31 and the corresponding two polymer waveguides 5. The optical chip integration module 100 has at least one beneficial effect such as low coupling loss, high transmission efficiency, high cascading number, and high integration degree.

[0081] The technical features of the above-disclosed embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0082] In the embodiments disclosed above, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the execution order of each step is not restricted. For example, they can be executed in parallel or sequentially in a different order. The sub-steps of each step can also be executed alternately. Various forms of the process can be used, and steps can also be reordered, added, or deleted, as long as the desired results of the technical solution provided by this application can be achieved. This application does not impose any restrictions here.

[0083] The embodiments disclosed above only represent several implementation manners of this application. Their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of patent protection of this application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of this application, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all fall within the scope of patent protection required by this application. Therefore, the scope of patent protection of this application shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module, characterized in that, Comprising: Forming an intermediate structure including a plurality of grooves, including: forming a first waveguide pattern on an intermediate layer; then forming a first upper cladding covering the first waveguide pattern and the intermediate layer, and forming a first upper cladding with a flat surface through chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the first upper cladding with the flat surface only covers the intermediate layer and at least covers a part of the intermediate layer adjacent to the first waveguide pattern, or the first upper cladding with the flat surface covers the first waveguide pattern and the intermediate layer; and forming a plurality of grooves penetrating through the first upper cladding and the first waveguide pattern and extending into the intermediate layer; Disposing at least two optical chips in corresponding grooves respectively; Forming a plurality of polymer waveguides; and Stacking the plurality of polymer waveguides on the intermediate structure and the corresponding optical chips, so that one optical chip is connected to the first waveguide pattern through the corresponding polymer waveguide, and the first waveguide pattern is connected to another optical chip through the corresponding polymer waveguide.

2. The method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to claim 1, wherein The at least two optical chips include a laser chip and a first optical chip, and the laser chip is connected to the first optical chip through the corresponding polymer waveguide.

3. The method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of disposing the at least two optical chips in corresponding grooves respectively includes: disposing an adhesive material at the bottom of the groove; pressing the laser chip and the first optical chip onto the adhesive material through a front mounting process, so that the laser chip, the first optical chip and the surface of the intermediate structure are flush; and heating and curing the adhesive material.

4. The method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of forming the first upper cladding covering the first waveguide pattern and the intermediate layer includes: growing a silica material, wherein the materials of the intermediate layer and the first waveguide pattern are both silicon or silicon nitride; Etching to form the plurality of grooves through a deep etching process.

5. The method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of forming the intermediate structure further includes: forming a second waveguide pattern on the intermediate layer; The method further includes: disposing a second optical chip in a corresponding groove; Stacking a plurality of the polymer waveguides on the intermediate structure respectively, wherein the first optical chip is connected to the second waveguide pattern through the corresponding polymer waveguide, and the second waveguide pattern is connected to the second optical chip through the corresponding polymer waveguide.

6. The method for manufacturing an optical chip integration module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The step of forming a plurality of the polymer waveguides includes: depositing SU-8 material on a transfer plate of borosilicate glass material; etching to obtain a plurality of the polymer waveguides located at predetermined positions; The step of stacking the polymer waveguide on the intermediate structure includes: filling an adhesive aid around the polymer waveguide; separating the polymer waveguide from the transfer plate by heating.

7. Optical chip integration module, characterized in that, Comprising: An intermediate structure, including an intermediate layer, a first waveguide pattern and a first upper cladding, the intermediate layer and the first waveguide pattern are stacked in sequence; wherein, the first upper cladding covers the first waveguide pattern and the intermediate layer, or the first upper cladding only covers the intermediate layer and at least covers a part of the intermediate layer adjacent to the first waveguide pattern; wherein, the intermediate structure has a plurality of grooves respectively penetrating through the first waveguide pattern and extending into the intermediate layer; At least two optical chips, disposed in corresponding grooves respectively; and Multiple polymer waveguides are stacked on the intermediate structure and corresponding optical chips. One optical chip is connected to the first waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and the first waveguide pattern is connected to another optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide.

8. The optical chip integration module according to claim 7, wherein the at least two optical chips include a laser chip and a first optical chip; the laser chip is connected to the first waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and the first waveguide pattern is connected to the first optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide; the optical chip integration module further includes a plurality of adhesive layers. The adhesive layers are disposed at the bottom of corresponding grooves, and the adhesive layers are used to fix the laser chip or the first optical chip; the groove depths of the plurality of grooves are the same; the material of the adhesive layer is conductive silver paste; the materials of the intermediate layer and the first waveguide pattern are both silicon or silicon nitride; the material of the polymer waveguide is SU-8; the polymer waveguide includes an arc segment; the waveguide end of the first waveguide pattern for coupling to the polymer waveguide has an inverse taper, and the waveguide end of the first optical chip for coupling to the polymer waveguide has an inverse taper.

9. The optical chip integration module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The intermediate structure further includes a second waveguide pattern, and the first upper cladding covers the first waveguide pattern and the second waveguide pattern; the optical chip integration module further includes a second optical chip. The second optical chip is disposed in a corresponding groove. The first optical chip is connected to the second waveguide pattern through a corresponding polymer waveguide, and the second waveguide pattern is connected to the second optical chip through a corresponding polymer waveguide; the material of the first upper cladding is silica; the thickness of the second upper cladding of the laser chip is less than or equal to 1 μm, and the thickness of the third upper cladding in the first optical chip is less than or equal to 1 μm.

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Patent Citations

  • Microwave photonic system on chip based on optical core particles

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