Carrier-based laser assembly for high capacity integration onto substrate

Abstract

A carrier-based laser assembly for high capacity integration to a substrate is provided. In particular, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a semiconductor laser comprising: a laser body comprising a laser end; a laser output, the laser output at the laser end; and one or more first mating surfaces, the one or more first mating surfaces being along the laser body; the carrier comprises a carrier main body; and one or more second mating surfaces, the one or more second mating surfaces being along the carrier body. The one or more first mating surfaces and the one or more second mating surfaces are configured to slidably mate with each other. The laser body and the carrier body are configured to expose the laser output at the laser end when the one or more first mating surfaces and the one or more second mating surfaces are slidably mated.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Increasingly, optical engines based on photonic and / or silicon photonic devices require multiple laser sources to support multiple data channels. Typically, the need for a larger number of lasers stems from higher optical reflection tolerances, which generally require lower output power and thus fewer channels. This large number of lasers necessitates very high yields for individual laser devices within the integrated optical engine, with cumulative yield compounding with the number of devices used. Furthermore, the lowest-loss and most cost-effective assembly method requires direct attachment of the laser source to the silicon photonic device, e.g., using pick-and-place techniques. However, yields from pick-and-place techniques, which may rely on reference marks on the laser source for accurate assembly, can still be lower than desired. Attached Figure Description

[0002] To better understand the examples described in this article and to more clearly demonstrate how they might be implemented, we will now only use examples, referring to the accompanying figures, where:

[0003] Figure 1A A side view of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted, the laser device assembly including a semiconductor laser and a carrier.

[0004] Figure 1B A top view of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted.

[0005] Figure 1C A laser end view of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted.

[0006] Figure 2A A top view of the carrier of a laser device assembly, according to a non-limiting example, is depicted with its side facing.

[0007] Figure 2B A top view of a portion of the carrier facing side of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted, showing the first mating surface.

[0008] Figure 3A A top view of the laser-facing side of the carrier of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted.

[0009] Figure 3B A top view of a portion of the laser-facing side of a carrier of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted, showing a second mating surface.

[0010] Figure 4 A perspective view of the laser and carrier before assembly, based on a non-limiting example, is depicted.

[0011] Figure 5 A perspective view of the laser and carrier during the assembly process according to a non-limiting example is depicted.

[0012] Figure 6 A perspective view of the laser and carrier is depicted as the assembly process, according to a non-limiting example, progresses further, and the beginning of the sliding fit process is shown.

[0013] Figure 7 A detailed perspective view of a portion of the laser and carrier is depicted as the assembly process proceeds further according to a non-limiting example, and the sliding fit process is shown to continue, with a focus on the approach of the first and second mating surfaces.

[0014] Figure 8 A detailed perspective view of a portion of the laser and carrier is depicted as the assembly process further advances after the sliding fit process according to a non-limiting example is completed, wherein the first mating surface and the second mating surface fit and / or engage.

[0015] Figure 9 A bottom view of the substrate facing side of a laser device assembly according to a non-limiting example is depicted, and the mating surface of the substrate is shown.

[0016] Figure 10 A perspective view of a laser device assembly and substrate before assembly, according to a non-limiting example, is depicted, and the carrier mating surface of the substrate cavity is shown.

[0017] Figure 11 A detailed perspective view depicts a portion of a laser device assembly and a substrate according to a non-limiting example, showing the laser device assembly inserted into a cavity in the substrate, a carrier resting on the surface of the cavity, and the beginning of assembly including another sliding fit process.

[0018] Figure 12 A detailed perspective view is depicted of a portion of the laser device assembly and substrate as the assembly process is further advanced according to a non-limiting example, after which the substrate mates and / or joins with the carrier mating surfaces following the sliding fit process.

[0019] Figure 13 A perspective view of the laser device components and substrate in an assembled state, according to a non-limiting example, is depicted.

[0020] Figure 14 A perspective view of a device according to a non-limiting example is depicted, illustrating an array of laser device components that mate with a substrate including multiple cavities and waveguides.

[0021] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the accompanying drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in understanding the embodiments of the invention.

[0022] The accompanying drawings have indicated the device and method components in their appropriate places using conventional symbols, and only specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments of the invention are shown so as not to obscure this disclosure with details that would be readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art upon which the description herein would benefit. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The current attachment process for laser devices to photonic integrated circuits (PICs) is known to have a significant potential to degrade laser characteristics, or cause failures during the lifespan of the laser if it is not subjected to aging tests prior to attachment. While some techniques, such as using a carrier attached to the laser that allows for aging tests before the assembled device is assembled onto the substrate, may partially address this issue, the accuracy of carrier-to-laser attachment, and subsequently, the accuracy of the combined carrier and laser-to-substrate attachment after aging tests, may still face assembly challenges at both stages of assembly (e.g., carrier-to-laser attachment, and combined carrier / laser-to-substrate attachment). Reference marks may be used to assist assembly, but even with reference marks, each assembly stage still relies on the accuracy of optics, such as those used in pick-and-place machines.

[0024] This document provides a laser device assembly and substrate that offers a passive method for rapidly and reliably assembling lasers, particularly etched faceted lasers, onto a carrier using existing automated mating fabrication equipment scalable to build millions of inverted subcarrier laser attachment (ISLA) sub-assemblies, for example, using sliding mating techniques. Furthermore, this specification extends sliding mating techniques to the rapid and reliable assembly of ISLAs into silicon photonics (SiPh) optical engines. This passive assembly method relies on photolithographically defined mating surfaces, also referred to as reference marks (e.g., mechanical reference marks, not optical reference marks), added to the laser, carrier, and substrate during fabrication. The laser and carrier are assembled to complete an ISLA unit, which is then similarly assembled to the substrate.

[0025] Furthermore, the apparatus and assembly method described in this specification may have particular value when using an etch-faceted laser. For example, due to the imprecision of the cleaving process, there is some uncertainty regarding the actual position of the output facets of a cleaving faceted laser. In this specification, an etch-faceted semiconductor laser can be used, allowing the position of the laser output facets to be determined by photolithography, thus achieving extremely high accuracy. This specification combines the precision of the etch-faceted laser with additional mating surfaces and / or mechanical reference marks etched on the laser layer, and pairs them with complementary mating surfaces and / or complementary mechanical reference marks on the carrier substrate. This leverages the photolithographic precision on both components, enabling rapid, precise, and passive alignment of the two components using existing automated assembly machines, resulting in more cost-effective ISLA subassemblies.

[0026] Therefore, the apparatus and assembly method described in this specification can produce a complete ISLA unit. The carrier to which the laser is attached typically allows for testing and / or aging of the laser after attachment to the carrier. For example, strain associated with the attachment of the laser to the carrier can cause changes in the characteristics of the laser, and the ability to measure these characteristics is important for achieving high-volume SiPh devices.

[0027] In most cases, pushing the ISLA towards the rear of the SiPh substrate creates a gap between the laser and the SiPh input waveguide, the loss of which is too great to meet system requirements. Therefore, for ISLA-to-SiPh substrate assembly, the apparatus and assembly method described in this specification allow the ISLA to be passively aligned by pushing it forward into the input waveguide in the SiPh substrate.

[0028] Therefore, this document provides an apparatus comprising: a semiconductor laser including: a laser body including a laser end; a laser output at the laser end; and one or more first mating surfaces along the laser body; and a carrier including: a carrier body; and one or more second mating surfaces along the carrier body, wherein the one or more first mating surfaces and the one or more second mating surfaces are configured to slidably engage with each other, and the laser body and the carrier body are configured such that the laser output at the laser end is exposed when the one or more first mating surfaces and the one or more second mating surfaces are slidably engaged.

[0029] In some examples, the laser end can be suspended above the adjacent end of the carrier body.

[0030] In some examples, one or more first mating surfaces along the laser body may be located at an end opposite to the laser end, and one or more second mating surfaces along the carrier body may be located at a corresponding adjacent end of the carrier body.

[0031] In some examples, one or more first mating surfaces along the laser body may include one or more recesses in the laser body, one or more second mating surfaces along the carrier body may include one or more protrusions from the carrier body, and the respective surfaces of the one or more recesses and one or more protrusions may be configured to slidably mate, with the respective surfaces perpendicular to the respective body.

[0032] In some examples, at least one facet of the semiconductor laser includes an etched facet.

[0033] Furthermore, the carrier body is typically wider than the laser body, and the device may further include: a substrate comprising: a cavity receiving the laser body, the cavity including a respective laser end and an opposite end; a laser input located at the respective laser end; and one or more carrier mating surfaces, wherein the carrier further includes one or more substrate mating surfaces, wherein the one or more substrate mating surfaces and the one or more carrier mating surfaces are configured to slidably mate with each other as a combination of a semiconductor laser and a carrier, and when mated, slide toward the laser input within the cavity to align the laser output with the laser input.

[0034] In some examples, one or more carrier mating surfaces of the substrate may be located at the corresponding laser end of the cavity, and one or more substrate mating surfaces of the carrier may be located near the laser end.

[0035] In some examples, one or more carrier mating surfaces of the substrate may include one or more protrusions from the substrate, and one or more substrate mating surfaces of the carrier may include one or more recesses in the carrier body.

[0036] In some examples, the substrate may include multiple cavities to receive multiple correspondingly mating semiconductor lasers and carriers.

[0037] Therefore, using such mating surfaces, the semiconductor laser and carrier can first be assembled by slidably mating the first mating surface with the second mating surface, and then the semiconductor laser can be subjected to aging tests. Assuming the aging test is successful, the mated semiconductor laser and carrier can again be assembled with the substrate by slidably mating the substrate mating surface with the carrier mating surface.

[0038] In addition, the substrate may include multiple cavities to receive multiple correspondingly mating semiconductor lasers and carriers, which can be assembled using corresponding mating surfaces.

[0039] Follow us now Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C They depict a side view, a top view, and a laser end view of the laser device assembly 100 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as device 100), respectively.

[0040] Device 100 includes a semiconductor laser 102 and a carrier 104. For simplicity, semiconductor laser 102 will be referred to interchangeably below as laser 102. As will be explained in more detail below, laser 102 is attached to and / or assembled with carrier 104, and laser device assembly 100 may be subjected to aging tests and / or testing before being attached to a substrate (e.g., a substrate integrated with a photonic integrated circuit (PIC)).

[0041] Laser 102 typically includes a laser body 106, which includes a laser end 108, for example, where the laser output 110 is located. Figure 1B and Figure 1C As best shown. For example, laser output 110 may include etched facets, for example, etched into laser body 106.

[0042] In other words, laser 102 should be understood to include any suitable laser device that can be formed at the body 106 using any suitable process (e.g., such as...). Figure 2A (as shown), and may include waveguides, etc., and a laser output 110 from which laser light is emitted. For example, the body 106 may include an n-type doped GaAs (gallium arsenide) substrate and have an epitaxial structure deposited on the GaAs substrate, the epitaxial structure including an n-type doped lower cladding layer, a quantum dot-based active region, a p-type doped upper cladding layer, and a highly p-type doped contact layer, with the p-type doped side facing the carrier 104. In another example, the body 106 may include an InP (indium phosphide) substrate having a quantum well in the active region. However, any suitable material and / or structure of the body 106 is within the scope of this specification.

[0043] Although not described in detail, it should be understood that the laser 102 may be manufactured using techniques familiar to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to photolithography, etching, etc., although the laser 102 may be made of any suitable material and / or material, and / or manufactured in any suitable manner.

[0044] The carrier 104 typically comprises any suitable material, including but not limited to silicon, silicon nitride, etc., and / or any other suitable material (e.g., another suitable crystalline material, a suitable ceramic, etc.), etched and / or cut and / or shaped and / or cleaved into a suitable shape, although the carrier 104 may be made of any suitable material and / or material. Thus, in a particular example, the carrier 104 may comprise a silicon carrier. As described in more detail below, the carrier 104 typically serves as a mechanical support mechanism for the laser 102.

[0045] Furthermore, carrier 104 includes carrier body 112, which is attached to laser body 106 as described herein. Also as shown, carrier 104 includes two electrical contacts 114 connected to corresponding ends of a through-carrier via (TCV) 116, which should be understood to connect to a connection portion of the laser device of laser 102, for example, through carrier body 112. Therefore, although not shown, it should be understood that device 100 includes any suitable combination of vias, connectors, etc., that enables laser 102 to operate via electrical communication with contacts 114, for example when device 100 is integrated into a PIC. In fact, such laser devices are described in more detail in US11747554, filed May 15, 2021, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 029031, filed May 22, 2020, both of which are assigned to the applicant and are both incorporated herein by reference.

[0046] For completeness, and further understanding, the laser body 106 includes a counterpart end 118 opposite to the laser end 108, and the carrier body 112 includes an end 120 adjacent to the laser end 108 and a corresponding counterpart end 122 adjacent to the counterpart end 118 of the laser body 106.

[0047] like Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown in the best embodiment, the laser end 108 extends over the adjacent end 120 of the carrier body 112.

[0048] For the sake of completeness, Figure 1B An optical reference mark 124 is depicted (e.g., in the form of an "x" and / or a cross on opposite sides of the laser output 110, which can facilitate the assembly of the laser 102 and the carrier 104 using an optically based component system (not shown)). Although the reliance on the optical reference mark 124 for the optically based component system can be avoided, or at least reduced, due to the mating surfaces of the laser 102 and the carrier 104, as described below. Therefore, in this example, the optical reference mark 124 may be optional.

[0049] Next, pay attention to Figure 2A and Figure 2B They depict laser 102, and in particular, the carrier-facing side 200 of laser body 106 and a portion 202 of laser body 106 at end 118.

[0050] In particular, such as Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the laser 102 further includes one or more first mating surfaces 204 along the laser body 106. Specifically, as shown, the one or more first mating surfaces 204 along the laser body 106 are located at an end 118 opposite to the laser end 108. Furthermore, as shown, the one or more first mating surfaces 204 along the laser body 106 may include one or more recesses in the laser body 106.

[0051] Specifically, as shown in the figure, one or more first mating surfaces 204 should be understood to include corresponding surfaces that may be perpendicular to the laser body 106, and, for example, recessed relative to the carrier-facing side 200 of the laser body 106.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, one or more first mating surfaces 204 include a pair of perpendicular surfaces (e.g., other surfaces perpendicular to the carrier-facing side 200 of the laser body 106) and include corresponding recesses 206 at corresponding opposite corners 208 of the end 118, and may be at any suitable angle to the long axis of the laser body 106. For example, Figure 2A The image also depicts a laser device 210 that generates light, a waveguide 212 of the laser device 210 extending along the long axis of the laser body 106, and a laser output 110 of the laser device 210. In other words, the waveguide 212 represents the long axis of the laser body 106.

[0053] The recess 206 should be understood as extending to Figure 2A and Figure 2B In the page orientation.

[0054] One or more first mating surfaces 204 should further be understood as extending diagonally, for example as a chamfer, and symmetrical with respect to the major axis of the laser body 106, between the end 118 and the opposite side 214 of the laser body 106, which is perpendicular to the end 118.

[0055] For example Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the laser device 210 may be located at an optional base 216 that extends outward from the rest of the laser body 106, or... Figure 2A and Figure 2BThe surface 218 extends outward in the page direction. Furthermore, surface 218 is located on the opposite side of base 216, extending from the first mating surface 204 to the laser end 108. In practice, optical reference mark 124 may be located at the laser end 108 on surface 218. Specifically, when present, base 216 should be understood as protruding relative to surface 218. While base 216 is optional, it can facilitate sliding assembly of laser 102 with the recess of carrier 104 as described herein.

[0056] Furthermore, one or more first mating surfaces 204 should be understood to include surfaces extending from the corresponding surface 218 into the corresponding recess 206.

[0057] Next, pay attention to Figure 3A and Figure 3B They respectively depict the carrier 104, and in particular, the laser-facing side 300 of the carrier body 112, and a portion 302 of the carrier body 112 at the end 122.

[0058] In particular, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the carrier 104 further includes one or more second mating surfaces 304 along the carrier body 112. Specifically, as shown, the one or more second mating surfaces 304 along the carrier body 112 are located at the end 122 opposite to the end 120. Furthermore, as shown, the one or more second mating surfaces 304 along the carrier body 112 include one or more protrusions 306 from the carrier body 112.

[0059] Specifically, as shown in the figure, one or more second mating surfaces 304 should be understood to include corresponding surfaces perpendicular to the carrier body 112, and, for example, the remainder of the laser-facing side 300 relative to the carrier body 112 is recessed.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, one or more second mating surfaces 304 include a pair of vertical surfaces formed by one or more protrusions 306, and can be at any suitable angle to the long axis of the carrier body 112, which can coincide with the long axis of the laser body 106 when assembled with the laser 102.

[0061] One or more protrusions 306 should be understood as extending from Figure 3A and Figure 3B Page orientation.

[0062] One or more second mating surfaces 304 should further be understood as extending diagonally, for example as chamfers, and being symmetrical with respect to the major axis of the carrier body 112, and having a shape and / or angle complementary to the corresponding first mating surface 204 of the laser 102. In particular, one or more second mating surfaces 304 may include chamfers complementary to the chamfers of one or more first mating surfaces 204.

[0063] In particular, for example Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the carrier body 112 includes an optional recess 316 that extends inwardly from the remainder of the carrier body 112, or... Figure 3A and Figure 3B The recess 316 extends inward in the direction of the page. The recess 316 should be understood to have a size and shape complementary to the base 216 of the laser body 106. Although the base 216 and the recess 316 are optional, the base 216 and the recess 316 can facilitate the sliding fit assembly process of the laser 102 and the carrier 104 as described herein.

[0064] Furthermore, surface 318 is located on the opposite side of recess 316, extending from second mating surface 304 to end 120.

[0065] Furthermore, one or more second mating surfaces 304 should be understood to extend from the raised surface of one or more protrusions 306 to the corresponding surface 318.

[0066] For the sake of completeness, Figure 3A and Figure 3B The corresponding end of TCV 116 is also depicted, which is consistent with... Figure 1B The ends of the TCV 116 depicted are opposite each other. When the laser 102 and the carrier 104 are assembled, the corresponding ends of the TCV 116 should be understood to be electrically connected to the laser device 210 in any suitable manner. In fact, a brief reference is made to... Figure 2A Laser 102 should be understood to include and Figure 3A and Figure 3B The electrical contacts at the end of the TCV 116 depicted are for controlling the laser 102; although such electrical contacts are not shown, they are still understood to be present.

[0067] Next, we will refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The assembly of laser 102 and carrier 104 is described. Specifically, Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8This should be understood as showing a time series of processes for assembling the laser 102 and the carrier 104. Specifically, Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The process described herein can be performed by any suitable machine, etc.

[0068] Furthermore, although for the sake of brevity, Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 Not all components of the laser 102 and carrier 104 are indicated, but they are still understood to be present.

[0069] First pay attention Figure 4 It depicts the laser 102 and carrier 104 in perspective view, and is intended only to show the individual components of the laser 102 and carrier 104 that may interact during assembly. Although Figure 4 The carrier 104 is shown with the laser-facing side 300 facing upwards, and the carrier-facing side 200 of the laser 102 is flipped onto the laser-facing side 300 of the carrier 104, but during assembly, the laser 102 can be lowered onto the carrier 104 (or vice versa).

[0070] In particular, and further reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The laser 102 is positioned such that the carrier-facing side 200 faces the laser-facing side 300 of the carrier 104, and the base 216 of the laser 102 is positioned to insert into the recess 316 of the carrier 104, for example, with the respective ends 118, 120 substantially adjacent, and the laser end 118 overhanging above the adjacent end 120 of the carrier 104 to a greater extent than in the assembled state. In other words, the base 216 of the laser 102 is inserted into the recess 316 of the carrier 104, but the mating surfaces 204, 304 are in an un-mating position. Further understood, when the base 216 of the laser 102 is inserted into the recess 316 of the carrier 104, the surfaces 218, 318 contact, allowing the laser 102 to slide along the carrier 104, and / or the base 216 to slide within the recess 316, via the surfaces 218, 318, until the mating surfaces 204, 304 contact and engage with each other. Such sliding in Figure 6 The number 602 is indicated by arrow 602.

[0071] therefore, Figure 5 This should be understood as indicating the position of the laser 102 relative to the carrier 104 before the base 216 is inserted into the recess 316, for example, when the laser 102 is lowered onto the carrier 104, and Figure 6This should be understood as indicating the position of the laser 102 relative to the carrier 104 after the base 216 is inserted into the recess 316.

[0072] Next, pay attention to Figure 7 It depicts a portion 702 of the laser 102 and the carrier 104 at corresponding adjacent ends 118, 122 when the laser 102 and the carrier 104 are slidably engaged, with arrow 602 further indicating the direction of movement of the laser 102. Figure 7 In this context, one or more first mating surfaces 204 should be understood as being approaching one or more second mating surfaces 304.

[0073] Next, pay attention to Figure 8 It depicts a portion 802 of the laser 102 and the carrier 104 at corresponding adjacent ends 118, 122 when the laser 102 and the carrier 104 are slidably engaged. Figure 8 In this context, one or more first mating surfaces 204 should be understood to be adjacent to one or more second mating surfaces 304, and one or more protrusions 306 are received in corresponding recesses 206.

[0074] Therefore, it should be understood that, Figure 8 The laser 102 and the carrier 104 are in the matching position. Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C The assembly position of the device 100 is depicted herein. Further understanding is that mating surfaces 204 and 304 are typically positioned at the laser 102 and the carrier 104, respectively, to control the amount by which the laser end 108 overhangs above the adjacent end 120 of the carrier 104, for example, to give the device 100 a size and shape suitable for mounting into a cavity in a substrate, as will be described herein. In other words, mating surfaces 204 and 304 may typically be positioned at the laser 102 and the carrier 104, respectively, to control the position of the laser output 110 relative to the remaining components of the device 100.

[0075] Therefore, mating surfaces 204, 304 may include mechanical reference marks that can be manufactured using photolithography, and mating surfaces 204, 304 may be precisely positioned relative to laser output 110, so that laser output 110 may be better positioned relative to laser input of the substrate, as described herein.

[0076] Although mating surfaces 204 and 304 have been described as being located at or near the respective ends 118 and 122 of the laser 102 and the carrier 104, mating surfaces 204 and 304 may be located at any suitable respective positions, for example along surfaces 218 and 318 respectively, and the size and / or shape of the recess 206 and the protrusion 306 may be adjusted accordingly.

[0077] Furthermore, although this document describes two of each of the mating surfaces 204, 304, the mating surfaces 204, 304 may include at least one pair of mating surfaces 204, 304, such as a first mating surface 204 and a complementary second mating surface 304. However, symmetrically arranged corresponding mating surfaces 204, 304 can reduce the possibility of the laser 102 twisting relative to the carrier 104 during mating.

[0078] Although mating surfaces 204, 304 have been described as chamfered and perpendicular to the corresponding surfaces 218, 318, mating surfaces 204, 304 can be any suitable mating shape and at any suitable angle relative to the corresponding surfaces 218, 318, wherein the size and / or shape of the recess 206 and the protrusion 306 are adjusted accordingly.

[0079] In fact, the mating surfaces 204 and 304, the recess 206 and the protrusion 306 can have any suitable corresponding complementary geometry, such that the mating surfaces 204 and 304 mate, and correspondingly, the recess 206 and the protrusion 306 mate.

[0080] Furthermore, once the laser 102 and carrier 104 are assembled, their positions can be fixed relative to each other, for example, via any suitable epoxy resin and / or solder between the laser contact pad and the carrier contact pad.

[0081] Next, pay attention to Figure 9 The substrate of the drawing device 100 faces side 900, and the laser of the carrier 104 faces side 300. The positions of the ends 108, 118, 120, and 122 are also indicated.

[0082] Figure 9 The carrier body 112 is shown to be wider than the laser body 106; however, this relative width is at least from Figure 1C , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The implications are becoming increasingly clear.

[0083] like Figure 9 As further shown, the carrier 104 may further include one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 at the end 120, which may include recesses 906, for example, the peripheral portion of the carrier 104 relative to the laser-facing side 300. The substrate mating surface 904 may be similar to the first mating surface 204. Specifically, as shown, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 should be understood to include corresponding surfaces perpendicular to the peripheral portion of the carrier 104 on the laser-facing side 300, and, for example, the remaining portion of the peripheral portion of the carrier 104 on the laser-facing side 300 is recessed.

[0084] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 include a pair of vertical surfaces (e.g., the portion around the laser-facing side 300 perpendicular to the carrier 104) and include corresponding recesses 906 at corresponding opposite corners 908 at the ends 120, and may form any suitable angle (e.g., as a chamfer) with the long axis of the device 100, which may coincide with the long axis of the laser body 106. As will be described below, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 are generally configured to mate with corresponding carrier mating surfaces of the substrate.

[0085] Next, pay attention to Figure 10 The diagram depicts an apparatus 100 and a substrate 1000, the substrate including a cavity 1002 for receiving a laser body 106. The cavity 1002 should be understood to have a wider portion 1004 in which a carrier body 112 can be placed at a surface of the substrate 1000. For example, the wider portion 1004 includes a surface 1008 on which the carrier body 112 can rest (e.g., initially) and on which the carrier body 112 can slide as described herein. The wider portion 1004 should be understood to be shallower than the remainder of the cavity 1002. Although the sidewalls of the cavity 1002 are shown as vertical, it should be understood that they can be non-vertical (e.g., as in US11747554). Figure 9 (as shown in the diagram), and / or formed by a plurality of surfaces that help to form the cavity 1002.

[0086] Cavity 1002 should be understood to include a corresponding laser end 1010 and an opposite end 1012, and cavity 1002 further includes a laser input 1014 at the corresponding laser end 1010, which, for example, may include an input laser facet that receives light from laser output 110 when device 100 is mated with substrate 1000. In practice, the purpose of mating device 100 with substrate 1000 (e.g., and mating laser 102 with carrier 104) may be to align laser output 110 with laser input 1014 such that light from laser device 210 enters waveguide 1016 (e.g., input waveguide) of substrate 1000, and laser input 1014 includes the input of waveguide 1016. Although waveguide 1016 is depicted on substrate 1000 herein for simplicity, waveguide 1016 may be internal to substrate 1000. The placement of surfaces 218 and 318, and the position of the laser output 110, are selected and implemented using semiconductor processes (e.g., photolithography and etching). The placement of substrate surface 1008 and one or more substrate mating surfaces 904, as well as the laser input 1014, are also selected and implemented using semiconductor processes (e.g., photolithography and etching). Therefore, the alignment of the laser output 110 with the laser input 1014 can be achieved with very high precision, enabling low-loss coupling between the laser output 110 and the laser input 1014. In some examples, substrate 1000 may comprise a silicon substrate (e.g., a SiPh substrate), although substrate 1000 may be made of any suitable material.

[0087] To facilitate mating between the device 100 and the substrate, the substrate 1000 may include, as shown, one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018, each including a corresponding protrusion 1020, such that the one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018 extend perpendicularly between the corresponding protrusion 1020 and the corresponding surface 1008. In other words, the corresponding protrusion 1020 may extend from the corresponding surface 1008. The one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018 may include chamfers complementary to the chamfers of the one or more substrate mating surfaces 904.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018 of the substrate 1000 may be located at the corresponding laser end 1010 of the cavity 1002, and correspondingly, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 of the carrier 104 may be located near the laser end 120 of the carrier 104, such that the mating surfaces 904, 1018 are generally located in complementary positions to mate with each other.

[0089] Specifically, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 and one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018 are configured to slidably engage with each other as a combination of semiconductor laser 102 and carrier 104 (e.g., mating to form device 100), sliding in cavity 1002 toward laser input 1014 to align laser output 110 with laser input 1014.

[0090] For example, since one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018 of substrate 1000 may include one or more protrusions 1020 from substrate 1000, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 of carrier 104 may include one or more recesses 906 in carrier body 112, and protrusions 1020 may mate with corresponding recesses 906.

[0091] Typically, the main (e.g., deepest) portion of the cavity 1002 may be longer than the laser body 106, such that when the laser body 106 is placed in the cavity 1002, and the laser end 108 of the laser body 106 is oriented toward the corresponding laser end 1010 of the cavity 1002, and the carrier body 112 rests on the surface 1008 of the wider (e.g., less deep) portion 1004 of the cavity 1002, the laser body 106 may slide toward the laser end 1010.

[0092] Similarly, the depth of the wider portion 1004 of cavity 1002 is selected such that when laser body 106 is placed in cavity 1002 and laser end 108 of laser body 106 is oriented toward the corresponding laser end 1010 of cavity 1002, laser output 110 is aligned with laser input 1014, for example, along the axis defined by waveguide 1016.

[0093] For example, next focus Figure 11 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 They and Figure 10 Together, they represent the time sequence of the process of assembling the device 100 with the substrate 1000. Specifically, Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 The process described herein can be executed by any suitable machine, etc. Although in Figure 11 and Figure 12 For the sake of brevity, waveguide 1016 has been omitted, but waveguide 1016 is still understood to exist.

[0094] Figure 11 It should be understood as a continuation Figure 10 In particular, Figure 11 Depicts a portion 1100 of the device 100 and the substrate 1000 at ends 108, 120, and 1010. Relative to... Figure 10 The device 100 has been placed in the cavity 1002, with the laser 102 located in the deeper portion of the cavity 1002, and the carrier 104 located on the surface 1008, which is located in the wider portion 1004 on either side of the cavity 1002. The device 100 is further understood to be placed in the cavity 1002 with mating surfaces 904, 1018 separated from each other, such that the device 100 can slide on the surface 1008, for example, in the cavity 1002, toward the laser end 1010, until the mating surfaces 904, 1018 contact and engage with each other. Such sliding occurs... Figure 11 The middle part is indicated by arrow 1102.

[0095] Next, pay attention to Figure 12 The portion 1100 of the device 100 in a mating and / or assembled position relative to the substrate 1000 is depicted. The device 100 and the substrate 1000 are further depicted in perspective view in the assembled position. Figure 13 In the middle. In other words, in Figure 12 and Figure 13 In this configuration, the device 100 and the substrate 1000 are slidably coupled. Specifically, for example... Figure 12 As best shown, one or more substrate mating surfaces 904 should be understood to be in close proximity to one or more carrier mating surfaces 1018, and one or more protrusions 1020 are received in corresponding recesses 906.

[0096] To further understand, mating surfaces 904 and 1018 are typically positioned at the device 100 and the substrate 1000, respectively, to control the distance between the laser output 110 and the laser input 1014. This distance can be close to each other and / or separated by any suitable distance.

[0097] Therefore, mating surfaces 904 and 1018 may include mechanical reference marks that can be manufactured using photolithography, and mating surfaces 904 and 1018 may be precisely positioned relative to laser output 110 and laser input 1014, so that laser output 110 may be better positioned relative to laser input 1014.

[0098] Although mating surfaces 904 and 1018 have been described as being located at or near the ends 108 and 120 of device 100 and at the laser end 1010 of cavity 1002, mating surfaces 904 and 1018 may be located at any suitable corresponding position, for example along the substrate surface to side 900 and surface 1008 respectively, and the size and / or shape of recess 906 and protrusion 1020 may be adjusted accordingly.

[0099] Furthermore, although two of each of the mating surfaces 904, 1018 are described herein, the mating surfaces 904, 1018 may include at least one pair of mating surfaces 904, 1018, such as a substrate mating surface 904 and a complementary carrier mating surface 1018. However, symmetrically arranged corresponding mating surfaces 904, 1018 can reduce the possibility of twisting of the device 100 relative to the substrate 1000 during mating.

[0100] Although mating surfaces 904 and 1018 have been described as corresponding surfaces and surface 1008 perpendicular to the substrate facing side 900, mating surfaces 904 and 1018 may be at any suitable angle relative to the corresponding surfaces, and the size and / or shape of the recess 906 and protrusion 1020 may be adjusted accordingly.

[0101] Although mating surfaces 904 and 1018 have been described as chamfered, mating surfaces 904 and 1018 can be any suitable mating shape, and the size and / or shape of the recess 906 and the protrusion 1020 are adjusted accordingly.

[0102] In fact, mating surfaces 904 and 1018, recess 906 and protrusion 1020 can have any suitable corresponding complementary geometry, such that mating surfaces 904 and 1018 mate, and correspondingly, recess 906 and protrusion 1020 mate.

[0103] Furthermore, once the device 100 and the substrate 1000 are assembled as described, their positions can be fixed relative to each other, for example, via any suitable epoxy resin and / or solder, etc.

[0104] To date, it should be understood that only a portion of substrate 1000 has been depicted, and substrate 1000 may include multiple cavities 1002 as well as corresponding laser inputs 1014 and corresponding waveguides 1016, which can mate with corresponding devices 100, for example, after device 100 assembly and aging tests. Such a device 1400 is depicted in Figure 14In this embodiment, device 1400 includes a substrate 1000 having a plurality of cavities 1002, and corresponding devices 100 are assembled into the cavities 1002 as described herein. Although only one device 100 and one cavity 1002 are shown for simplicity, it should be understood that device 1400 includes a 2×3 array of devices 100 assembled with the substrate 1000 as depicted herein. Furthermore, each corresponding device 100 should be understood to be controllable to output laser light from a corresponding laser output 110 to a corresponding laser input 1014 and waveguide 1016. In practice, by assembling the devices 100 using mating surfaces as described herein, and by assembling the devices 100 with the substrate 100 using corresponding mating surfaces as described herein, the yield of device 100 can be increased relative to when no mating surfaces are used. Device 1400 may include a SiPh optical engine.

[0105] In this specification, an element may be described as being “constructed” to perform one or more functions or “configured for” such functions. Generally, an element constructed to perform or configured to perform a function is capable of performing that function, or is suited to perform that function, or is operable to perform that function, or is otherwise capable of performing that function.

[0106] It should be understood that, for the purposes of this specification, the expressions “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “one or more of X, Y, and Z” can be interpreted as X only, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z (e.g., XYZ, XY, YZ, XZ, etc.). Similar logic can be applied to any two or more items in any of the expressions “at least one…” and “one or more…”.

[0107] Terms such as “approximately,” “substantially,” “essentially,” etc., are defined as “close to,” for example, as understood by those skilled in the art. In some examples, these terms are understood as “within 10%”, in others “within 5%”, in still others “within 1%”, and in yet another example “within 0.5%”.

[0108] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in some examples, the functionality of the apparatuses and / or methods and / or processes described herein may be implemented using pre-programmed hardware or firmware elements (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) or other related components. In other examples, the functionality of the apparatuses and / or methods and / or processes described herein may be implemented by a computing device capable of accessing a code memory (not shown) that stores computer-readable program code for operation of the computing device. The computer-readable program code may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium on which these components can be directly fixed, tangible, and readable (e.g., removable floppy disk, CD-ROM, ROM, fixed disk, USB drive). Furthermore, it should be understood that the computer-readable program may be stored as a computer program product including a computer-usable medium. Further, persistent storage devices may include computer-readable program code. It should also be understood that computer-readable program code and / or computer-usable medium may include non-transitory computer-readable program code and / or non-transitory computer-usable medium. Alternatively, the computer-readable program code may be stored remotely but may be transmitted to these components via a modem or other interface device through a transmission medium connected to a network (including, but not limited to, the Internet). The transmission medium can be a non-mobile medium (e.g., optical and / or digital and / or analog communication lines) or a mobile medium (e.g., microwave, infrared, free-space optics or other transmission schemes) or a combination thereof.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will understand that there are many more possible alternative examples and modifications, and that the examples above are merely illustrative of one or more embodiments. Therefore, the scope is limited only by the claims appended herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising: A semiconductor laser, comprising: a laser body including a laser end; a laser output located at the laser end; and one or more first mating surfaces along the laser body; and... The carrier includes: a carrier body; and one or more second mating surfaces, the one or more second mating surfaces being along the carrier body. The one or more first mating surfaces and the one or more second mating surfaces are configured to slidably mate with each other, and The laser body and the carrier body are configured such that the laser output is exposed at the laser end when the one or more first mating surfaces and the one or more second mating surfaces are slidably engaged.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser end extends over an adjacent end of the carrier body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more first mating surfaces along the laser body are located at an end opposite to the laser end, and the one or more second mating surfaces along the carrier body are located at a corresponding adjacent end of the carrier body.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more first mating surfaces of the laser body include one or more recesses in the laser body. The one or more second mating surfaces along the carrier body include one or more protrusions extending from the carrier body, and The corresponding surfaces of the one or more recesses and the one or more protrusions are configured to slidably engage, and the corresponding surfaces are perpendicular to the corresponding body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one facet of the semiconductor laser comprises an etched facet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier body is wider than the laser body, the apparatus further comprising: A substrate, the substrate comprising: a cavity receiving the laser body, the cavity including a corresponding laser end and an opposite end; a laser input located at the corresponding laser end; and one or more carrier mating surfaces. The carrier further includes one or more substrate mating surfaces. The one or more substrate mating surfaces and the one or more carrier mating surfaces are configured to slidably mate with each other as a combination of the semiconductor laser and the carrier, and during mating, slide toward the laser input in the cavity to align the laser output with the laser input.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more carrier mating surfaces of the substrate are located at the respective laser end of the cavity, and the one or more substrate mating surfaces of the carrier are located near the laser end.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more carrier mating surfaces of the substrate include one or more protrusions extending from the substrate, and The substrate mating surface of the carrier includes one or more recesses in the carrier body.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of cavities, the plurality of cavities including the cavities for receiving a plurality of correspondingly mating semiconductor lasers and carriers.

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