Optical transmission device

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical transmission device with a miniaturized structure and the ability to repeatedly attach and detach cables. [Solution] The optical transmission device includes an optical integrated circuit, a first connection unit, and a second connection unit. The optical integrated circuit includes a main substrate and a waveguide that protrudes integrally from the main substrate, and the waveguide includes a plurality of waveguide paths. The first connection unit includes a plurality of optical fibers and sleeve members located at the ends of the plurality of optical fibers. The second connection unit is located between the main substrate and the first connection unit. The optical fibers are optically positioned opposite the waveguide paths via a detachable connection between the first connection unit and the second connection unit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optical transmission technology, and in particular, to an optical transmission apparatus. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] An optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) performs calculation and data transmission within an integrated circuit using photons instead of electrons, which brings great benefits to the development of industries requiring high-performance data exchange, long-distance interconnection, 5G equipment and computing devices. The OEIC includes a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and an electronic integrated circuit (EIC), which can be packaged as co-packaged optics (CPO).

[0003] In conventional CPO devices, optical fibers are usually used for connection to realize optical transmission between the photonic integrated circuit and an application device. A connector is provided at an end of the optical fiber, and is directly connected and fixed to the photonic integrated circuit. However, there are problems that the fixation between the optical fiber and the photonic integrated circuit is insufficient, and the optical fiber is easily broken. When the optical fiber is broken, replacement is not easy. Furthermore, it is necessary to install an additional lens or optical waveguide device for coupling with the photonic integrated circuit, and arrange the optical paths to face each other one by one. Since the lens holder or the optical waveguide device is usually laminated on the photonic integrated circuit using an adhesive, problems such as adhesive overflow and positional deviation are liable to occur, and a larger space for applying the adhesive between the respective optical paths needs to be reserved, which is disadvantageous for a small and compact component design. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an optical transmission device with a miniaturized structure and that allows for repeated attachment and detachment of cables. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above objective, this disclosure provides an optical transmission device including an optical integrated circuit, a first connection unit, and a second connection unit. The optical integrated circuit includes a main substrate and a waveguide, the waveguide protruding integrally from the main substrate and including a plurality of waveguide paths. The first connection unit includes a plurality of optical fibers and sleeve members located at the ends of the plurality of optical fibers. The second connection unit is located between the main substrate and the first connection unit. The plurality of optical fibers are optically positioned opposite the plurality of waveguide paths via a detachable connection between the first connection unit and the second connection unit.

[0006] Optionally, the waveguide protrudes from the edge of the main substrate and extends into the second connection unit.

[0007] Optionally, the second connection unit includes a base, the base including a front end, a rear end opposite to the front end, and two wall portions. The front end is located on the main substrate. The wall portions are spaced apart from each other and extend downward from the bottom of the base. The base defines a hollow portion located between the front end, the rear end, and the wall portions. The waveguide extends within the hollow portion.

[0008] Optionally, the base further includes a plurality of positioning portions provided on the wall portion, and the first connecting unit further includes a plurality of positioning members provided on the sleeve member, wherein the size and shape of the plurality of positioning members are adapted to engage with the plurality of positioning portions.

[0009] Optionally, the base further includes a mounting portion that extends from the front end to the wall portion and is located on the main substrate.

[0010] Optionally, a front recess is defined between the mounting portion and the wall portion, and the thickness of the front recess is greater than the thickness of the main substrate.

[0011] Optionally, the base further includes a bottom plate connected between the wall portions and located below the mounting portion, and the waveguide is installed on the bottom plate.

[0012] Optionally, the waveguide further includes an optical coupling surface provided at one end of the waveguide furthest from the main substrate, the plurality of waveguide paths extending from the optical coupling surface to the main substrate, and the waveguides extending outward from the bottom plate such that the optical coupling surface is located outside the bottom plate.

[0013] Optionally, the second connecting unit further includes an engaging member located at the rear end of the base, and the first connecting unit further includes a fastening member that is movably connected to the sleeve member and detachably engages with the engaging member.

[0014] Optionally, the engaging member includes an engaging projection located on its upper surface, and the fastening member defines a fastening groove, the shape and size of which are adapted to engage with the engaging projection.

[0015] Optionally, the first connecting unit further includes a limiting rod and an elastic member, one end of the limiting rod being connected to the rear side of the sleeve member and the other end of the limiting rod being connected to a portion of the fastening member. The elastic member is provided surrounding the limiting rod and abuts between the rear side of the sleeve member and the portion of the fastening member, and the elastic member deforms along the longitudinal direction of the limiting rod as the fastening member moves.

[0016] This disclosure provides an optical integrated circuit including a waveguide that protrudes integrally from the main substrate, eliminating the hassle of installing additional lens holders and optical waveguide devices for optical coupling, simplifying the structure, and solving the problem of adhesive overflow caused by laminating lens holders and optical waveguide devices on the main substrate. Furthermore, the base of the second connection unit houses and effectively protects the waveguide, and the second connection unit is firmly attached to the optical integrated circuit via the mounting portion, the wall portion, and the bottom plate, preventing vertical and lateral displacement of the second connection unit and avoiding damage to the waveguide and the optical integrated circuit. In addition, the engaging member and the fastening member enable a detachable, simple, and reliable connection between the first connection unit and the second connection unit, and ensure accurate optical facing between the waveguide and the optical fiber even during repeated attachment and detachment of the optical fiber. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is an exploded schematic diagram of the optical transmission device provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a partial assembly of the optical transmission device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the optical transmission device. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first connecting unit provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic rearward perspective view of the first connection unit as seen from below, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a perspective schematic diagram showing the optical transmission device in use according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] The following embodiments exemplify specifically implementable embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. Directional terms described in the present disclosure, such as up, down, front, rear, left, right, inner, outer, side, etc., refer to directions with reference to the drawings, and thus the directional terms used are for the purpose of explaining and understanding the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0019] It should be understood that in this specification, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. Unless otherwise specified, these terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, for example, a first component, a first member, or a first portion discussed below may be referred to as a second component, a second member, or a second portion without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, reference numerals and / or letters may be reused in various examples. Such repetition is for the purpose of brevity and clarity, and does not in itself define the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0020] The present disclosure provides an optical transmission apparatus, such as an all-optical transmission device including an optical integrated circuit, an all-optical switch, an all-optical logic gate, an all-optical buffer, or an all-optical wavelength converter, or an optical transmission apparatus installed in a data processing device or a data sharing device, for example, a switch or a server. Referring to Figure 1, this is an exploded schematic diagram of an optical transmission apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The optical transmission apparatus 100 includes an optical integrated circuit 1 and a detachable optical cable 2. The optical integrated circuit 1 includes a main substrate 11 and a waveguide 12 integrally protruding from the main substrate 11. The detachable optical cable 2 includes a first connection unit 3 and a second connection unit 4.

[0021] In some embodiments, the optical integrated circuit 1 is a silicon-based optical integrated circuit, preferably a silicon nitride optical integrated circuit or a silicon photonics optical integrated circuit. The optical integrated circuit 1 may, but is not limited to, be manufactured using a silicon wafer on an insulator. Specifically, the optical integrated circuit 1 has, on a main substrate 11, an optical detection module (not shown) for receiving optical signals, a light source module (not shown) for emitting light, and a plurality of active and passive components (not shown). These active and passive components include, but are not limited to, filter or multiplexer structures, optical power distribution structures, optical fiber input / output structures, optical modulation structures, and the like. Since the active and passive elements of optical integrated circuits are well known in the art, a detailed description is omitted here.

[0022] The main substrate 11 and the waveguide 12 are manufactured using the same material. Specifically, the waveguide 12 protrudes integrally from the edge 111 of the main substrate 11 and extends a predetermined distance within the second connection unit 4. As shown in Figure 1, the waveguide 12 includes a plurality of waveguide paths 120 and an optical coupling surface 121 provided at one end of the waveguide 12 furthest from the main substrate 11. The waveguide paths 120 extend from the optical coupling surface 121 to the main substrate 11. Preferably, the optical coupling surface 121 is inclined at a certain angle, preferably 8 degrees, thereby reducing optical signal loss during the optical signal transmission process in the optical cable 2. In some embodiments, the waveguide 12 includes a planar optical wave circuit (PLC). Depending on practical requirements, the plurality of waveguides 12 may extend from the edge 111 or other peripheral edges of the main substrate 11. Of particular note is that since the waveguide 12 is formed as an integral protrusion of the main substrate 11, there is no need to use an additional lens holder or optical waveguide device for optical coupling, and optical loss is reduced.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the second connection unit 4 is located between the main substrate 11 and the first connection unit 3, and is fixed on the main substrate 11 (see Figure 2). The first connection unit 3 is detachably connected to the second connection unit 4. The first connection unit 3 includes a plurality of optical fibers 31, a set of sleeve members 32, two positioning members 33, two limiting members 34, and a fastening member 35. Specifically, the sleeve member 32 is located at the end portions 310 of the plurality of optical fibers 31, and the fiber end portions 310 of the optical fibers 31 (see Figure 4 and Figure 5) are flush with the front surface of the sleeve member 32. Two positioning members 33 are provided on the front surface of the sleeve member 32. In the present embodiment, the two positioning members 33 extend forward from the front surface of the sleeve member 32, and the positioning members 33 are pin-shaped. Based on optical principles, the front surface of the sleeve member 32 is inclined at an angle of, for example, 8 degrees, and corresponds to the optical coupling surface 121, thereby reducing the optical signal loss between the optical fiber 31 and the waveguide path 120. The limiting member 34 is disposed between the rear surface of the sleeve member 32 and a part of the fastening member 35. The fastening member 35 is movably connected to the sleeve member 32 via the limiting member 34. The fastening member 35 forms a fastening groove 350 facing the sleeve member 32.

[0024] Continuing to refer to Figure 1, the second connection unit 4 includes a base body 41 and an engaging member 42. Specifically, the base body 41 includes a front end 411F, a rear end 411R opposite the front end 411F, a mounting portion 412 installed on the main substrate 11, two wall portions 413 extending downward from the bottom of the base body 41 and spaced apart from each other, two positioning portions 416 provided on the wall portions 413, and a bottom plate 417. In detail, the mounting portion 412 extends from the front end 411F to the wall portions 413. The base body 41 forms a hollow portion 410 located between the front end 411F, the rear end 411R, and the two wall portions 413. Specifically, the hollow portion 410 is formed by penetrating the upper and lower surfaces of the base body 41. A front recess 415 is formed between the mounting portion 412 and the two wall portions 413, and the thickness of the front recess 415 is greater than the thickness of the main substrate 11. The bottom plate 417 is connected between the two wall portions 413 and is located below the mounting portion 412. A rear recess 418 is formed between the rear end 411R and the wall portion 413, and the rear recess 418 is covered by the base body 41.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the engaging member 42 is located at the rear end 411R of the base body 41. Preferably, the engaging member 42 extends integrally from the base body 41 by insert molding technology and includes an engaging projection 421. Specifically, the engaging projection 421 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the engaging member 42 and is block-shaped. The engaging projection 421 is spaced apart from the rear end of the base body 41, and a accommodating space 420 is formed between the engaging projection 421 and the base body 41.

[0026] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a partial assembly of the optical transmission device 100 of Figure 1. During assembly, the second connection unit 4 is firmly mounted on the main substrate 11 of the optical integrated circuit 1, the waveguide 12 is located on the bottom plate 417, and the front end 411F is located on the main substrate 11. The fastening member 35 detachably engages with the engaging member 42 to connect the first connection unit 3 to the second connection unit 4. In this embodiment, the positioning member 33 is pin-shaped and is used to fit into the groove-shaped positioning portion 416 of the base body 41. By pushing the fastening member 35 forward and pressing it toward the sleeve member 32, the fastening groove 350 is fitted and engaged with the engaging projection 421, so that the front part of the fastening member 35 is located within the housing space 420.

[0027] In some embodiments, the engaging member 42 may be omitted to simplify the structure of the second connecting unit 4. In this case, the first connecting unit 3 is connected to the second connecting unit 4 via the fitting of the positioning member 33 and the positioning portion 416.

[0028] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 is an assembly schematic diagram of the optical transmission device 100 in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram along line AA in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the second connection unit 4 is attached to the main substrate 11, and the waveguide 12 is located between the two wall portions 413 and extends into the hollow portion 410. The front end 411F and the mounting portion 412 are located on the main substrate 11. The front recess 415 is adjacent to the edge portion 111 and accommodates a part of the optical integrated circuit 1. The fastening groove 350 engages with the engaging projection 421. The front part of the sleeve member 32 is located in the rear recess 418 below the rear end 411R of the base body 41.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, after the assembly of the first connection unit 3 and the second connection unit 4 is complete, with the light source for providing the optical fiber 31 or optical integrated circuit 1 turned on, the assembled first connection unit 3 and the second connection unit 4 are appropriately moved relative to the main board 11 until the power of the optical signal transmitted between the optical integrated circuit 1 and the application device connected to the first connection unit 3 reaches its maximum value, thereby ensuring accurate optical alignment between the optical fiber 31 and the waveguide path 120 of the waveguide 12 (this process is called active alignment). Subsequently, the second connection unit 4 is permanently fixed to the main board 11 so that repeated connection and disconnection of the first connection unit 3 to the second connection unit 4 does not affect the optical alignment between the waveguide path 120 and the optical fiber 31.

[0030] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first connecting unit 3, and Figure 6 is a schematic rearward perspective view of the first connecting unit 3 of Figure 5, viewed from below. Specifically, the sleeve member 32 includes a main body 321, the main body 321 includes a plurality of support members 323, the plurality of support members 323 are spaced apart from each other and extend upward from the upper surface of the main body 321. In detail, each support member 323 includes a first stage 3231 and a second stage 3233 located above the first stage 3231. Each limiting member 34 includes a limiting rod 341 and an elastic member 342. Specifically, one end of the limiting rod 341 is connected to the rear side of the sleeve member 32, and the other end of the limiting rod 341 is connected to a part of the fastening member 35. The elastic member 342 is provided surrounding the limiting rod 341 and abuts between the rear side of the sleeve member 32 and a part of the fastening member 35, and can deform along the longitudinal direction of the limiting rod 341 as the fastening member 35 moves. Preferably, the elastic member 342 is a compression coil spring.

[0031] Continuing to refer to Figures 5 and 6, the fastening member 35 includes a cover portion 351, a connecting portion 353, a bent portion 352 formed between the cover portion 351 and the connecting portion 353, and two wing portions 355. Specifically, the cover portion 351, the bent portion 352, and the connecting portion 353 are a single component, forming a cantilever structure that is roughly inverted L-shaped. The fastening groove 350 is formed through the cover portion 351. The two wing portions 355 are installed on opposing sides of the cover portion 351 and curve downward toward the main body 321. As shown in Figure 5, the rear end of each wing portion 355 abuts against the second stage portion 3233, tilting the cover portion 351 relative to the main body 321, thereby increasing the space between the cover portion 351 and the main body 321 and facilitating assembly between the first connecting unit 3 and the second connecting unit 4.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, after the engaging projection 421 engages with the cover portion 351 via the fastening groove 350, the rear end of the wing portion 355 is locked in front of the first stage portion 3231, and the elastic member 342 provides thrust to the connecting portion 353, solidifying the engagement between the cover portion 351 and the engaging projection 421. In this way, the first connecting unit 3 and the second connecting unit 4 are easily and securely connected.

[0033] Referring to Figure 7, this shows a schematic perspective view of the optical transmission device 100 in use. The carrier substrate 6 is installed to support the optical integrated circuit 1. The carrier substrate 6 may be mounted within the optical integrated circuit, an all-optical transmission device (e.g., an all-optical switch, an all-optical logic gate, an all-optical buffer, or an all-optical wavelength switch), or a data processing device (e.g., a switch or server). In some embodiments, the carrier substrate 6 is a photoelectric substrate with a multi-chip module (MCM) and may be used as a multi-chip substrate. For example, multiple electronic integrated circuits (not shown) and the optical integrated circuit 1 are mounted on the carrier substrate 6 and perform various electrical and optical functions for a data processing device (not shown) and an application device. As shown in Figure 7, the front recess 415 is adjacent to the edge 111 and accommodates the optical integrated circuit 1 and a portion of the carrier substrate 6. In some embodiments, the bottom plate 417 is installed on the housing of the data processing device or on the carrier substrate 6 within the data processing device.

[0034] Accordingly, this disclosure provides an optical integrated circuit including a waveguide that protrudes integrally from the main substrate, eliminating the hassle of installing additional lens holders and optical waveguide devices for optical coupling, and simplifying the structure, thereby solving the problem of adhesive overflow caused by laminating lens holders and optical waveguide devices on the main substrate. Furthermore, the base of the second connection unit houses and effectively protects the waveguide, and the second connection unit is firmly installed on the optical integrated circuit via the mounting portion, the wall portion, and the bottom plate, preventing vertical and lateral displacement of the second connection unit and avoiding damage to the optical integrated circuit. In addition, the engaging member and the fastening member enable a detachable, simple, and reliable connection between the first connection unit and the second connection unit, and ensure accurate optical facing arrangement between the waveguide path and the optical fiber even during repeated attachment and detachment of the optical fiber.

[0035] The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the technical concept of the Disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the rights of this Disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of this Disclosure should be interpreted as defined by the claims, and all technical concepts that are interpreted as identical or equivalent to the above scope of protection should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the rights of this Disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 100: Optical transmission device 1: Optical integrated circuit 11: Main board 111: Edge 12: Waveguides 120: Waveguide Path 121: Optical coupling surface 2: Optical cable 3: First connection unit 31: Fiber optic 310: End 32: Sleeve component 321: Main unit 323: Support member 3231: First section 3233: Second section 33: Positioning member 34: Restricting member 341: Restriction Rod 342: Elastic material 35: Fastening member 350: Fastening groove 351: Cover section 352: Bending section 353: Connection part 355: Wings 4: Second connection unit 41: Base 410: Hollow part 411F: Front end 411R: Rear end 412: Mounting part 413: Wall 415: Front recess 416: Positioning unit 417: Bottom plate 418: Rear recess 42: Engaging member 420: Containment space 421: Engagement protrusion 6: Carrier substrate

Claims

1. An optical transmission device, An optical integrated circuit comprising a main substrate and a waveguide that protrudes integrally from the main substrate and includes a plurality of waveguide paths, A first connection unit including a plurality of optical fibers and sleeve members located at the ends of the plurality of optical fibers, A second connection unit disposed between the main substrate and the first connection unit, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are optically positioned opposite the plurality of waveguide paths via a detachable connection between the first connection unit and the second connection unit, Optical transmission device including

2. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide protrudes from the edge of the main substrate and extends into the second connection unit.

3. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second connection unit includes a base, the base includes a front end, a rear end opposite to the front end, and two wall portions, the front end is located on the main substrate, the two wall portions are spaced apart from each other, and the base extends downward from the bottom of the base, defining a hollow portion located between the front end, the rear end, and the wall portions of the base.

4. The optical transmission device according to claim 3, wherein the base further includes a plurality of positioning portions installed on the wall portion, and the first connection unit further includes a plurality of positioning members installed on the sleeve member, wherein the size and shape of the plurality of positioning members are adapted to engage with the plurality of positioning portions.

5. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the substrate further includes a mounting portion that extends from the front end to the wall portion and is located on the main substrate.

6. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a front recess is defined between the mounting portion and the wall portion, and the thickness of the front recess is greater than the thickness of the main substrate.

7. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the base further includes a bottom plate connected between the wall portions and located below the mounting portion, and the waveguide is installed on the bottom plate.

8. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the waveguide further includes an optical coupling surface installed at one end of the waveguide that is far from the main substrate, the plurality of waveguide paths extend from the optical coupling surface to the main substrate, and the waveguide extends so that it protrudes from the bottom plate and the optical coupling surface is located outside the bottom plate.

9. The optical transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second connection unit further includes an engaging member located at the rear end of the base, and the first connection unit further includes a fastening member that is movably connected to the sleeve member and detachably engages with the engaging member.

10. The optical transmission device according to claim 9, wherein the engaging member includes an engaging projection located on the upper surface of the engaging member, the fastening member defines a fastening groove, and the shape and size of the fastening groove are adapted to engage with the engaging projection.

11. The optical transmission device according to claim 9, wherein the first connection unit further includes a limiting rod and an elastic member, one end of the limiting rod being connected to the rear side of the sleeve member, the other end of the limiting rod being connected to a part of the fastening member, the elastic member being provided surrounding the limiting rod and in contact with the rear side of the sleeve member and the part of the fastening member, and the elastic member deforms along the longitudinal direction of the limiting rod as the fastening member moves.

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