Co-Packaged Optics Spacer Assembly for Precise PIC Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circuit packages with photonic integrated circuits (PICs) face manufacturing challenges due to the large size of optical interfaces, which require robust and precise attachment to ensure reliable alignment, leading to costly and difficult manufacturing processes, especially during encapsulation with molding compounds, resulting in yield losses.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a transparent spacer over optical couplers on the PIC surface, allowing access through smaller openings and facilitating attachment of optical interfaces, which are then mounted on a continuous surface with the spacer and molding compound, enabling precise alignment and reducing manufacturing complexities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If robust and precise attachment of optical interfaces is used to ensure reliable alignment, then optical transmission reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent spacer is introduced as an intermediary component between the optical interface and the PIC. The spacer provides a stable mounting surface and precise positioning features, enabling reliable optical alignment without requiring complex attachment processes. The spacer acts as a mediator that simplifies the interface between the optical components and the electronic circuitry.
2Reliability
If large optical interfaces are used for robust attachment, then alignment reliability is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical interface assembly is segmented into separate functional components: the optical interface itself, the transparent spacer for mounting, and the PIC. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with optimized tolerances and then assembled, reducing overall manufacturing difficulty while maintaining alignment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent spacer serves as a mediator that provides a stable, precisely dimensioned mounting surface for the optical interface. This intermediary component absorbs manufacturing tolerances and provides mechanical stability, enabling reliable assembly without requiring large or complex interface structures.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise attachment of optical interfaces is implemented, then optical signal transmission quality is improved, but yield losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent spacer is pre-manufactured with precise dimensional tolerances and optical alignment features before final assembly. This preliminary preparation of the spacer ensures that subsequent assembly operations can proceed quickly with high yield, as the critical alignment functions are already built into the spacer structure rather than requiring complex real-time adjustment during assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies the attachment process, reduces yield losses, and facilitates economical mass production of circuit packages with improved reliability and precision in optical signal transmission.
Implementation Method 1
a transparent spacer 130 is provided over a portion of the PIC 110... an optical path between the optical interface 140 and the PIC 110
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to circuit package implementations. The circuit package includes a PIC that allows for the transmission of data photonically between hardware coupled to the PIC. The circuit package further includes one or more spacers that are positioned above the PIC in a manner that allows light to pass through an optical path between the top surface of the circuit package and the PIC. Different spacers can be added to the package at different stages of the manufacturing process such that the optical path is maintained through the manufacturing of the circuit package. The circuit package having the optically accessible PIC may be implemented within the framework of a microelectronic package.