Glass Interposer Optical Engine Integration for Signal Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently integrating optical and electrical components for signal transmission and processing, particularly in devices that require both long-range optical and short-range electrical connections, leading to inefficiencies in signal conversion and processing.
Innovation Solution
The integration of an optical engine within a glass substrate to facilitate electrical and optical interconnects using a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, incorporating optical components like waveguides, couplers, and modulators, and electrical components like transistors, through a series of manufacturing processes including deposition, patterning, and bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical and electrical components are integrated in separate packages, then each component can be optimized independently, but the device complexity increases and signal conversion efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges optical and electrical components into a single integrated package where the optical engine is directly mounted on the same substrate as electrical components. This eliminates the need for separate packages and reduces the complexity of interconnecting multiple packages while improving signal conversion efficiency through direct integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated package serves multiple functions simultaneously - it provides optical signal transmission, electrical signal processing, and signal conversion within a single device structure. The optical engine and electrical components share the same package environment, enabling multi-functional operation without requiring separate dedicated packages.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate packages are used for optical and electrical components, then component selection flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining optical and electrical components in a single package, the manufacturing process eliminates the need for separate assembly steps to connect multiple packages. The integrated structure reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining the ability to select from various optical and electrical components during the design phase.
3Productivity
If optical components are integrated directly with electrical components, then signal transmission efficiency improves, but the difficulty of manufacturing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the integrated package into distinct functional zones - an optical engine area with optical components and an electrical component area with electronic devices. This segmentation allows each component type to be manufactured and optimized independently while still being integrated in the final package, reducing overall manufacturing difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary structures such as optical-to-electrical converter dies and electrical-to-optical converter dies that serve as bridge components between the optical engine and electrical components. These intermediary elements facilitate the integration process by providing standardized interfaces and reducing the direct manufacturing complexity of integrating optical and electrical components.
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 enables efficient signal transmission and processing by providing seamless integration of optical and electrical components, enhancing performance and reducing inefficiencies in signal conversion and processing.
Implementation Method 1
optical fibers may be used for long-range signal transmission
Implementation Method 2
devices integrating long-range optical components and short-range electrical components are formed for the conversion between optical signals and electrical signals
Data Source
AI summary
Optical devices and methods of manufacture are presented in which interposers are incorporated with optical devices. In some embodiments a method includes embedding first optical packages within the interposers in order to provide optical bridging between different semiconductor devices. The first optical packages may be embedded with a glass core or metallization layers.