Hanging Connector Fast-Axis Collimator Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The alignment process of fast-axis collimators with emitters in photonics packages is time-consuming and requires precise positioning, which can slow down mass production and lead to manufacturing defects.
Innovation Solution
A photonics package design that incorporates a hanging connector affixed to the substrate and an optical component, such as a fast-axis collimator, which extends along the emitter surface, ensuring that the vertex of the optical component is coplanar with the emitter, thereby eliminating the need for active alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If active alignment is used to align the fast-axis collimator with the emitter, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hanging connector is designed with pre-determined geometric dimensions and attachment positions that establish the correct spatial relationship between the optical component and emitter before the alignment process. The connector's extended section length and angle are precisely controlled during manufacturing, so that when the optical component is mounted on the connector and the connector is attached to the substrate, the optical component automatically achieves the correct coplanar alignment with the emitter without requiring active alignment adjustments.
2Manufacturing precision
If active alignment is used to align the fast-axis collimator with the emitter, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hanging connector is designed to self-align the optical component with the emitter through its inherent geometric structure. The connector's extended section with specific length and angle, combined with the fiducial marks on the substrate, creates a self-aligning mechanism where the optical component automatically positions itself correctly relative to the emitter when mounted on the connector and attached to the substrate, eliminating the need for complex active alignment equipment and procedures.
3Manufacturing precision
If the optical component is positioned away from the substrate edge, then alignment precision is improved, but device area is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hanging connector extends in the vertical dimension (perpendicular to the substrate surface) rather than requiring additional horizontal space. The optical component is positioned at a distance from the substrate edge by extending the connector upward and then positioning the component on the extended section, utilizing the vertical dimension to achieve the required separation and alignment precision without increasing the footprint area of the device on the substrate plane.
Data Source
AI summary
A photonics package may include a substrate, a hanging connector, and a fast-axis collimator (“FAC”). The hanging connector is typically affixed to a side of the substrate other than the side through which a light output is emitted. The hanging connector may be L-shaped in cross-section, having a base section and an extended section projecting from the base section. The base section affixes to the substrate while the extended section affixes to the FAC, so that the FAC extends downward along the emitter surface of the substrate; a vertex of the FAC is coplanar with an emitter outputting the light output.