Optical Semiconductor Bonding for Precise Waveguide Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical semiconductor devices face challenges in achieving high accuracy during mounting due to potential misalignment caused by heating processes, which can lower the efficiency of optical coupling.
Innovation Solution
The optical semiconductor device employs a hydrophilic bonding method between the first and second semiconductor elements, eliminating the need for post-alignment heating. This method involves making the bonding surfaces hydrophilic, temporarily bonding them at room temperature, and then main bonding at a higher temperature, ensuring precise alignment and strong bonding without misalignment issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If soldering or conventional bonding methods are used to mount semiconductor elements, then strong bonding is achieved, but misalignment occurs due to heating processes which lowers optical coupling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding surfaces are pre-treated with a hydrophilic treatment before bonding to enable strong adhesion without requiring subsequent heating processes. This preliminary preparation allows the elements to be firmly bonded while maintaining their aligned positions, preventing misalignment that would otherwise occur during heating-based bonding or soldering operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface properties of the bonding interfaces are changed by applying a hydrophilic treatment, which modifies the chemical characteristics of the surfaces. This parameter change enables strong bonding through hydrophilic adhesion mechanisms rather than thermal processes, thereby achieving both strong bonding strength and high alignment accuracy for optimal optical coupling.
2Reliability
If heating processes are applied for bonding or soldering, then strong bonding is achieved, but misalignment occurs which lowers optical coupling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal bonding process is replaced with a hydrophilic bonding mechanism. Instead of relying on heat-activated soldering or thermal bonding processes that cause expansion and misalignment, the invention uses chemically-active hydrophilic surfaces to achieve reliable bonding at lower temperatures, thereby maintaining alignment accuracy while ensuring bonding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding process parameters are changed from thermal activation to hydrophilic chemical activation. By treating the bonding surfaces to create hydrophilic properties and controlling the bonding environment, reliable bonding is achieved without the thermal expansion and misalignment problems associated with conventional heating processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional bonding methods are used, then bonding is achieved, but optical coupling efficiency is reduced due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding surfaces undergo preliminary hydrophilic treatment that simplifies the bonding process by enabling direct adhesion without complex heating or alignment correction steps. This pre-preparation ensures that elements bond reliably in their aligned positions, maintaining optical coupling efficiency while keeping the manufacturing process straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface chemical parameters are modified through hydrophilic treatment, which simplifies the bonding operation by allowing direct bonding without requiring precise thermal control or post-bonding alignment adjustments. This parameter change maintains both ease of manufacture and high alignment accuracy.
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 allows for highly accurate mounting of the semiconductor elements with suppressed misalignment, thereby maintaining high efficiency of optical coupling and ensuring reliable bonding between the elements.
Implementation Method 1
The first bonding surface and the second bonding surface are bonded to each other in a hydrophilic manner
Data Source
AI summary
An optical semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes: a first semiconductor element having a first bonding surface and an end surface which crosses the first bonding surface and from which an optical signal is emitted; and a second semiconductor element having a second bonding surface facing the first bonding surface and an optical waveguide which extends in a direction parallel to the second bonding surface and through which the optical signal is transmitted. The first bonding surface and the second bonding surface are bonded to each other in a hydrophilic manner, and the end surface of the first semiconductor element and the optical waveguide of the second semiconductor element are optically coupled to each other.