Optical Chip Edge Coupling With Etched Mirrors and V-Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber-to-chip attachment technologies face challenges due to the mismatch in alignment precision required by optics and the capabilities of high-volume pick and place machines, leading to inefficiencies in coupling optical fibers to optical chips, particularly in scalable applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of etched mirrors and V-grooves in optical chips, combined with wafer-to-wafer bonding and high-accuracy etch processes, enables precise alignment and coupling of optical fibers, allowing for scalable and efficient fiber-to-chip attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional lens/reflective optical surfaces are used to expand optical beams, then angular tolerance is increased, but X-Y plane tolerance deteriorates and bulky mechanical ferrules are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the beam expansion function from traditional lens/reflective optical surfaces and implements it through photonic crystal structures integrated directly into the chip. This removes the need for separate mechanical ferrules and bulky alignment structures, solving the contradiction between angular tolerance improvement and device complexity reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces photonic crystal structures as an intermediary between the optical fiber and the chip waveguide. These photonic crystals serve as a mediator that provides both beam expansion and precise spatial filtering, eliminating the need for traditional mechanical alignment ferrules while maintaining both X-Y and angular tolerance.
2Measurement precision
If vertical emission of light is used, then angular tolerance is improved, but mechanical ferrules and structures are required for fiber strain, rigidity, and alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical ferrule alignment system with a photonic crystal-based optical system. The photonic crystals provide inherent spatial filtering and mode matching, eliminating the need for mechanical ferrules to provide alignment and strain relief. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining angular tolerance through optical design rather than mechanical structures.
3Productivity
If high-volume pick and place machines are used for fiber attachment, then productivity is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates due to 1-3 μm placement precision vs. 1 μm optical requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining the optical alignment features through photonic crystal structures that are fabricated with high precision during chip manufacturing. The photonic crystals are pre-aligned to the waveguide modes, so that when fibers are attached using high-volume pick and place machines, the photonic crystals provide inherent spatial filtering that compensates for the 1-3 μm placement tolerance, achieving the required 1 μm optical alignment precision.
4Reliability
If complex optical paths are used for fiber-to-chip coupling, then coupling efficiency is improved, but misalignment errors accumulate requiring sub-1 μm precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces photonic crystal structures as intermediaries that simplify the optical path between fiber and chip waveguide. The photonic crystals provide mode matching and spatial filtering in a single integrated structure, reducing the number of optical interfaces and minimizing the accumulation of misalignment errors. This allows the use of high-volume pick and place machines while maintaining coupling efficiency.
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 achieves accurate optical coupling with high precision, reducing the need for bulky mechanical ferrules and enabling efficient light transmission between optical fibers and optical chips, suitable for various applications including high bandwidth density systems.
Implementation Method 1
Etched mirrors (which may be curved in one-or two-dimensions to focus a light beam into a single plane or a single point) in the optical chip direct light to and/or from the optical fibers
Implementation Method 2
Etched mirrors (which may be curved in one-or two-dimensions to focus a light beam into a single plane or a single point)
Implementation Method 3
grating couplers) that are configured to couple the light into or out of optical components of the optical chip
Data Source
AI summary
An optical chip configured for coupling to optical fibers and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. The optical chip includes a plurality of optical structures embedded within an optical routing layer; a first support layer; and a second support layer, bonded onto the exposed surface of the first support layer. The first support layer has a first etched mirror and a first v-groove aligned with the first etched mirror formed in an exposed surface of the first support layer. The second support layer has a second etched mirror and a second v-groove aligned with the second etched mirror formed in an exposed surface of the second support layer. The first etched mirror and the second etched mirror are optically aligned with a first optical structure and a second optical structure of the plurality of optical structures, respectively.