Semiconductor Optical Coupler Single Lithography Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of semiconductor device packages with integrated optical components faces challenges in aligning and etching different optical couplers, leading to misalignment and increased costs due to the need for separate lithographic operations and multiple photomasks with distinct design rules.
Innovation Solution
A method for manufacturing semiconductor device packages where optical couplers are formed in the same lithographic operation, using a single photomask to define critical dimensions and shared etching processes to reduce the number of photomasks and simplify operations, allowing for precise alignment and integration of optical couplers on a semiconductor substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate lithographic operations with multiple photomasks are used to form different optical components, then each component can be formed with its own design rules, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase and alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate lithographic operations into a single unified lithographic operation. Different optical components (edge coupler, grating coupler, waveguide) are patterned simultaneously using one photomask and one lithography step, eliminating the need for multiple photomasks and sequential operations while maintaining the ability to form different component types with different design rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal lithographic process that can handle multiple types of optical components with different design rules through a single operation. The unified approach allows the same lithographic step to define critical dimensions for various components (edge coupler width, grating period, waveguide width) using a single photomask design that accommodates all component types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate lithographic operations are used for different optical components, then each component can be optimized independently, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lithographic steps into one unified process, reducing the number of photomasks required from multiple to just one. This merging eliminates redundant manufacturing steps and material costs while still allowing independent optimization of each optical component's design parameters within the single lithographic operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple photomasks with distinct design rules are used, then different optical components can be formed with precise dimensions, but the number of photomasks and operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple photomasks into a single unified photomask that contains all necessary pattern information for different optical components. This single photomask defines critical dimensions for edge couplers, grating couplers, and waveguides simultaneously, reducing the photomask count from multiple to one while maintaining precise dimensional control through unified pattern design.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device package. The semiconductor device package includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a first optical coupler disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first optical coupler includes a first surface facing away from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate and a first lateral surface connected to the first surface of the first optical coupler. The first surface of the first optical coupler and the first lateral surface of the optical coupler define an angle greater than 90 degrees. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device package is also disclosed.