Optical Engine Packaging via Cutting Area Waveguide Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for packaging optical engines are unsuitable for standard assembly processes due to the step of attaching an optical fiber core to silicon photonic dies before encapsulation, making the partially completed multi-chip module incompatible with standard assembly flows, and there is no existing process that enables complete encapsulation of silicon photonic and electronic dies while maintaining access to the waveguides for fiber coupling.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that include a substrate with package portions and adjacent cutting areas, where silicon photonic dies with edge-coupled waveguides are aligned to overlap the cutting area boundaries, allowing for cutting to expose the waveguides for optical coupling, and subsequent polishing and alignment with optical fiber cores, enabling encapsulation and electrical interconnection of silicon photonic and electronic dies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical fiber core is attached to silicon photonic dies before encapsulation, then optical coupling is enabled, but the partially completed multi-chip module becomes incompatible with standard assembly processing flows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the optical fiber core attachment to silicon photonic dies before the encapsulation process. This allows the optical coupling to be established while the dies are still accessible, and subsequent encapsulation protects the completed optical connections. The method enables standard assembly processing flows to be used for encapsulation without requiring post-encapsulation fiber attachment, thus resolving the compatibility issue.
2Reliability
If complete encapsulation of silicon photonic and electronic dies is performed, then protection and electrical shorting prevention are achieved, but access to waveguides for fiber coupling is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by performing the fiber coupling operation before encapsulation. The optical fiber cores are attached to the silicon photonic dies while they are still accessible on the substrate, allowing waveguide connections to be made. Afterward, the encapsulation process provides complete protection to the electrical interconnects and optical components, preventing damage and electrical shorting while preserving the already-established optical connections.
3Reliability
If one optical engine is packaged at a time, then customization and quality control are improved, but productivity and manufacturing efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the substrate into multiple package areas, each capable of holding and processing individual optical engines. This allows parallel processing of multiple engines simultaneously while maintaining the quality control benefits of individual packaging. Each package area can be independently processed, enabling high-volume manufacturing without sacrificing quality oversight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple optical engine packaging operations into a single unified process by assembling multiple engines on one substrate simultaneously. Common steps such as die attachment, wire bonding, and encapsulation are performed for all engines in parallel, significantly improving productivity while maintaining consistent quality standards across all packages.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing one or more optical engine packages, each optical engine package comprising a silicon photonic die. The method includes receiving a substrate comprising a package portion and a cutting area adjacent to the package portion, assembling the optical engine package on the substrate such that an edge-coupled waveguide of the silicon photonic die overlaps a boundary between the cutting area and the package portion, and cutting the optical engine package and the substrate in the cutting area to expose the edge-coupled waveguide for optical coupling thereof to an optical fiber core.