Optically-enabled IC Package with Pre-aligned Optical Sub-assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current integrated circuit (IC) packages face challenges in modularity and industry standard form-factor for ultra-high speed optical interconnection applications, relying on complex alignment techniques and requiring sophisticated assembly processes, which limits their adaptability and scalability for user-defined microchips and optical-to-electrical or electrical-to-optical converter modules.
Innovation Solution
The integration of planar, modular optical sub-assemblies within standard ball grid array (BGA) IC packages, utilizing pre-aligned optical sub-assemblies with standard electrical and optical interfaces, allows for optical signals to propagate close to the microchip, maintaining standard assembly techniques and reducing power consumption while enabling high data rates without exponential power increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If highly vertically integrated assembly techniques are used for optical interfaces, then optical signal conversion between electrical and optical is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the optical interface system into separate modular components: a standard electrical IC package and a separate optical sub-assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled using standard techniques, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable optical signal conversion functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If precision alignment techniques are used for optical interfaces, then optical coupling efficiency is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sub-assembly is pre-aligned and pre-assembled as a complete module before being integrated with the IC package. This preliminary action ensures optimal optical coupling efficiency is achieved during sub-assembly manufacturing, while the final integration with the IC package uses standard, faster assembly techniques, thus balancing precision requirements with manufacturing productivity.
3Speed
If optical fiber is used instead of copper wire for high speed data transmission, then data rate is improved, but power consumption increases exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges electrical signal processing (on the IC chip) with optical signal transmission (via optical fiber) into a single integrated package. This combination allows the system to leverage the high bandwidth of optical fiber for data transmission while keeping power consumption low by performing signal processing electrically on the IC, avoiding the exponential power increase associated with fully optical systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard IC package form-factors are used, then ease of manufacture and assembly are improved, but adaptability for optical interconnections is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal platform by combining standard IC package form-factors with a modular optical sub-assembly that can be adapted to different optical interconnection requirements. The standard package provides ease of manufacture and assembly, while the configurable optical sub-assembly enables adaptability for various optical communication protocols and data rates, achieving both objectives simultaneously.
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 eliminates optical alignment issues, reduces power consumption, and allows for dense, high-speed data transfer without altering microchip architectures or fabrication methods, achieving lower costs per gigabit per second per watt and simplifying motherboard design by minimizing the need for high-speed copper traces and optical transceivers.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sub-assembly (OSA) having a laser which is pre-aligned with the optical fiber
Data Source
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AI summary
An optically-enabled integrated circuit (IC) package for connecting an electrical circuit board to an optical fiber is presented. The IC package comprises an OSA having a laser which is pre-aligned with the optical fiber. The OSA further comprises a standard electrical interface for the connection to the microchip and a standard optical interface for the connection to the optical fiber. A set of mechanical concepts for connecting optical connectors and cables to integrated circuit packages is also presented and can be applied for any type of optical connector such as single optical fiber ferrules, MT-RJ type optical ferrules and 2-D MT-type optical ferrules.