Optoelectronic Package Alignment via Cradle Pocket and Encapsulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in providing fiber optic connectivity to silicon photonics packages is aligning optical cables accurately and efficiently to the integrated circuit chips, as copper conductors struggle to transport high-speed data, necessitating a rugged method to support high data rates and enhance hyper-scale datacenter performance.
Innovation Solution
An opto-electronic assembly with a substrate having first optical waveguides, a cradle with a pocket for receiving an optical ferrule, and a cover that encapsulates the waveguides and cradle, allowing for precise alignment and light transfer between the waveguides and optical fibers attached to the ferrule, while providing a seal and strain relief.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If copper conductors are used to transport data, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but high-speed data transfer capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal transmission through copper conductors with optical signal transmission through waveguides and optical fibers. This substitution enables high-speed data transfer by using light instead of electrical signals, directly resolving the limitation of copper conductors for high-speed data transport.
2Manufacturing precision
If optical ferrules are aligned with waveguides manually, then connection precision can be achieved, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle is pre-aligned to the substrate with waveguides before the molding process. This preliminary alignment ensures that when the optical ferrule is later inserted into the cradle, it is automatically positioned with high precision relative to the waveguides, eliminating the need for complex manual alignment procedures and significantly improving manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cradle serves as an intermediary component that mediates between the substrate with waveguides and the optical ferrule. It provides a pre-aligned reference structure that automatically positions the optical ferrule correctly relative to the waveguides, simplifying the alignment process while maintaining high precision.
3Ease of operation
If optical components are exposed without encapsulation, then alignment access is easy, but environmental protection and strain relief deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation structure is segmented to include an opening that provides access to the cradle and optical ferrule alignment area. This segmentation allows the majority of the optical components to be encapsulated for environmental protection while maintaining easy access to the specific areas where alignment and connection operations are needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An opto-electronic assembly includes a substrate having a plurality of first optical waveguides, a cradle, and a first cover encapsulating at least portions of the first optical waveguides and the cradle. The cradle is bonded to the substrate and defines a pocket therein having an opening. The pocket is configured to receive an optical ferrule through the opening and align the optical ferrule to the first optical waveguides. The first cover includes an aperture exposing the opening of the pocket, such that when the optical ferrule is received in the pocket through the opening and secured therein and a plurality of second optical waveguides are attached to the optical ferrule, the opto-electronic assembly is configured to transfer light between the pluralities of first and second optical waveguides.