Photonics Package Receptacle Alignment for Thermal Warpage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Photonic packages face misalignment issues due to thermal warpage of substrates with varying coefficients of thermal expansion, leading to compromised signal communication performance, and existing solutions fail to maintain alignment across a wide temperature range and are prone to contamination and complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
An extended receptacle with a support feature for PICs, including a plug portion, lens support portion, and PIC support portion forming a rigid body, which aligns and stabilizes the lens assemblies and PICs during temperature cycling, using a metal-based receptacle with UV transparent materials for improved thermal performance and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a substrate with varying coefficients of thermal expansion is used to support multiple components, then the package can integrate diverse components, but thermal warpage occurs causing misalignment between components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the support structure into separate modules: a first support structure for the PIC and a second support structure for the lens assembly. These segmented supports independently compensate for thermal warpage of each component, preventing misalignment while allowing diverse components to be integrated on the same substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces alignment features as intermediary elements between the support structures and the components. These alignment features include mechanical features (such as alignment pins or grooves) that mediate the relationship between the substrate and components, ensuring precise alignment even when thermal expansion causes warpage.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerance alignment is maintained between PIC and lens assembly, then optical performance is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates alignment features directly into the support structures during manufacturing. These pre-integrated alignment features perform the alignment function in advance, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly adjustment procedures while maintaining tight tolerance alignment between the PIC and lens assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the alignment function with the support structure itself. The alignment features are combined into the support structures as integral components, rather than being separate adjustment mechanisms. This integration simplifies the overall assembly process while ensuring precise alignment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are mounted on substrate, then functionality is enhanced, but thermal cycling causes warpage and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the support functions into separate structures for different components. The first support structure and second support structure are independently designed to handle thermal expansion of their respective components, maintaining structural stability during thermal cycling while enabling functional integration of multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing customized support structures for different components with different thermal expansion characteristics. Each support structure is designed with specific properties matched to its corresponding component, ensuring optimal thermal stability and preventing misalignment during temperature variations.
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
The solution provides robust alignment and stability, reducing signal loss and assembly complexity, enabling reliable expanded beam coupling and improved yields by minimizing misalignment and contamination risks, and allowing for faster and simpler assembly processes.
Implementation Method 1
During operation, a photonic package may cycle through a range of temperatures that may cause warpage of the substrate... Because of a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the substrate and the components thereon... a warpage of the substrate causes misalignment
Data Source
AI summary
A receptacle of a photonics package, a receptacle assembly including the receptacle, the photonics package, and a method of making the receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly comprises: a photonics integrated circuit (PIC) including waveguides thereon; a die side lens assembly; and a rigid receptacle body including: a plug portion to receive an optical plug that includes a plug side lens assembly; a lens portion supporting the die side lens assembly and configured such that the die side lens assembly and the plug side lens assembly are aligned to one another when the optical plug is received in the plug portion; and a PIC portion bonded to the PIC such that the waveguides of the PIC are aligned to: corresponding lenses of the die side lens assembly; and corresponding lenses of the plug side lens assembly when the optical plug is received in the plug portion.