Photonic Integrated Circuit Edge Coupling Stress Relief
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing photonic integrated circuit (PIC) designs face challenges in robust mechanical attachment and thermal management due to their thinness, which limits the alignment and attachment of optical fibers and interferes with thermal solutions.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a substrate cutout in the integrated circuit component to accommodate a fiber array unit (FAU), along with an attachment block and stress relief mechanism, allows for a robust mechanical connection and thermal management without increasing the component's height, enabling optical fiber alignment and attachment to PIC waveguides while allowing thermal solutions to be implemented effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the PIC is made thin to reduce component height, then the overall component height is reduced, but the mechanical attachment robustness and thermal management capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented by creating a cutout that removes material in the region where the fiber array unit is attached to the PIC. This segmentation allows the FAU to be mechanically supported by the substrate structure rather than relying solely on the thin PIC edge, thereby improving mechanical attachment robustness while maintaining a low overall component height profile.
2Length of stationary object
If the PIC is made thin to reduce component height, then the overall component height is reduced, but the thermal management capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate cutout creates a segmented structure that allows thermal management components (such as heat sinks or thermal vias) to be positioned in the cutout region close to the PIC's active areas. This segmentation enables effective thermal pathways to be established without increasing the overall component height, as the thermal management structures can be integrated within the substrate plane or slightly below it.
3Device complexity
If the PIC edge is used for direct fiber attachment, then the structure is simplified, but the alignment precision and attachment reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate cutout acts as an intermediary structure between the fiber array unit and the PIC edge. It provides a dedicated attachment zone with enhanced mechanical support and alignment features, allowing for precise positioning of the FAU relative to the PIC waveguides. This intermediary structure improves alignment precision and attachment reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The substrate of an integrated circuit component comprises a cutout that extends fully or partially through the substrate. An edge of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) in the integrated circuit component is coplanar with a wall of the cutout or extends into the cutout. An optical fiber in an FAU is aligned with a waveguide within the PIC and the FAU is attached to the PIC edge and an attachment block. The attachment block provides an increased attachment surface area for the FAU. A portion of the FAU extends into the substrate cutout. A stress relief mechanism can secure the fiber optic cable attached to the FAU to the substrate to at least partially isolate the FAU-PIC attachment from external mechanical forces applied to the optical fiber cable. The integrated circuit component can be attached to a socket that comprises a socket cutout into which an FAU can extend.