Underfill-Dam Electrical Interconnect Structure for Opto-Electronic Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
In opto-electronic engines, underfill materials can intrude into optical pathways, causing transmission losses and increasing costs and complexity in design, as the transparency and refractive index of underfill materials become critical design considerations.
Innovation Solution
A combination underfill-dam and electrical-interconnect structure is implemented, using a plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies and spacer solder bodies to inhibit underfill material intrusion into optical pathways, ensuring optical path integrity and allowing for the selection of underfill materials based on broader criteria beyond optical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If underfill material is applied to the die, then mechanical support and filling are improved, but underfill material intrudes into optical pathways causing transmission losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the die structure by introducing a raised feature (mesa) that creates distinct zones: an optical pathway zone and an underfill application zone. This segmentation prevents underfill material from intruding into the optical pathway while maintaining mechanical support, resolving the contradiction between strength improvement and energy loss prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a raised mesa structure with specific geometric properties (height, width, positioning) that differ from the surrounding die surface. This localized structural modification enables selective underfill application - allowing underfill to provide mechanical support in non-optical areas while preventing intrusion into optical pathways, thus resolving the contradiction between mechanical support and optical transmission.
2Reliability
If underfill material transparency and refractive index are optimized, then optical pathway integrity is improved, but design complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the optical pathway from the underfill application area by creating a raised mesa structure. This separation removes the constraint that underfill material must have specific optical properties, allowing designers to select underfill materials based on mechanical and thermal properties alone, thereby reducing design complexity while maintaining optical pathway integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the die surface into optical and non-optical zones through the raised mesa feature, the patent eliminates the need to optimize underfill material for optical properties. The segmentation allows standard underfill materials to be used without complex optical characterization, reducing design complexity while preserving optical pathway integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If underfill material is applied broadly, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but intrusion into optical pathways occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-forming the raised mesa structure on the die before underfill application. This pre-structured geometry automatically guides underfill material placement, preventing intrusion into optical pathways without requiring complex manufacturing processes or additional alignment steps, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while preventing optical loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The raised mesa structure segments the die surface into zones that naturally direct underfill flow. This geometric segmentation simplifies the underfill application process by providing built-in boundaries, eliminating the need for complex masking or alignment procedures, and preventing optical pathway intrusion simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A combination underfill-dam and electrical-interconnect structure for an opto-electronic engine. The structure includes a first plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies. The first plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies includes a plurality of electrical interconnects. The first plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies, is disposed to inhibit intrusion of underfill material into an optical pathway of an opto-electronic component for the opto-electronic engine. A system and an opto-electronic engine that include the combination underfill-dam and electrical interconnect structure are also provided.