Warped Photonic Chip Lid Bonding with Tilt-Adjustable Heads
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current industry standard for co-packaged optics on large packages, which uses passive alignment of optical fibers with V-grooves in a photonic chip or die and UV-cured epoxy adhesive, faces significant misalignment issues due to warpage effects, resulting in high signal loss and yield loss as packages become larger and thinner.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dual bond head design with tilt adjustability and air pressure-controlled bond heads that apply non-uniform bonding forces to conform the lid to the shape of a warped die, ensuring precise alignment of optical fibers by making multiple contact points and using vacuum channels for lid pick and place functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single bond head design is used for passive alignment, then the device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to warpage-induced misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The single bond head is divided into multiple bond heads (e.g., three bond heads for 24 channels), each independently controllable. This segmentation allows each bond head to compensate for local warpage variations, maintaining alignment precision without requiring a completely complex new system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The bond heads are made dynamically adjustable through tilt mechanisms that allow real-time angular compensation. This dynamic capability enables the system to adapt to warpage variations during the bonding process, improving manufacturing precision while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through controlled flexibility.
2Device complexity
If uniform bonding force is applied across the lid, then the device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to compensate for die warpage
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding system applies different forces at different locations through individually controllable bond heads. Each bond head can exert customized force magnitude and direction based on local warpage conditions, ensuring precise alignment across the entire die surface without requiring a uniformly complex force application mechanism.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple individually controlled bond heads are used, then the manufacturing precision improves for warped dies, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the bonding task into multiple independent bond heads, each handling a specific region. This segmentation improves precision by allowing localized compensation while managing complexity through modular design, where each segment can be controlled independently but follows the same control paradigm.
Solution Approach 2:
Each bond head is designed as a universal module capable of independent tilt adjustment and force application. This multi-functionality allows a single bond head design to handle various warpage scenarios, reducing the need for specialized components and thereby controlling overall system complexity while maintaining high manufacturing precision.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional passive alignment with UV-cured epoxy is used, then the ease of manufacture is high, but the reliability deteriorates due to signal loss from misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static passive alignment to dynamic active alignment with real-time tilt adjustment capability. This allows the bond heads to compensate for warpage effects during bonding, significantly improving alignment accuracy and reducing signal loss while maintaining ease of manufacture through automated control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces reliance on UV-cured epoxy mechanical bonding with a more sophisticated mechanical adjustment system. By using actively controlled bond heads with tilt mechanisms, the system achieves superior alignment precision that compensates for warpage, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through automated processes.
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 reduces optical fiber misalignment by up to 30%, decreases signal loss, and enhances manufacturing throughput, thereby reducing capital expenditure and improving assembly yield.
Implementation Method 1
a bond head configured to make multiple contact points with the glass lid to conform the glass lid to the shape of the bent die
Implementation Method 2
air pressure-controlled bond heads that apply non-uniform bonding forces to conform the lid to the shape of a warped die
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method including arranging multiple optical fibers between a die and a lid, wherein the die is bent and comprises multiple grooves, each optical fiber in or close to a separate groove; bonding the lid to the die to hold the multiple optical fibers in place in the multiple grooves, wherein the bonding comprises applying a bonding force non-uniformly across the lid to conform the lid to the bent die. A corresponding system is also disclosed herein.