Disclosed herein is a scheme for utilizing multiple adjacent die ("tiles") fabricated on a common semiconductor wafer to create an opto-electronic subassembly, providing direct optical coupling between adjacent tiles while retaining the ability to utilize a passive optical alignment arrangement around the perimeter of the collection of tiles to couple fiber (or waveguide) arrays to the subassembly.
A high density opto-electronic interconnection assembly is proposed that eliminates the need for a relatively large physical separation between the laser source and associated opto-electronic circuitry and, as a result, eliminates the need to utilize optical fibers to provide coupling between the laser source and a photonic integrated circuit including optical waveguides. The laser source and the PIC are disposed on an interposer selected to exhibit a high thermal impedance sufficient to isolate any heat generated from opto-electronic circuitry from impacting the performance of the laser source.
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based coupling arrangement for use between a set of WDM demultiplexer ports and optical components (such as transmitters, receivers, or the like) is proposed. The coupling arrangement uses a substrate configured to support a PIC including an array of edge-terminating optical waveguides that have been particularly fabricated in number and spacing to match with the set of WDM demultiplexer ports. The inventive PIC-based coupling arrangement eliminates the need to use a fiber array at the WDM demultiplexer ports and instead support free-space coupling between the WDM and the integrated waveguides. The elimination of the fibers allows for the spacing (pitch) between adjacent waveguides to be substantially reduced when compared to the constraints introduced by the physical properties (e.g. diameter) of an optical fiber.
G02B 6/12 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
4.
Passively-Aligned Fiber Array To Waveguide Configuration
Passive alignment and connection between a fiber array and a plurality of optical waveguides terminating along an edge of a photonic IC (PIC) is provided by a controlled mating between alignment V-grooves formed in a fiber array support substrate and extra-array alignment ridges formed beyond the extent of a waveguide array integrated within the PIC. The height and width of the alignment ridges are formed to engage with the alignment V-grooves upon mating of the fiber array substrate with the PIC, providing passive alignment while maintaining a physical gap spacing g between the components (ensuring the integrity of the passive alignment).
G02B 6/30 - Optical coupling means for use between fibre and thin-film device
G02B 6/12 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
G02B 6/136 - Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method by etching
A dual-layer coupling arrangement comprises a first coupling waveguide disposed within a photonic integrated circuit (at a position over an included optical signal waveguide) and a second coupling waveguide disposed above the first coupling waveguide. The first and second coupling waveguides are formed to exhibit splitter configurations that terminate as a pair arms separated by a distance suitable for creating beams that would coincide with a circular mode field of the core region of a coupling optical fiber. The vertical spacing between the first and second coupling waveguides is set so that the pairs of beams exiting from the terminating arms of the coupling waveguides coincide with a circular mode field.
G02B 6/293 - Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals with wavelength selective means
G02B 6/30 - Optical coupling means for use between fibre and thin-film device
G02B 6/12 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
G02B 6/28 - Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals
6.
OPTICALLY EFFICIENT SILICON NITRIDE EDGE COUPLERS IN PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) includes one or more silicon nitride edge couplers directly formed on exposed portions of the buried oxide layer. Directly forming the SiN edge couplers on the highly-planar buried oxide layer provides structures with significantly reduced minimal dimension possibilities (as compared to SiN edge couplers within the PIC oxide stack), allowing for a beam emitted from the "SiN-on-box" coupler to exhibit a mode field diameter of larger size than associated with conventional SiN edge couplers positioned on dielectric over the silicon waveguide layer.
G02B 6/12 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
7.
PASSIVE ALIGNMENT CONFIGURATION FOR USE WITH OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES FORMED WITHIN ADJOINING SUBSTRATES
Passive alignment between separate optical subassemblies is facilitated by the use of a waveguiding interface component formed to exhibit a stack of layers (oxide layers, metal layers, waveguiding layer(s)) in a specific order and with dimensions controlled such that an optical subassembly formed to include a like stack may be joined in an upside-down adjoined arrangement to provide passive alignment between their respective waveguiding layers. The use of vertical stacks of the same height, with the waveguiding layers disposed at referenced positions with respect to the midpoint of the stack provides the passive alignment in the Y-Z plane. Mating fiducials may be included on the elements to provide X-direction alignment. The vertical stacks of a same height H allows for a top surface of one stack to be disposed on an exposed substrate surface of the other such that the waveguiding layers are passively aligned.
A configuration of both optical and electronic integrated circuits is formed upon a single substrate in a side-by-side arrangement, with minimal interposing elements required to direct the flow of electronic signals from one IC to another. The various sets of optical connections (typically, fiber arrays that are connected to components beyond the interconnect) are disposed around the outer periphery of the interconnect in a manner that allows for efficient access. Oriented with the substrate as top layer in stack, a heatsink may be coupled directly to exposed substrate surface and provide an efficient path for heat transfer away from the interconnection assembly.
A glass-based coupling component including a set of waveguides formed in a particular pattern is used to provide interconnection between selected elements within a high density optical-electrical interconnection assembly (for example, between a set of photonic integrated circuits and an external faceplate connector). A separate interface element (including an array of fiber stubs) is used to couple each photonic integrated circuit to the glass-based coupling component. A pair of V-groove support members are included in each interface element and used to support the array of fiber stubs in alignment with both a set of waveguides formed in the glass-based coupling component and a set of optical signals exiting the photonic integrated circuits.
G02B 6/42 - Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
H01L 25/16 - Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid-state devices the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subclasses of , , , , or , e.g. forming hybrid circuits
A laser source assembly is based upon an optical reference substrate that is utilized as a common optical reference plane upon which both a fiber array and a laser diode array are disposed and positioned to provide alignment between the components. Passive optical components used to provide alignment between the laser diode array and the fiber array are also located on the optical reference substrate. A top surface of the reference substrate is patterned to include alignment fiducials and bond locations for the fiber array receiving block, laser diode array submount and passive optical components. The receiving block is configured to present the optical fibers at a height that facilitates alignment with the output beams from the laser diodes positioned on the silicon submount.
Passive alignment and connection between a fiber array and a plurality of optical waveguides terminating along an edge of a photonic IC is provided by a controlled mating between V-grooves formed in a fiber support substrate and alignment ridges formed to surround waveguide terminations along an edge of a photonic IC. The V-grooves of the fiber support substrate are spaced to define the same pitch as the waveguides on the photonic IC, with the height and width of the alignment ridges formed to engage with the V-grooves upon mating of the fiber support substrate with the photonic IC. The individual fibers are positioned within associated V-grooves such that their endfaces are retracted from a proximal end portion of the support structure. It is this proximal end portion that mates with the alignment ridges on the photonic IC.
G02B 6/42 - Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
G02B 6/136 - Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method by etching
G02B 6/12 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
12.
DUAL LAYER OPTICAL COUPLING CONFIGURATION BETWEEN PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND EXTERNAL SINGLE MODE OPTICAL FIBER
A dual-layer coupling arrangement comprises a first coupling waveguide disposed within a photonic integrated circuit (at a position over an included optical signal waveguide) and a second coupling waveguide disposed above the first coupling waveguide. The first and second coupling waveguides are formed to exhibit splitter configurations that terminate as a pair arms separated by a distance suitable for creating beams that would coincide with a circular mode field of the core region of a coupling optical fiber. The vertical spacing between the first and second coupling waveguides is set so that the pairs of beams exiting from the terminating arms of the coupling waveguides coincide with a circular mode field.
G02B 6/12 - Light guidesStructural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
13.
HIGH DENSITY OPTICAL/ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION ARRANGEMENT WITH HIGH THERMAL EFFICIENCY
A configuration of both optical and electronic integrated circuits is formed upon a single substrate in a side-by-side arrangement, with minimal interposing elements required to direct the flow of electronic signals from one IC to another. The various sets of optical connections (typically, fiber arrays that are connected to components beyond the interconnect) are disposed around the outer periphery of the interconnect in a manner that allows for efficient access. Oriented with the substrate as top layer in stack, a heatsink may be coupled directly to exposed substrate surface and provide an efficient path for heat transfer away from the interconnection assembly.
H01L 25/16 - Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid-state devices the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subclasses of , , , , or , e.g. forming hybrid circuits
H01L 23/00 - Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
A high density opto-electronic interconnection arrangement includes an interposer disposed over the substrate and used to provide a high density electrical connection to a group of electrical ICs flip-chip mounted on the substrate. A set of optical ICs are disposed over and attached to the electrical ICs, where the positioning of the optical IC on the top of the stack eliminates the need to form vias through the thickness of the optical substrate. Thus, a relatively thick optical IC component may be used, providing a stable optical axis and improving alignment and coupling of optical signal paths.
H01L 25/16 - Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid-state devices the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subclasses of , , , , or , e.g. forming hybrid circuits
G02B 6/122 - Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
A laser source assembly is based upon an optical reference substrate that is utilized as a common optical reference plane upon which both a fiber array and a laser diode array are disposed and positioned to provide alignment between the components. Passive optical components used to provide alignment between the laser diode array and the fiber array are also located on the optical reference substrate. A top surface of the reference substrate is patterned to include alignment fiducials and bond locations for the fiber array receiving block, laser diode array submount and passive optical components. The receiving block is configured to present the optical fibers at a height that facilitates alignment with the output beams from the laser diodes positioned on the silicon submount.
Passive alignment and connection between a fiber array and a plurality of optical waveguides terminating along an edge of a photonic IC is provided by a controlled mating between V-grooves formed in a fiber support substrate and alignment ridges formed to surround waveguide terminations along an edge of a photonic IC. The V-grooves of the fiber support substrate are spaced to define the same pitch as the waveguides on the photonic IC, with the height and width of the alignment ridges formed to engage with the V-grooves upon mating of the fiber support substrate with the photonic IC. The individual fibers are positioned within associated V-grooves such that their endfaces are retracted from a proximal end portion of the support structure. It is this proximal end portion that mates with the alignment ridges on the phtonic IC.
A high density opto-electronic interconnection arrangement includes an interposer disposed over the substrate and used to provide a high density electrical connection to a group orf electrical ICs flip-chip mounted on the substrate. A set of optical ICs are disposed over and attached to the electrical ICs, where the positioning of the optical IC on the top of the stack eliminates the need to form vias through the thickness of the optical substrate. Thus, a relatively thick optical IC component may be used, providing a stable optical axis and improving alignment and coupling of optical signals.
A high density interconnect arrangement takes the form of a backplane-pluggable card, with electrical connections formed along a single (pluggable) edge and all remaining connections provided via optical fibers. An exemplary interconnect arrangement also includes on-board optical sources and silicon photonic-based circuitry for providing optical transceiver functionality. Passively aligned fiber arrays are utilized to provide I/O connections to external elements, as well as between laser sources and on-board silicon photonics.
A high density interconnect arrangement takes the form of a backplane-pluggable card, with electrical connections formed along a single (pluggable) edge and all remaining connections provided via optical fibers. An exemplary interconnect arrangement also includes on-board optical sources and silicon photonic-based circuitry for providing optical transceiver functionality. Passively aligned fiber arrays are utilized to provide I/O connections to external elements, as well as between laser sources and on-board silicon photonics.
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