Optical waveguides – Integrated optical circuit
Patent
1996-09-18
1998-02-03
Ngo, John
Optical waveguides
Integrated optical circuit
385 89, 385 94, G02B 636
Patent
active
057153388
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for producing an encapsulation of waveguides and optoelectronic components hybrid integrated on silicon bases and it also relates to the encapsulated components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hybrid integration on silicon is a method of providing a micro-construction procedure of combining in an efficient way waveguides, electronic circuitry, light sources (lasers, light emitting diodes) and light detectors.
The fundamental idea is to use silicon as a base or a substrate and thus use the good mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of this material. On this substrate the optoelectronic components (lasers, light emitting diodes, light detectors, PIN-diodes) and possible electronic circuits are mounted. Silicon is also an excellent substrate for waveguides of for example silicon dioxide. Silicon can be worked by means of lithographically defined masks and various etching methods, such as anisotropical etching, which give a possibility of producing guide bosses (mesas) and V-grooves in order to position, with a high degree of accuracy, optoelectronic components, fibers, or exterior guide means such as guide pins in MT-connectors. The technique promises very much in regard of achieving a low cost of manufacture for optical transmitter and receiver modules. There is a need for a rational encapsulation method which is less costly than the traditional hermetic encapsulation. The previously known encapsulation methods have high demands on the process and on the materials, resulting in the high costs. It would be advantageous if the components could be encapsulated in the same way as conventional microelectronic circuits, that is by transfer molding of curable resins, but then an encapsulation is obtained which in many cases is not sufficiently impermeable.
PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,077,878 and 5,163,108 for Armiento et al. disclose how optical receiving elements such as fibers are aligned to active elements of a light generating chip by forming pedestals or projections on the surface of a substrate body of preferably silicon. The optical fibers are positioned in V-grooves in the surface of the substrate and are fabricated by photolithographic techniques.
In the published European patent application EP-A2 0 171 615 a multitude of various embodiments of optocircuits, hybrid integrated on silicon bases with associated electronic circuits are described and methods for the manufacture thereof. The manufacturing method can comprise the conventional deposition and etching procedures for producing integrated circuits, among other steps comprising that a layer of silica glass is deposited and that parts thereof are removed. Further, the components can be encapsulated in the same way as conventional electronic integrated circuits.
In the published European patent application EP-A2 0 331 338 optoelectronic, hybrid integrated circuits are disclosed comprising optoelectronic substrate plates, such as Group III-V lasers 16 and photodiodes 24, 28, mounted on a silicon base and optically connected to each other by silica waveguides 14, 22, 26 and couplers 20, 23 integrated on the base. In FIGS. 6 and 7 it is shown how the upper cladding 34 is formed by depositing silica. Further, a lid 70 can be mounted which is sealed along its circumference against the base. The lid 70 is made of semiconducting material, probably silicon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,777 relates to a scattered light blocking layer for optoelectronic receivers. There, deposition of silicon dioxide is not considered but a deposition of a light sensitive layer of a polymer material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,475 is concerned with forming optical waveguides on metallized substrates and describes among other things the deposition of various layers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for obtaining, within the frame given by conventional encapsulation methods for microelectronic circuits, comprising among other methods transfer molding of plastics, a cost effici
REFERENCES:
patent: 5059475 (1991-10-01), Sun et al.
patent: 5076654 (1991-12-01), Presby
patent: 5077878 (1992-01-01), Armiento et al.
patent: 5091045 (1992-02-01), Froning et al.
patent: 5134671 (1992-07-01), Koern et al.
patent: 5155777 (1992-10-01), Angelopoulos et al.
patent: 5163108 (1992-11-01), Armieto et al.
patent: 5467415 (1995-11-01), Presby
Palmskog Goran
Sjolinder Sven
Steijer Odd
Ngo John
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericcson
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