Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-22
2004-04-06
Stafira, Michael P. (Department: 2877)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
C385S088000, C385S093000, C385S094000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715936
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to photonic component packages, and more particularly to methods of fabricating photonic component packages with reduced footprint requirements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Photonic components are of increased benefit when reduced in size and cost. The cross-sectional area of a surface of an electronic module, subsystem, or system that is taken up by, or devoted to, a certain photonic component is referred to as the footprint of that component. The footprint required to couple or interface a photonic component with a printed circuit board or an electronic circuit, module, system, subsystem or socket is typically related to the design of the package of the component that encloses the photonic and electronic elements of the device. In particular, the need to couple or attach photonic elements, such as optical fibers, to photonic components creates needs in the art for improvement in the design of photonic component packages.
Kato, et al., in “Optical module, method for manufacturing optical module and optical communication apparatus”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,352 (Aug. 28, 2001) disclose a method to form an optical module with a plastic package by molding resin around an optical device and an optical fiber. Kato et al. provide a package having high rigidity and low thermal expansion properties. But the disclosure of Kato et al. fails to consider or provide optional orientations for insertion of the package into a larger system. Kato et al. does not address the advantages of installing the package onto a printed circuit board after high temperature manufacturing steps of the printed circuit board are completed.
Iida et al. disclose, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,673, “Package for optical semiconductor module,” Feb. 13, 2001, an improvement in mounting an optical semiconductor module onto a printed circuit board. The improvement of Iida et al. enables a system designer to orient the optical module in a range of orientation angles relative to a high frequency circuit board. Iida et al. does not enable the low cost application of conventional and low cost package manufacturing methods and suitable materials known in the art, such as ceramic or plastic.
Hoang-Phong La discloses, in International Patent Application (PCT) No. WO 00/60673 (Publication Date: Oct. 12, 2000) entitled “An electro-optical package for reducing parasitic effects”, a package design that allows photonic and electrical signals to be received processed, and responded to with an electrical or a photonic resultant signal. La teaches that his invention can be embodied in a standard and low cost package type and style. Yet La's work is limited to the provision of a device that accepts and emits electrical and photonic signals via a plurality of electricity-to-light and light-to-electricity converters and wherein all of the converters are aligned along the same side of a substrate. La fails to provide or consider a generally applicable package or packaging technique that enables a coupling of a photonic element, e.g., an optical fiber, or a collimator, with a MEMS or semiconductor device and within or via a low cost and standard package size and type.
There is, therefore, a long felt need to provide a photonic component packages with reduced footprint requirements and that allow for employing low cost manufacturing techniques and may be attached to a socket, a printed circuit board or other appropriate system or module known in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a package for a photonic component.
It is an object of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a photonic component package having a reduced footprint requirement for mounting onto a module and coupling to one or more optical fibers, wherein a length of at least one the optical fiber proximate to the photonics component package is substantially parallel to a mounting surface of the module.
It is another object of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a packaging method for fabricating photonic components.
It is yet another object of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a package that partially or entirely encloses a semiconductor die, such as a photonic element or a micro-electromechanical system die.
It is an object of yet other certain alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a photonic component that comprises a low cost package, the package substantially complying with a suitable semiconductor industry package standard known in the art.
It is an object of certain still other preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a photonic component with die attachment performed by certain suitable semiconductor industry standard die attach equipment.
It is an object of certain yet other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a method of packaging a photonic component having wire bonds formed by certain suitable semiconductor industry standard wire bonding equipment.
It is an object of certain even other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a method of packaging photonic components by certain suitable semiconductor industry standard packaging equipment.
It is an object of certain yet other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a method of lid attachment of photonic component packages by certain suitable semiconductor industry lid attach equipment.
It is an object of certain other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a method of marking of photonic component packages by certain suitable semiconductor industry marking equipment.
It is an object of certain still other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide photonic components at least partially testable by certain suitable semiconductor industry standard test equipment.
It is an object of certain yet other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide photonic components mounted onto printed circuit boards by certain suitable semiconductor industry standard mounting equipment.
It is an object of certain other alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a boot that at least partially encloses a photonic element coupled with a photonic component package, and wherein the boot and the photonic component package have increased mechanical stability when the photonic component package is attached to a module.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a package for a photonic component that (1) presents a reduced footprint requirement, (2) that enables an optical coupling of a photonic element and a semiconductor die, and (3) supports electrical communications between the semiconductor die module, the module comprising a printed circuit board, an electronic circuit, subsystem or system. A footprint of the package is defined as the cross-sectional area of the module, or of a mounting surface of the module, that is required to be available for use in mounting the present invention to the module.
The preferred embodiment, or invented package, is a low cost package that includes a package body having an interior with a cavity, a photonic element side. A plurality of pins of the invented package extend from the package body. The pins are oriented to not increase the footprint requirement of the present invention beyond that required by the present invention with the pins removed. The projections of the pins reside wholly within the footprint of the package body and the pins do not expand the footprint of the invented package beyond a footprint of the package body. Each pin comprises a substantially straight section.
An external photonic element, such as an optical fiber, is coupled to the invented package and is positioned to establish a parallel orientation with the mounting surface of the module when the pins are inserted into the module. Each pin comprises a substantially straight secti
MegaSense, Inc.
Stafira Michael P.
Valentin II Juan D
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