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US 11,105,989 B2Granted
Optical assembly and method of forming the same
AssigneeAgency for Science, Technology and Research
InventorTeck Guan Lim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments may provide an optical assembly. The optical assembly may include a substrate with a first and a second grooves, and a photonic integrated circuit chip with a coupling waveguide, a first and a second grooves. The optical assembly may further include a first and a second cylindrical rods held by the respective grooves of the substrate and the photonic integrated circuit chip. A portion of the first rod and a portion of the second rod define a vertical offset between the photonic integrated circuit chip and the substrate to align the coupling waveguide with an optical fiber.
Claims16
An optical assembly comprising:
- a substrate comprising:
- a first U-shaped groove on a surface of the substrate, the first U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- and
- a second U-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate and parallel to the first U-shaped groove of the substrate, the second U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- a photonic integrated circuit chip above the substrate with a surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip facing the surface of the substrate, the photonic integrated circuit chip comprising:
- a coupling waveguide;
- a first U-shaped groove on the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the first U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- and
- a second U-shaped groove on the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip and parallel to the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the second U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- an optical fiber above the substrate and lateral to the photonic integrated circuit chip;
- a first cylindrical rod having a first portion received by the first U-shaped groove of the substrate, a second portion received by the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
- and
- a second cylindrical rod having a first portion received by the second U-shaped groove of the substrate, a second portion received by the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
- wherein the first cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, so that the first portion of the first cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the first U-shaped groove of the substrate;
- wherein the first cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip, so that the second portion of the first cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip;
- wherein the second cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, so that the first portion of the second cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the second U-shaped groove of the substrate;
- wherein the second cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated chip, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated chip, so that the second portion of the second cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip;
- and
- wherein the third portion of the first cylindrical rod and the third portion of the second cylindrical rod define a desired vertical offset between the photonic integrated circuit chip and the substrate to align the coupling waveguide with the optical fiber.
16 more elements
A method of forming an optical assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate comprising:
- a first U-shaped groove on a surface of the substrate, the first U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- and
- a second U-shaped groove on the surface of the substrate and parallel to the first groove of the substrate, the second U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- arranging a photonic integrated circuit chip above the substrate with a surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip facing the surface of the substrate, the photonic integrated circuit chip comprising:
- a coupling waveguide;
- a first U-shaped groove on the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the first U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- and
- a second U-shaped groove on the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip and parallel to the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the second U-shaped groove having a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, and a base joining the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
- arranging an optical fiber above the substrate and lateral to the photonic integrated circuit chip;
- arranging a first cylindrical rod so that the first cylindrical rod has a first portion received by the first U-shaped groove of the substrate, a second portion received by the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
- and
- arranging a second cylindrical rod so that the second cylindrical rod has a first portion received by the second U-shaped groove of the substrate, a second portion received by the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
- wherein the first cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, so that the first portion of the first cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the first U-shaped groove of the substrate;
- wherein the first cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated circuit chip, so that the second portion of the first cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the first U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip;
- wherein the second cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the substrate and the surface of the substrate, so that the first portion of the second cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the second U-shaped groove of the substrate;
- wherein the second cylindrical rod is held by a corner formed by the first lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated chip, and a corner formed by the second lateral surface of the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip and the surface of the photonic integrated chip, so that the second portion of the second cylindrical rod is spaced from the base of the second U-shaped groove of the photonic integrated circuit chip;
- and
- wherein the third portion of the first cylindrical rod and the third portion of the second cylindrical rod define a desired vertical offset between the photonic integrated circuit chip and the substrate to align the coupling waveguide with the optical fiber.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.