Managing adhesive material shaping using structure arrays

An article of manufacture comprising:

• at least a portion of a wafer comprising a substrate and one or more layers fabricated on the substrate;
• a plurality of integrated photonic structures in the at least a portion of the wafer, where a first integrated photonic structure of the plurality of integrated photonic structures is associated with a first electromagnetic wave propagation region that extends beyond a first surface of a first layer of the one or more layers, and a second integrated photonic structure of the plurality of integrated photonic structures is associated with a second electromagnetic wave propagation region that extends beyond the first surface of the first layer;
• an array of liquid guiding structures arranged in a two-dimensional pattern on a portion of the first surface of the first layer;
• and
• an adhesive material making contact with the first surface of the first layer and with at least a majority of the liquid guiding structures in the array of liquid guiding structures, where the adhesive material has a maximum height relative to the first surface of the first layer that (1) extends above respective tops of a plurality of the liquid guiding structures in the array of liquid guiding structures and (2) is less than 20 microns.