Manufacturable optical connection assemblies
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLawrence Jacobowitz, John U. Knickerbocker, Ronald P. Luijten, Subhash L. Shinde
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Abstract
A set of interlocking modules supports and connects a die containing lasers, a set of precision molded lenses and a set of beam switching elements. Another embodiment of the invention is a structure for mounting a logic chip and an optical chip on a chip carrier, with the optical chip being mounted on the side of the carrier facing the system board on which the carrier is mounted, so that radiation travels in a straight path from optical sources on the optical chip into optical transmission guides on the board.
Claims21
An optical assembly structure for the connection of an array of VCSEL dice to a board comprising:
- a VCSEL die containing said array of VCSELs, said array being surrounded by a metallized bonding seam on a top surface thereof;
- a precision optical transfer unit containing a corresponding bonding seam on the bottom thereof corresponding to said metallized bonding seam on said VCSEL die and a first array of passive alignment structures on a top surface thereof, said transfer unit containing optical transfer means for transferring radiation emitted from said array of VCSELs;
- and
- a pluggable optical connector having an optical transmission unit inserted in a cavity thereof, an array of interlock receptacles on a bottom surface thereof mating with said array of passive alignment structures on said top surface of said optical transfer unit and a second array of passive alignment structures on a top surface thereof for mating with said board.
A method of fabricating an optical assembly structure for the connection a VCSEL die containing an array of VCSELs to a board comprising the steps of:
- providing a VCSEL die containing said array of VCSELs, said array being surrounded by a metallized bonding seam on a top surface thereof;
- providing an optical transfer unit containing a corresponding bonding seam on the bottom thereof corresponding to said metallized bonding seam on said VCSEL die and a first array of passive alignment structures on a top surface thereof disposed in alignment with said array of VCSELs, said transfer unit containing optical transfer means for transferring radiation emitted from said array of VCSELs;
- bonding said optical assembly and said optical transfer unit to form an optical source module;
- and
- plugging said optical source module into a pluggable optical connector having an optical manipulation unit inserted in a cavity thereof, an array of interlock receptacles on a bottom surface thereof mating with said array of passive alignment structures on said top surface of said optical transfer unit and a second array of passive alignment structures on a top surface thereof for mating with said board, whereby said optical module may be replaced.
An assemblage of components for supporting at least one optical chip and at least one electronic chip and connecting said chips to a system support comprising:
- an interconnection module having electrical interconnections disposed thereon and having a lower side facing said system support and an upper side facing opposite said system support;
- at least one optical chip mounted on said lower side and having at least one radiation emitting component emitting radiation perpendicular to said optical chip and traveling toward said system board;
- at least one electronic chip mounted on said upper side;
- in which said optical chip is mounted aligned with at least one optical transmission medium disposed on said system board, whereby radiation emitted by said at least one radiation emitting component travels along a direct path between said optical chip and said transmission medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.