Optical and optoelectronic assemblies including micro-spacers, and methods of manufacturing the same

An apparatus comprising:

• a first optical element;
• a second optical element separated from the first optical element by an air or vacuum gap;
• and
• a first micro-spacer on the first optical element or on the second optical element, and laterally surrounding the air or vacuum gap.

A method comprising:

• forming trenches in an encapsulant that covers a wafer on which are mounted optoelectronic devices such that the trenches are formed in areas separating the optoelectronic devices from one another;
• providing a material in the trenches, wherein the material is opaque to a wavelength or range of wavelengths of radiation emitted by or detectable by the optoelectronic devices;
• and
• placing one or more singulated optical sub-assemblies onto support spacers formed by portions of the opaque material such that each of the one or more optical sub-assemblies is disposed over a respective one of the optoelectronic devices, wherein each of the optical sub-assemblies comprises:
• a first optical element;
• a second optical element separated from the first optical element by an air or vacuum gap;
• and a first micro-spacer on the first optical element or on the second optical element, and laterally surrounding the air or vacuum gap.

A method comprising:

• forming a spacer-wall formation on a carrier wafer, wherein the spacer-wall formation includes support spacers for supporting respective optical sub-assemblies and wall portions for laterally surrounding respective ones of the optical sub-assemblies;
• placing singulated optical sub-assemblies onto the support spacers;
• removing the carrier wafer from the spacer-wall formation;
• dicing through regions of the wall portions to form modules, each of which includes at least one of the optical sub-assemblies;
• and
• attaching one of the modules to a flexible cable on which is mounted an optoelectronic device such that the optical sub-assembly of the module is disposed over the optoelectronic device.

A module comprising:

• an optoelectronic sub-assembly including:
• an optoelectronic device mounted on a substrate;
• walls laterally surrounding the optoelectronic device;
• and
• a first ledge projecting from the walls laterally toward an interior region of the module, wherein the walls and the first ledge form a unitary piece composed of the same material as one another;
• and
• an optical assembly supported by the first ledge such that the optical assembly is disposed over the optoelectronic device.