Optoelectroinc mount including flexible substrate and method for making same

A method for interconnecting an optical waveguide to an optoelectronic device comprising, the steps of:

• providing an optical waveguide having a plurality of core regions and having a cladding region that surrounds the plurality of core regions, where a portion of the cladding region forms a first surface and an end of the plurality of core regions and second portion of the cladding region forms a second surface;
• providing an insulative flexible substrate, where the substrate has an electronic component receiving area and an optoelectronic receiving area thereon, and where the substrate additionally has a plurality of electrically conductive tracings thereon extending at least from the electronic component receiving area to the optoelectronic receiving area;
• aligning the insulative flexible substrate to the first surface and second surface in an aligned position;
• attaching the insulative flexible substrate to the first surface and to the second surface of the waveguide in the aligned position;
• providing an optoelectronic device with a working portion;
• aligning the optoelectronic device to a portion of the plurality of core regions of the waveguide, thereby centering the working portion of the optoelectronic device to a core region of the waveguide;
• and
• attaching the optoelectronic device electrically to the electrically conductive tracings of the flexible substrate, thereby creating an interconnection between the optical waveguide and the optoelectronic device.

An optoelectronic mount that interconnects a waveguide, an optoelectronic component, and an electronic component comprising:

• a waveguide having a plurality of core regions that are surrounded by cladding regions, wherein a portion of the cladding regions forms a first surface and a portion of the plurality of core regions and the cladding regions forms a second surface;
• an insulative flexible substrate, where the substrate has an electronic component receiving area and an optoelectronic receiving area thereon, and where the substrate additionally has a plurality of electrically conductive tracings thereon extending at least from the electronic component receiving area to the optoelectronic receiving area;
• means for attaching the insulative flexible substrate to the waveguide so that the electronic component receiving area attaches to the first surface and the optoelectronic receiving area attaches to the second surface;
• and
• an electronic component having electrical contacts mounted to the electronic component receiving area with the electrical contacts connected to the electrically conductive tracings and an optoelectronic device having electrical contacts mounted to the optoelectronic receiving area with the electronic contacts connected to the electrically conductive tracings, thus interconnecting the electronic component, the optoelectronic component and the waveguide.

An optical module comprising:

• an optical mount including a waveguide, a flexible substrate affixed to the waveguide, and a optoelectronic component affixed to the flexible substrate, wherein the waveguide includes a plurality of core regions that are surrounded by cladding regions and that a portion of the cladding regions forms a first surface and a portion of the plurality of core regions and the cladding regions forms a second surface, wherein the flexible substrate includes a plurality of bonding pads defining a first area and a plurality of bonding pads defining a second area thereon, and where the substrate additionally has a plurality of electrically conductive tracings thereon extending at least from the first area to the second area thereon and where the substrate is affixed to the waveguide so that the first area is affixed to the first surface and the second area is affixed to the second surface, and wherein the optoelectronic component is affixed to the second area of the substrate;
• an interconnect board having at least one lead and affixed to the optical mount and where the optical mount and the interconnect board are electrically connected to at least one conductive tracing on the substrate;
• and
• an over molding structure encapsulating the optical mount and interconnect board, thereby fabricating an optical module.