Optical semiconductor array module, method of fabricating the module, and external board mounting structure of the module

An optical semiconductor array module comprising:

• at least one of optical semiconductor array devices, the devices being constituted by a plurality of semiconductor laser diode, light-emitting diode elements or a plurality of semiconductor photo diode elements;
• an electronic device for driving said at least one optical semiconductor array device;
• an optical fiber array optically coupled to said at least one optical semiconductor array device, the optical fiber array being constituted by a plurality of optical fibers for performing optical transmission;
• a lens array constituted by a plurality of lenses for optically coupling said at least one optical semiconductor array device and said optical fiber array so that they are in an optical transmission relationship;
• a lens array supporting member for supporting and fixing said lens array, the lens array supporting member being connected to a package where said at least one optical semiconductor array device and said electronic device are housed;
• and
• an optical fiber array supporting member for supporting and fixing said optical fiber array, the optical fiber array supporting member being connected to said package through said lens array supporting member,
• wherein said package, which houses said one optical semiconductor array device and said electronic device, is constituted by a heat spreading member on which said at least one semiconductor array device is mounted, a multilayered electrode board member on which said electronic device is mounted and which is electrically connected to said at least one semiconductor array device through said electronic device, a side wall to which said lens array supporting member is connected and which is provided so as to surround said at least one semiconductor array device and said electronic device, and a cap fixed on the top of said side wall so that an inner space defined in said side wall is isolated from the outside,
• electrode pins, which are provided on said multilayered electrode board member and are electrically connected to said at least one semiconductor array device, are taken out only from one flat surface of said multilayered electrode board member and are disposed in the same direction as said cap fixed on the top of said package, and
• said heat spreading member is disposed in a direction opposite to the direction in which said electrode pins are taken out.

An optical semiconductor array module comprising:

• an optical semiconductor array device constituted by a plurality of semiconductor laser diode, light-emitting diode elements or a plurality of semiconductor photo diode elements;
• an electronic device for driving and controlling said optical semiconductor array device;
• a cube-shaped package case for housing said optical semiconductor array device and said electronic device therein;
• an optical fiber array optically coupled to said optical semiconductor array device;
• a supporting member for holding and fixing said optical fiber array to one surface of said cube-shaped package case;
• coupling means for optically coupling said optical semiconductor array device and said optical fiber array together;
• and
• a terminal portion having a plurality of pins for electrically connecting an external circuit board to said electronic device,
• wherein said plurality of pins are mounted in a surface of said terminal portion and are arrayed in the form of a pin grid array where pins are vertically mounted and arrayed in the form of a grid.

A method of fabricating an optical semiconductor array module where both an optical semiconductor array device constituted by a plurality of semiconductor laser diode, light-emitting diode elements or a plurality of semiconductor photo diode elements and an electronic device for driving and controlling said optical semiconductor array device are housed in a cube-shaped package case, an optical fiber array inserted in an optical fiber array supporting member is attached to a side surface of said package case, and an end of said optical fiber array is optically coupled to said optical semiconductor array device through a lens array having of a plurality of lenses, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a board on a side wall forming part of said package case and also on an inner surface of a plate-shaped fixing member forming a bottom portion of said package case, the board forming part of said package case and having a plurality of pins mounted therein and also having said electronic device mounted thereon;
• mounting said optical semiconductor array device at a predetermined position on a surface of said plate-shaped fixing member and said electronic device at a predetermined position on a surface of said board;
• electrically connecting said optical semiconductor array device and said electronic device together;
• attaching said lens array plate supporting member having said lens array plate fixed thereto to said side wall;
• attaching a cap on the top of said side wall to hermetically seal an inner space of said side wall;
• attaching said optical fiber array fixed to said optical fiber array supporting member to said side surface of said package case;
• when said lens array plate supporting member having said lens array plate fixed thereto is attached to said side wall, emitting light from some of a plurality of light-emitting elements of said optical semiconductor array device and adjusting a position of said lens array plate so that the optical axis line of each element of said optical semiconductor array device becomes aligned with that of each lens of said optical fiber array plate and then joining and fixing said lens array plate by welding;
• adjusting optical coupling between a laser beam being passed through said lens array plate and said optical fiber array;
• and
• joining and fixing said optical fiber array supporting member to the side wall of said package case through said lens array plate supporting member by welding.