Optical-electronic array module and method therefore

An assembly comprising:

• an optical-electronic die having electrically conductive pads;
• a submount, wherein the submount has first and second opposing sides, and has a third side essentially perpendicular to the first submount side, wherein the first and third submount sides have an adjoining edge,
• wherein the submount has electrically conductive pads on the first side bonded to the die pads, second electrically conductive pads on the third side of the submount, and electrically conductive traces interconnecting the first and second submount pads,
• wherein the conductive traces are formed on the first and third sides and adjoining edge of the submount by a process that uses a shadow mask, and
• wherein the submount forms an aperture extending through the submount;
• from the first submount side to the second submount side;
• and
• an optical coupler having a fiber-optic path therein for coupling optical signals from or to a fiber-optic cable on a first end of the coupler and for coupling optical signals from or to the die at a second end of the coupler,
• wherein the second end of the coupler has a feature matching the submount aperture,
• wherein the feature is inserted into the submount aperture, and
• wherein an optical input or output of the die faces the second side of the coupler and is aligned to the coupler fiber-optic path and optically coupled to the fiber-optic path through the aperture.

A method for fabricating an optical-electronic array module, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a submount having first and second opposing sides and a third side essentially perpendicular to the first submount side,
• wherein the first and third submount sides have an adjoining edge,
• wherein the submount forms an aperture extending through the submount from the first side the second sides;
• b) forming conductive traces on the first and third sides of the submount and on an edge adjoining the first and third sides,
• wherein the conductive traces are formed using a shadow mask,
• wherein the traces interconnect first electrically conductive pads on the first submount side and second electrically conductive pads on the submount third side;
• c) inserting into the submount aperture and securing therein an optical coupler having a fiber-optic path therein,
• wherein the optical coupler is for coupling optical signals from or to a fiber-optic cable on a first end of the coupler to or from a second end of the coupler,
• wherein the second end of the coupler has a feature matching the submount aperture;
• aligning an optical input or output of the die to face the second side of the coupler;
• so that the die is aligned and optically coupled to the coupler fiber-optic path through the submount aperture;
• and
• e) aligning pads for electrical inputs or outputs on the die to the electrical pads on the submount first side,
• wherein the aligning in step d) is concurrent with the aligning in step e).