Protective sealing of optoelectronic modules

An optoelectronic module comprising:

• an optical fiber block;
• a plurality of optical fibers having fiber facets terminating on an end face of said optical fiber block;
• a submount having one of a surface emitting laser diode and a photo diode array disposed thereon;
• a spacer interposed between said submount and said end face configured to provide connective coupling between the submount and the end face, such that said spacer encloses said diode array and said fiber facets when the submount is coupled to the end face by way of the spacer;
• and
• a resin encapsulating said diode array in said spacer, said resin being substantially transparent to light transmissions between said diode array and said fiber facets, wherein said spacer is bonded to said submount and to said end face for sealing said diode array and said fiber facets, and said spacer has a resin injection port therein for admitting a sealing resin into a chamber formed by said spacer between said submount and said end face.

A method of sealing an optoelectronic assembly in a transmitter or receiver module comprising:

• providing an optical fiber block supporting a plurality of optical fibers each having a fiber facet terminating on an end face of said block to define a fiber facet array;
• providing a submount having a top surface and a side surface;
• bonding a laser diode array chip having a laser diode array to said top surface of said submount;
• providing a cap configured to be disposed on said submount and adjoin to said end face of said optical fiber block such that said cap encloses said laser diode array and said fiber facet array therein, said cap augmenting a contact area between said submount and said fiber block;
• affixing said cap to said submount;
• optically aligning said diode array with said fiber facet array;
• and
• bonding said submount to said optical fiber block, wherein said cap cooperates with said fiber block to define a fluid containment enclosure encompassing said laser diode array chip, and said method further comprising applying liquid resin through a hole in said fluid containment enclosure to encapsulate said laser diode array chip.

A method of sealing an optoelectronic assembly in a transmitter or receiver module comprising:

• providing an optical fiber block supporting a plurality of optical fibers each having a fiber facet terminating on an end face of said block to define a fiber facet array;
• providing a submount;
• bonding a diode array chip having a laser diode array to said submount;
• providing a containment dam between said submount and said end face such that said containment dam encloses said diode array and said fiber facets and provides connective coupling between the submount and end face, or augments a contact area between the submount and end face;
• affixing said containment dam to said submount for defining a fluid containment enclosure encompassing said diode array chip;
• assembling said submount, said containment dam and said optical fiber block with said diode array chip in optical alignment with said fiber facet array;
• and
• applying liquid resin to encapsulate said diode array chip, wherein said containment dam cooperates with said optical fiber block to make a closed chamber containing said diode array and said fiber facet array, said closed chamber including a hole or opening for admitting said liquid resin into said closed chamber.

An optoelectronic data communication module comprising:

• a housing module with electronic transmitter or receiver circuits in said housing module;
• an optical fiber block having optical fibers having fiber facets terminating on an end face of said block;
• a submount having one of a light emitter diode array and a light detector diode array mounted thereon in optical alignment with said facets and operatively connected to said circuits;
• and
• a chamber forming device configured to form a chamber with said submount and said end face of said block such that said chamber forming device encloses said diode array and said facets in said chamber and provides connective coupling between the submount and the end face, or augments a contact area between the submount and end face, wherein:
• said chamber forming device also defines a fluid containment dam about said array and the chamber includes a hole or opening therein for admitting a liquid epoxy resin into fluid containment dam, and
• wherein said array is encapsulated in said epoxy resin contained by said dam.

A method of making an optoelectronic assembly in a transmitter or receiver module comprising:

• providing an optical fiber block supporting a plurality of optical fibers each having a fiber facet terminating on an end face of said block to define a fiber facet array;
• providing a submount;
• providing a containment dam configured to be disposed on said submount and adjoin said end face of said optical fiber block such that said containment dam encloses said edge emitting laser diode array and said fiber facets therein, said containment dam having a bottom surface and at least one side surface that augments a contact area between the submount and end face;
• bonding a diode array chip to said submount;
• bonding said bottom surface of the containment dam to said submount;
• and
• bonding one or both of said submount and said one or more side surfaces to said fiber block with said diode array chip in optical alignment with said fiber facet array, wherein said containment dam cooperates with said end face to define a fluid containment enclosure encompassing said diode array chip and the method further comprising applying liquid sealing resin through a hole or opening in said fluid containment enclosure to said diode array chip thereby to encapsulate said chip in said resin.