CN1502054A - optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical device (10) is provided which includes a plurality of optical modules (12A, B). Each optical module (12A, B) includes an optical component (14A, B) fixedly coupled to a relative reference mount (18A, B). The relative reference mount (18A, B) is configured to attach to a substrate (20). A plurality of optical modules (12A, B) mount on the substrate (20) to form the optical device (10).

Description

optical device

technical field

The present invention relates to optical components and optical devices made from such components. More specifically, the invention relates to an optical device formed from a plurality of optical assemblies comprising optical, opto-electrical or opto-mechanical components.

Background technique

In order to provide high-speed data transmission, optical devices, such as optical fiber communication equipment, are increasingly used in various industries and technical fields. Optical devices are being transitioned to or added to in many applications that previously used only electrical devices. Optical devices typically include many parts that must be precisely assembled and aligned for the device to function and function effectively. Typical components include: optical fibers, waveguides, lasers, modulators, detectors, gratings, optical amplifiers, lenses, mirrors, prisms, optical windows, etc.

In the past, packaging and assembly methods for optical devices, such as those used in fiber optic communications, data storage and retrieval, optical inspection, etc., have not been versatile. Due to the inconsistencies in device design, the applicability of automatic equipment for automatically producing these devices has been limited. In order to automate the high-volume production of such devices, the parts for each individual production line must be custom designed.

In contrast, industries such as printed circuit board manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing have not only common design rules but also common packaging methods. This allows the same part of the automatic equipment to be applied to multiple designs. In the case of printed circuits, applications ranging from computer motherboards to cell phones can be designed from the very same set of basic building blocks. These building blocks include printed circuit boards, integrated circuit chips, discrete capacitors, and the like. Furthermore, since they use common components and design rules, each component of these designs, such as pick-and-place machines, can be assembled using the same automation.

The automatic assembly of optical devices is much more complicated. This assembly complexity is caused by the exact mechanical alignment requirements of the optical components. This increases the difficulty caused by the different designs. This problem arises from the various properties of the optical components and cannot be economically controlled to tight tolerances. These properties include: the concentricity of the fiber core relative to the cladding; the position of the optical axis of the lens relative to its external mechanical dimensions; the position of the back focus of the lens; the spectral properties of the thin-film interference filter, etc. In the mechanical mounting of each optical component, even if each component is positioned to its required theoretical design position, it may not be possible to meet the optical assembly specifications due to the tolerances listed above.

To illustrate the demanding alignment requirements of high-performance optics, here is a simple example of aligning two single-mode fibers. In this example, in order to ensure sufficient coupling of light from one fiber to another, the required mechanical alignments are as follows: relative angle between fibers; fiber surface angle; lateral alignment (perpendicular to the direction of light propagation); longitudinal Spacing (parallel to the direction of light propagation).

A typical single-mode fiber (wavelength range 1.3 μm to 1.6 μm) used in telecommunications has an effective core diameter of about 9 μm and an outer cladding size of 125 μm. A typical tolerance for concentricity of the core to the outer diameter of the cladding is 1 micron. If the outer claddings of the two fibers are perfectly aligned with no angular errors or longitudinal gaps, there may still be a lateral misalignment of 2 microns between the axes of the fiber cores. This axis misalignment theoretically produces a coupling loss of about 14%, ie 0.65dB. This loss is unacceptable in many applications. Therefore, people hope to provide an optical device that can make up for the deficiencies of the existing technology.

Contents of the invention

In one aspect, the invention provides an optical device comprising a plurality of optical components. Each optical assembly in turn includes an optical component operatively coupled to a relative reference mount. Relative datum mount settings are combined with fixed datum mounts. A plurality of optical assemblies mounted on a fixed reference mount forms the optical device.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of the optical assembly shown in FIG. 1 .

Figure 2B is a bottom plan view of the component mounting station.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the optical assembly of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the optical assembly of FIG. 1. FIG.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the fixed datum mounting table as in Fig. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the optical assembly along line 6-6 of FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a positioning member or alignment member used for positioning/registering or aligning relative to the reference assembly table and the fixed reference assembly table in FIG. 1 .

Figure 7B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a locator or aligner.

Fig. 8A is a perspective view showing a connecting material or bonding material used in the present invention.

Fig. 8B is a side cross-sectional view of the connecting material shown in Fig. 8A.

Figure 8C is an enlarged view of the connecting material.

Figure 8D is an enlarged view of the joined material showing deformation of the material after heating.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing an optical assembly of the present invention, which includes a gradient index (GRIN) lens.

FIG. 10 is a front plan view of the optical assembly of FIG. 9 .

Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the general aspect of the present invention.

Detailed ways

The present invention takes many forms that reduce or eliminate many of the disadvantages of the prior art. The present invention provides an optical device consisting of optical components pre-aligned as or with standard optical components. Each optical component can achieve sub-micron alignment accuracy relative to the alignment member. Alignment features on the assembly can be aligned with mating features on the substrate. This approximates the assembly of some kind of electronic component in or on a printed circuit board. Optical devices can be easily fabricated by mounting pre-calibrated or aligned optical components in an optical "circuit board". Pre-alignment of optical components compensates for part-to-part variations, essentially eliminating the effects of part-to-part variations. Such pre-aligned optical assemblies are well suited for automated fabrication of devices. These components can be made from silicon using existing techniques in the field of silicon processing. However, various suitable materials can be used with the present invention. Preferred materials are those used for existing electronic or optical components. Furthermore, the invention can also be used with active devices such as lasers, modulators, detectors, and the like. For coupling or bonding with active optical components, electrical conductors can be mounted or fabricated on the various layers. Circuits (including analog and digital circuits) can also be directly assembled or fabricated on component or fixed reference assembly platforms.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an optical device formed of at least two optical assemblies, wherein the optical components are mounted on an optical component mounting table. The optics mount is secured to a relative reference mount, such as a bottom mount plate in a desired position and orientation. A relative reference mount is bonded to a fixed reference mount (eg, a substrate) such that the optical component remains in a desired position and orientation relative to the fixed reference mount. In this overall configuration, the optics can be pre-aligned to a desired spatial reference or reference stage by adjusting the optics stage relative to the reference stage before fixing the relative position of the optics stage to the relative reference stage. position and direction. As such, it can be used to achieve pre-alignment of overall components and to compensate for possible variations between optical components. The following description sets forth a number of specific examples; however, in every way, the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations, components or techniques set forth herein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical device 10 . To illustrate the present invention, optical device 10 is shown as a simple fiber-to-fiber coupler. However, the invention is applicable to more complex or other optical devices and other types of optical components.

In FIG. 1, optical device 10 is composed of two optical assemblies 12A and 12B, which in turn include optical components 14A and 14B, respectively, which in this embodiment are optical fibers. The optical fibers are mounted on respective optical component mounting stations 16A and 16B, which in turn are positioned and oriented to achieve positioning of the optical components 14A and 14B relative to the bottom mounting plates 18A and 18B, respectively. desired position and orientation. Many specific examples of this combination are listed in detail below, however, other modes of the present invention are not limited to these examples. In the example illustrated specifically in FIG. 1 , bottom mounting plates 18A and 18B comprise generally planar mating plates. Bottom mounting plates 18A, 18B are an example of a relative datum (or relative position) mounting table. The relative datum mount may have any shape or configuration. Bottom mount plates 18A and 18B are mounted on reference substrate 20 so that optical components 14A and 14B are substantially aligned. Substrate 20 is an example of a fixed fiducial or fixed position mount, but any suitable fixed fiducial mount of suitable shape and configuration may be used.

The optical component assembly of the present invention can be pre-mounted and pre-aligned with some suitable fiducial or fiducial such that the final optical device is obtained by simply assembling the assembled optical assembly onto the reference substrate. In the example of FIG. 1, the reference substrate 20 is shown as a planar substrate that can be considered an optical "circuit board" that houses optical components to form optical, opto-electrical, or opto-mechanical devices.

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of optical assembly 12 . In the particular example shown in FIG. 2A , the optical submount or holder 16 includes an upper submount or holder 24 and a lower submount or holder 26 . Again, other configurations are within the scope of the invention. FIG. 2A illustrates a typical mounting technique for coupling optics mount 16 to bottom mount plate 18 . In this example, the joining material 30 is placed on the upper surface of the bottom mounting plate 18 . Material 30 preferably has at least two states. In one state, material 30 does not interfere with or contact assembly station 16 . In this way, the optical component mounting table 16 can have a maximum of 6 degrees of freedom in positioning relative to the bottom mounting plate 18 . In another state, the joining material joins the mounts 16 and 18 and fixes the relative position therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, material 30 comprises a thermally or chemically sensitive (or activated) material, such as solder or other joining material. The solder can be of any type, including plated solder, solder preparations, solder balls, solder paint, solder bumps, etc., including all types of solder used in flip-chip electronic packaging. However, materials (such as adhesives) that are activated or activated by drying, chemical reaction, or other means may be used, as may other attachment or connection techniques. Preferably, these attachment or connection techniques allow some relative motion between the optics mounting table 16 and the bottom mounting plate 18 before they are fixedly attached. In embodiments where a thermally active or activated material is used, a heating element (see FIG. 8B for details) may be provided to heat the material 30 . For example, in FIG. 2A , the heating element is provided to be powered and triggered via contact pads/points 34 . This can be done by means of electrical contacts 34 through which an electrical current is applied. However, other heating techniques may also be used. Of course, other techniques for changing the state of the joining material can be used, such as the use of radiation/radiation or chemical curing components. Any suitable adhesive composition may be used including those used by brazing, welding, tack welding, bonding or other techniques. Bonding or joining can be activated using techniques including exposure to air, heat, chemical composition, thermal radiation (including light and ultraviolet light), and the like.

FIG. 2B is a bottom plan view of the optics mounting station 16 and the lower mounting station 26 showing the pads 40 shown in FIG. 2A arranged to match the material 30 . The pads 40 may include, for example, some metal that is built up or deposited on the lower mounting table 26 . In another embodiment, pad 40 also includes an integral heating element, and electrical contact pads/points are provided for energizing the heating element. Heating the bonding pad 40 and the bonding material 30 together can shorten the connection time.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of optical assembly 12 showing optical component mounting station 16 adjacent bottom mounting plate 18 . In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 , material 30 is not initially in contact with optics mounting station 16 . As discussed below, the material 30 is activated or activated to fill or secure the gap 32 between the mounting stations 16 and 18 . However, other types of material 30 may be used in the actual contact between the mounting stations 16 and 18; or the gap 32 may be filled with material 30 prior to bonding or joining. In a preferred embodiment, any part can be manipulated in up to 6 degrees of freedom (as shown in FIG. 3 , along the X-axis, Y-axis and vertical Z-axis (not shown in the figure) moves in the plane of the figure, and rotates along these 3 axes). For some optics, not all 6 degrees of freedom may be required for proper alignment and thus only a few degrees of freedom may be provided. FIG. 3 also shows a typical alignment member 50 . In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, each alignment member or alignment portion 50 is a protrusion provided to mate with the reference substrate 20 discussed below.

FIG. 3 also shows the part aligner alignment portion 60 formed in the lower part mounting station 26 , and the part aligner alignment portion 62 in the upper part mounting station 24 . In general, any positioning or alignment technique may be used, nor is the invention limited to the specific examples described herein. In the exemplary embodiment, component aligners 60 and 62 include V-shaped grooves configured to accommodate optical components such as optical component 14 . Optical element 14 may be bonded or attached to the optical component mount using, for example, adhesives or solder. Optical component 14 is preferably secured to component mounting station 16 to maintain alignment relative to alignment feature 50 relative to reference mounting station 18 .

4 is a bottom plan view of optical assembly 12 showing bottom mounting plate 18 and a portion of lower optics mounting station 26 of optics mounting station 16 . The pads 54 on the bottom mounting platen 18 can be bonded or connected to the bonding material 72 . FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view showing interface surface 64 of optics mounting station 16 . Interface surface 64 is an input, output, or input/output surface of optical component 14 shown in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the interface surfaces of adjacent optical components are in a docked state. In some embodiments, any gaps between adjacent interface surfaces are filled with an index optically matching material to provide increased coupling and reduced reflection. For example, the optically matching material may be in solid, gel or liquid form. In an exemplary embodiment, interface surface 64 is a plane at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of optical fiber 14 . For example, the angle is 8 degrees. The angled surface 64 of the optic 14 may be preferred because it reduces the amount of reflected light coupled into the optical fiber. If two optics are in close proximity or in butt contact, adjacent optics mounts should have a complimentary angle. In embodiments where an angle or special interface treatment or finish is desired, the interface surface 64 may be treated using a suitable treatment (e.g., grinding or polishing treatment, chemical machining, mechanical machining, etc., or an additive process). Shaping or shaping is performed to achieve the desired structure. For example, after optic 14 is secured in optics mounting station 16, surface 64 may be polished or ground to obtain a desired angle or finish. This technique also ensures that the surface of the optic is flush with the interface surface 64 . However, in some embodiments, it may be desirable for the optical component 14 to be recessed or protrude from the interface surface 64 .

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of reference substrate 20 configured to accommodate optical assemblies 12A and 12B of FIG. 1 . Alignment members or alignment portions 70A and 70B are provided for receiving alignment members 50 on respective optical assemblies 12A and 12B. In the present exemplary embodiment, feature or portion 70 is precisely defined as a recess, disposed in alignment with the protruding portion of alignment member 50 shown in FIG. 3 or 4 . The specific structure of this exemplary embodiment is shown in Fig. 7A. The dotted line parts are the placement positions of the bottom mounting plates 18A and 18B. This structure provides an example of a kinematic fixation or alignment technique. A typical motion technique is described in US Patent No. 5,748,827 entitled "Two-Stage Motion Assembly." Any suitable fixation or alignment technique may be used with the present invention, but preferably the alignment technique should be accurate and highly repeatable. In the exemplary embodiment, a thermally activated material 72, such as solder, is provided that can be applied to fixedly attach or connect the optical component to the reference substrate by heating. In such an embodiment, the contact pads or points 74 are electrically connected to heaters for heating the material 72 . Material 72 is preferably aligned with pad 54 shown in FIG. 4 . For example, pad 54 may be a material that will firmly adhere to material 72 . For example, pad 54 may comprise a metal to which solder will adhere. Pads for improved adhesion can have multiple layers. For example, one layer is bonded to the connecting material, while the other layer is bonded or connected to a mounting station (eg, mounting stations 16, 18 or substrate 20). Alternatively, the connection pads 54 on the bottom of the bottom mounting plate 18 may also include integral heating elements; electrical contact pads or contacts may be provided to power these heating elements. Heating the pad and bonding material 72 together can shorten the connection time.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of optical assembly 12 , including substrate 20 , along line 6 - 6 in FIG. 4 . The assembled configuration is shown in which the optical assembly 12 is bonded or connected to the reference substrate 20 and the component holder 16 is bonded or connected to the bottom mounting plate 18 .

7A is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing V-groove alignment member or alignment portion 70 and protruding alignment member or alignment portion 50; FIG. 7B is an enlarged exploded view showing it. The relative spacing between the bottom mounting plate 18 and the reference substrate 20 can be controlled by adjusting the angle or width of the walls of the V-groove 70 or protrusion 50 . If fabricated from a properly positioned single crystal of silicon, this angle is generally determined by the crystal structure of the material, but the width is adjusted to control the size of the void. The bonding or connection between the board 18 and the substrate 20 actually occurs at the wire contact points 76 .

FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing the connecting material 30 in detail; FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view showing the connecting material 30 between the lower component mounting table 26 and the mounting plate 18 . Bonding material 30 is placed over heating element 80 which is electrically connected to conductor 82 . Heating element 80 may comprise some resistive element, such as a refractory metal or alloy such as tantalum, chromium, or nichrome, configured to melt material 30 when sufficient electrical current is supplied through conductor 82 .

The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 8B shows the structure near the heating element 80 . FIG. 8B is a film layer diagram, which is not used for measurement, but only to show features, such as contacts or contacts 34 that are farther from heating element 80 and closer to the edge of mounting plate 18. FIG. As shown, element 80 is electrically connected to contact 34 via electrical conductor 82 . An electrically insulating layer 87 may optionally be positioned between element 80 and material 30 to increase the amount of electrical current flowing through element 80 . Additional layer(s) 85 may be deposited on or over insulator 87 to improve adhesion, or to provide other desired properties or qualities. In the field of metal deposition, this is called "Under Bump Metallurgy" (UBM/under bumpmetallurgy). A thermal (and/or electrical) isolation layer 89 may also be applied to reduce heat transfer to surrounding components. Preferably, the heating element 80 is designed to work in an adiabatic state. When current is passed through the heating element 80 and it begins to heat up, thermal energy flows into the interior of the joining material 30 . Also, the structure is preferably configured to reduce heat transfer to the surrounding area. This reduces the energy required to activate or activate the joining material, reduces heating and assembly time, and reduces the amount of thermal stress applied to surrounding materials. Element 80 may have any suitable shape, including rectilinear, bilinear, meandering, and the like. Solder provides a joining material that can bond rapidly (lower than 100 mSec) and the bond can be "reworked" by reheating.

A variety of materials can be selected depending on the desired suitable physical properties. _SiO2 has very good thermal and electrical insulating properties and is easy to process. Of course, other materials including other oxides or organic thin films may also be used. The electrically insulating layer 87 is preferably relatively thin and has high thermal conductivity. Silicon nitride is a typical material. Conductor 82 may be any conductive material, however, preferred materials include materials that are readily deposited or deposited, such as thick refractory or refractory metals, gold or aluminum. The material of pad 54 may be any suitable material to which connection material 30 can be attached. For example, gold, nickel, platinum, etc. The choice of the thickness of the individual layers should also favorably reduce the thermal load on the heating element. Pad 40 is shown as having layers 40A and 40B. Layer 40A may be a material suitable for bonding with thermal insulation layer 89 . For example, titanium (Ti) (if layer 89 is _SiO2 ). Layer 40B is provided in conjunction with connecting material 30, which may be, for example, gold, nickel, platinum, or other material. Pad 40 may be composed of multiple layers of titanium, nickel and gold thin films. Titanium can be used as an adhesion layer to silicon. Second, nickel is deposited or deposited on top of the titanium so that the solder will form a strong metal-to-metal bond with the nickel. Finally, gold is deposited on top of the nickel to prevent corrosion of the nickel. Other receiver pad metallurgy or UBM structures may also be used, depending on the solder alloy or other considerations. The pads can also be pre-coated with a thin layer of solder prior to connecting the components to allow intermetallic formation by the underbump metallurgical UBM.

As shown in FIG. 8C , in one embodiment, material 30 includes some kind of solder forming a large surface area 84 and tapered or tapered area 86 . As the material 30 melts, surface tension causes the liquid material to flow from the tapered region 86 to the large surface region 84, causing the large surface region to expand upward as shown in FIG. 8D. This configuration is advantageous because it allows the orientation of the component mounting station 16 to be adjusted as desired (through the 6 degrees of freedom discussed with reference to FIG. 3 ) without interference from the joining material 30 . When heated, the material fills into the gap between the two parts, and the joining material only touches these two surfaces. Likewise, for the assembly of the bottom assembly plate 18 with the reference substrate 20, the plate 18 can be securely aligned in the component 70 before the bonding material 72 is applied or the heating element 80 is activated. This solder flow technique has a corresponding in U.S. Patent No. 5,892,179 issued on April 6, 1999 entitled "SOLDER BUMPS AND STRUCTURES FOR INTEGRATED REDISTRIBUTION ROUTING CONDUCTORS" describe.

As mentioned above, other joining techniques including adhesives and UV curing techniques can also be used, and the invention is not limited to welding. In one approach, however, bonding techniques can take advantage of the surface tension that occurs in the joining materials. NOTE: Solder or adhesive may be an electrical conductor to provide electrical or point contact between layers of an optical device or adjacent circuits. Thermally conductive materials can be used to help dissipate heat. In another mode, two joining materials may be used, which may be the same or different, and may be used simultaneously or sequentially. For example, after using the solder discussed here, a second joining material can be filled into the gap for added stability. However, shrinkage or other shape changes of the joining material should be taken care of to maintain alignment. In some embodiments, the surface may be roughened or textured using any suitable technique to improve adhesion of the joining material.

Component 14 may be any type of optical, opto-electric or opto-mechanical element including active or passive elements. In the examples above, the optical element 14 is shown as an optical fiber. To illustrate another exemplary optical assembly 12, an optical element 90 comprising a GRIN lens is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 . FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the lens 90 secured in the component mounting station 16 attached to the bottom mounting plate 18. As shown in FIG. Figure 10 is a front plan view. The lens 90 is positioned or aligned by the alignment groove 60 . Additional supporting attachment material 92 is provided to securely bond or connect the lens 90 to the component mounting station 16 . Additional support attachment material 92 may be adhesive, solder, or other attachment material.

FIG. 11 is a structural diagram of an optical device 110 according to the present invention. Optical device 110 includes optical assemblies 112A and 112B bonded to fixed fiducial 114 . Figure 11 illustrates the invention in block diagram form, but the invention is not limited to any particular physical implementation.

Optical assemblies 112A and 112B each include optical components 116A and 116B (which may be optical, opto-electric (optoelectronic) or opto-mechanical () components) secured to pre-alignment mounts 118A and 118B, respectively. Each optical component 116A and 116B is pre-aligned by a datum standard or reference standard 120 prior to assembly to the fixed fiducial component 114 .

The reference standard 120 is shown as a box, which is only to show the concept of standard reference framework, and it is not limited to a single physical implementation. Standard 120 may include different physical implementations for different types of optical components. In general, however, when optical components are pre-aligned according to fiducial standard 120, the result of the alignment of the optical components is that when two optical components are placed into predetermined positions in fixed standard 114, they behave in the desired manner. Proper optical interaction with another optical component already aligned to the same standard reference frame. This fiducial standard provides a fiducial framework by which optical components can be pre-aligned so that once assembled in a fixed fiducial, they will optically interact in the desired manner. This pre-alignment can be any type of alignment using any alignment technique. The place and/or time at which optical components 116A and 116B are pre-aligned to conform to fiducial standard 120 may be different from the place and time at which optical assemblies 112A and 112B are assembled to fixed datum 114 .

Pre-alignment of optical components 116A and 116B to fiducial standard 120 is accomplished by adjusting optical components 116A and 116B in pre-alignment assembly stations 118A and 118B. In the embodiment shown, the optical components 116A, 116B may have 6 degrees of freedom in the pre-alignment process prior to assembly of the optical components 116A, 116B to the pre-alignment mounting stations 118A, B. However, the number of degrees of freedom may be any one of 1 to 6. Once pre-aligned, the optical components 116 may be fixedly bonded to the respective pre-assembly station 118A or 118B using any suitable assembly technique. In one embodiment, the optics can be realigned later if desired.

After the optical components 116A, 116B have been pre-aligned in the pre-alignment mounting stations 118A, 118B, the optical assemblies 112A and 112B are mounted on a fixed datum. Assembly is performed at predetermined locations 130A and 130B. The positioning of the predetermined positions 130A and 130B is such that the optical components 116A and 116B that have been pre-aligned according to or relative to the fiducial standard 120 or the optical components 116A and 116B that have been pre-aligned to the fiducial standard 120 will enable an optical component that can be aligned with the Alignment is performed by means of optical interaction with another optical component. Predetermined locations 130A and 130B may include fixtures or alignment features on fixed datum 114 . The fixtures or alignment members 130A and 130B may also be pre-aligned so that when the optical assembly 116A, B is placed in the predetermined location 130A, B, it is aligned in a manner to properly interact with another optical component.

In one aspect, pre-alignment station bonding or connectors 140A, 140B are used to bond respective optical components to pre-alignment mounting stations 118A, B to fix the alignment of optical components 116A, B relative to fiducial standard 120 . Likewise, fixed datum bonds or connectors 142A,B are used to bond pre-alignment mounts 118A,B to fixed datums 114 . In one example, the fixed datum combination includes a fixing or alignment member on the mounting table 118A, B that mates with a fixing on the fixed datum 114 .

The various components may be fabricated using any suitable technique or material. In one embodiment, depressions or grooves with different positioning structures can be formed by anisotropically etching oriented single-crystal silicon. Prominence can also be formed in a similar, complimentary manner. Such a configuration would preferably eliminate or substantially reduce motion in any of the 6 degrees of freedom. This enables sub-micron spatial repeatability between components. For example, a [100] orientation of single crystal silicon can form this feature, and the alignment members can be positioned at 90 degrees relative to each other. Any suitable etching or etching or forming technique may be used. One common anisotropic etch technique uses KOH and a mask to define desired properties. With regard to the various conductive layers, heating element layers, and insulating layers, any suitable sputtering, plating, evaporation, or other fabrication techniques may be used.

The various aspects of the invention discussed above provide pre-aligned optical assemblies that reduce or eliminate the effects of component variability, in the above example by aligning the components on the mounting board relative to the substrate Realized by adjusting the part assembly table (fixer). Joining material is used to secure the relationship between the component and the alignment. Precise mounting or alignment features are provided on the bottom mounting plate 18 so that it can be inserted into an optical "circuit board" to form an assembly comprising multiple optical component assemblies. Optical assemblies are well suited for automated assembly of optical devices because they come in standard packages, are pre-aligned, and can be easily assembled onto reference substrates. Optical components can be placed into optical "circuit boards" either manually or automatically. Special optical components are preferably standardized for automated operation. Furthermore, this configuration allows for assembly of the device in a "top-down" fashion, where the optical components move down into the optical "circuit board", which facilitates automated handling. In addition, since the different components are made of similar materials, changes due to thermal expansion will affect all components in a similar way, so that alignment between adjacent components on the optical "circuit board" can be maintained.

The electrical conductivity of the solder connection can be utilized to provide electrical connection to electrical components on the assembly. The solder can be heated in any order or combination, including simultaneously. The location and sequence of solder heating can be set to reduce or compensate for distortion in the component, including thermal distortion. Another advantage of solder is that it can be reheated so that components can be repositioned, moved, replaced and/or repaired.

In general terms, the present invention provides an optical device comprising a plurality of optical components in which optical variations caused by component variability are eliminated or significantly reduced. This enables uniformity among multiple optical components, which is particularly suitable for automatic assembly. In one aspect, the present invention can be viewed as providing three levels of alignment between the optic and the optics mounting station. The first level of alignment is achieved between the component mount (fixture) and the optic, for example using the illustrated V-groove aligner or parts or other techniques. The second level of alignment is between the optics stage and the alignment member or alignment portion of the relative reference stage. This also eliminates or reduces alignment variations due to component differences. Final alignment occurs between the optical assembly and the reference substrate. In another exemplary manner, the optical element has an optical property that varies in space with respect to at least one dimension. By fixing the position of the optical component mounting table relative to the alignment piece of the relative reference mounting table, the alignment of the optical component and the reference piece on the relative reference mounting table is realized, thereby aligning the optical characteristics. In one approach, the first level of alignment can also be eliminated and the optics directly aligned with the fixtures relative to the reference stage without using a stage/fixture.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the amount of solder, heaters and fixtures can be changed according to specific requirements. The order of the reflow solder can be changed to enhance stability. For example, entire multi-component assemblies can be arranged on optical "circuit boards" to form complex opto-electronic assemblies. The optical components may be any type of active or passive optical, opto-electric (optoelectronic) or opto-mechanical components and are not limited to the specific examples listed here. Alignment and orientation of the optical components may be performed in any suitable or desired manner. The specific components and examples listed here are to illustrate the various modes of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Other elements, shapes, components, structures, etc. are also within the scope of the present invention. Any suitable alignment technique that provides the desired amount of constraint is also within the scope of the present invention. Preferably, the alignment technique is highly repeatable and accurately positioned in all 6 degrees of freedom. Any suitable material can be used for the different components. In one particular approach, the relative reference mount and other components may be formed from a single crystal material (eg, silicon). In another approach, these components can be made of any electrical material including semiconductors or ceramics. Other machinable materials that may be used include, for example, steel, aluminum, metal alloys, etc., depending on specific implementation requirements. Using a "pick and place" machine or any suitable or desired means, a certain assembled optical assembly can be used to manufacture the optical device. In such embodiments, chamfers or bevels on the edges of the component mounting table may facilitate mechanical clamping of the mounting table. Similarly, the various components of the invention may be fabricated using any desired technique. Welding techniques are well known in the art, but any suitable bonding technique may be chosen to achieve the desired properties. Soldering can be performed in an environment that prevents or eliminates solder oxidation. Optical components can be bonded directly to a relative reference stage without a separate component stage. Depending on the use case, "light" is not necessarily visible light. Furthermore, the optical components may be optical, opto-electric (optoelectronic) or opto-mechanical elements of any type of active or passive elements. Although only two components are shown in the example optical device, any number of components may be used in the device. The optical components may be pre-aligned using any suitable technique. In an alternative example, alignment may be performed in situ after mounting the optical assembly or relative reference mount to the optical "circuit board".

Claims (74)

1. optical devices comprise:

Substrate with first alignment member and second alignment member;

First optical module comprises:

An optics;

A relative datum assembly bench, it comprises the alignment member that setting is aimed at first alignment member of substrate, optics, described optics remain on a certain dimensional orientation of aiming in advance with respect to this alignment member; And

Second optical module comprises:

An optics; And

A relative datum assembly bench, it comprises the alignment member that setting is aimed at second alignment member of substrate, optics, described optics remain on a certain orientation of aiming in advance of this alignment member relatively.

2. optical devices according to claim 1 is characterized in that comprising: the optics assembly bench that is provided for being fixedly joined to optics.

3. optical devices according to claim 1 is characterized in that comprising: connect material, described connection material is provided for respect to the relative datum assembly bench optics that is permanently connected.

4. according to the optical devices described in the claim 1, wherein first and second optical module utilization connection material is connected with substrate.

5. optical devices according to claim 4 wherein connect material and comprise scolder.

6. optical devices according to claim 4, wherein connecting material is the hot activation material.

7. according to the optical devices described in the claim 4, wherein substrate comprises and is provided for adding hot tie-in material heating device element.

8. optical devices according to claim 7, wherein heating element comprises a resistive element.

9. optical devices according to claim 7 is characterized in that comprising the contact pins that is electrically connected with heating element on the substrate.

10. optical devices according to claim 4 wherein connect the material use radioactivation.

11. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein at least one optical element has a kind of optical characteristics that changes with respect to one dimension at least; And wherein this optical characteristics is aimed at respect to the benchmark of the alignment member qualification of relative datum assembly bench separately.

12. optical devices according to claim 11, wherein the optics of optical module is aligned with each other.

13. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein the substrate alignment member realizes the aligning between first and second optical module through the location.

14. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein the alignment member of relative datum assembly bench has projection.

15. optical devices according to claim 14, wherein first and second alignment member of substrate comprises the depression that setting cooperates with projection.

16. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein alignment member provides the assembly bench of a sufficient movement.

17. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein substrate comprises silicon.

18. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein the relative datum assembly bench comprises silicon.

19. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein substrate comprises a kind of semiconductor.

20. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein substrate comprises a kind of pottery.

21. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein optical devices comprise the coupling mechanism of a kind of optical fiber and optical fiber.

22. optical devices according to claim 3 wherein connect material and comprise scolder.

23. optical devices according to claim 3 wherein connect a certain fixed space orientation between material maintenance optics assembly bench and the relative datum assembly bench separately.

24. optical devices according to claim 3 wherein connect material and have first state, can adjust in the position of this state optics; And second state, be fixed in the position of this position optics.

25. optical devices according to claim 1, wherein the relative datum assembly bench comes down to the plane.

26. optical devices according to claim 4 is characterized in that comprising: the pad between relative datum assembly bench and the substrate is provided with and adheres to the connection material.

27. optical devices according to claim 2, wherein the optics assembly bench comprises and is provided for aiming at the alignment member of optics separately.

28. optical devices according to claim 2, wherein the optics assembly bench comprises an interface surface, and optics is concordant with interface surface separately.

29. optical devices according to claim 1 is characterized in that the optical module that comprises that at least one is additional.

30. optical devices comprise:

Substrate with first and second alignment member;

First optical module comprises:

An optics;

A relative datum assembly bench, it has the alignment member that a setting is aimed at first alignment member of substrate;

A fixing space orientation between the alignment member of optics and relative datum assembly bench;

Second optical module comprises:

An optics;

The relative datum assembly bench that setting is aimed at second alignment member of substrate; With

A fixing space orientation between the alignment member of optics and relative reference assembly bench.

31. optical devices according to claim 30 is characterized in that comprising: the optics assembly bench that is fixedly attached to optics is set.

32. optical devices according to claim 31 is characterized in that comprising: be provided with optic stationary be connected to a kind of connection material of relative datum assembly bench.

33. according to the optical devices described in the claim 30, wherein first and second optical module utilization connection material is connected with substrate.

34. optical devices according to claim 33 wherein connect material and comprise scolder.

35. optical devices according to claim 33, wherein connecting material is the hot activation material.

36. according to the optical devices described in the claim 33, wherein substrate comprises a kind of heating element that is provided for adding the hot tie-in material.

37. optical devices according to claim 36, wherein heating element comprises a kind of resistive element.

38. optical devices according to claim 36 is characterized in that being included in the contact pins that is electrically connected with heating element on the substrate.

39. optical devices according to claim 33 wherein connect the material use radioactivation.

40. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein at least one optical element has the optical characteristics that changes with respect to one dimension at least; And wherein this optical characteristics is aimed at respect to the benchmark of the alignment member qualification of relative datum assembly bench separately.

41. according to the described optical devices of claim 40, wherein the optics of optical module is aligned with each other.

42. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein the alignment member of relative datum assembly bench has projection.

43. according to the described optical devices of claim 42, wherein first and second alignment member of substrate comprises the depression that setting cooperates with projection.

44. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein alignment member provides the assembly bench of a sufficient movement.

45. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein substrate comprises silicon.

46. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein the relative datum assembly bench comprises silicon.

47. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein substrate comprises semiconductor.

48. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein substrate comprises pottery.

49. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein optical devices comprise the coupling mechanism of a kind of optical fiber and optical fiber.

50. optical devices according to claim 32 wherein connect material and comprise scolder.

51. optical devices according to claim 32 wherein connect material and between optics assembly bench and relative datum assembly bench separately the gap are set.

52. optical devices according to claim 32 wherein connect material and have first state, can adjust in the position of the first state optics, and second state, in the stationkeeping of the second state optics.

53. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein the relative datum assembly bench is essentially the plane.

54. optical devices according to claim 32 is characterized in that comprising: a kind of pad between relative datum assembly bench and the substrate is provided with and adheres to the connection material.

55. optical devices according to claim 31, wherein the optics assembly bench comprises being provided with and aims at the alignment member of optics separately.

56. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein the optics assembly bench comprises interface surface, and optics is concordant with interface surface separately.

57. optical devices according to claim 30, wherein the substrate alignment member realizes the aligning between first and second optical module through the location.

58. optical devices according to claim 30 is characterized in that the optical module that comprises that at least one is other.

59. optical devices comprise:

Substrate with first alignment member and second alignment member;

First optical module comprises:

An optics;

A relative datum assembly bench, it comprises that one is provided with the alignment member of aiming at first alignment member of substrate, these alignment member provide the assembly bench of a sufficient movement; And

Second optical module comprises:

An optics; And

A relative datum assembly bench, it comprises that one is provided with the alignment member of aiming at second alignment member of substrate, these alignment member provide the assembly bench of a sufficient movement.

60., it is characterized in that comprising that setting is fixedly joined to the optics assembly bench of optics according to the described optical devices of claim 59.

61., it is characterized in that comprising according to the described optical devices of claim 60: be provided with optic stationary be connected to a kind of connection material of relative datum assembly bench.

62. according to the optical devices described in the claim 59, wherein first and second optical module utilization connection material is connected with substrate.

63., wherein connect material and comprise scolder according to the described optical devices of claim 62.

64. according to the described optical devices of claim 62, wherein connecting material is the hot activation material.

65. according to the optical devices described in the claim 62, wherein substrate comprises and is provided for adding hot tie-in material heating device element.

66. according to the described optical devices of claim 65, wherein heating element comprises resistive element.

67. according to the described optical devices of claim 65, it is characterized in that comprising: the contact pins that is electrically connected with heating element on the substrate.

68. according to the described optical devices of claim 59, wherein the optics of optical module is aligned with each other.

69. according to the described optical devices of claim 59, wherein the alignment member of relative datum assembly bench has projection.

70. according to the described optical devices of claim 69, wherein first and second alignment member of substrate comprises the depression that setting cooperates with projection.

71., it is characterized in that the optical module that comprises that at least one is other according to the described optical devices of claim 59.

72. optical devices comprise:

A fixed reference;

First optical module, it has first optics of aiming in advance with respect to base standard,

First optical module is assemblied in first precalculated position on the fixed reference; And second optical module, it has second optics of aiming in advance with respect to base standard,

Second optical module is assembled in second precalculated position on the fixed reference;

Wherein first and second optical module is determined the orientation with respect to base standard and first and second precalculated position, carries out optical interaction in the mode of expectation.

73. optical devices comprise:

A fixed reference;

First optical module comprises:

First optics;

First aims at assembly bench in advance;

The first fixed reference web member, this web member will be aimed at assembly bench in advance and be fixedly connected to a certain precalculated position on the fixed reference;

First aims at the assembly bench web member in advance, this web member with respect to the fixed reference web member with predetermined orientation with first optic stationary be connected to first and aim on the assembly bench in advance;

Second optical module comprises:

Second optics;

Second aims at assembly bench in advance;

A fixed reference web member, this web member will be aimed at assembly bench in advance and be fixedly connected to a certain precalculated position on the fixed reference;

Second aims at the assembly bench web member in advance: this web member with respect to the fixed reference web member with predetermined orientation with second optic stationary be connected to second and aim on the assembly bench in advance;

Wherein first and second optics determine the orientation with the expectation mode carry out optical interaction.

74. a method of making optical devices comprises:

Obtain a fixed reference;

Obtain first optical module of aiming in advance, it has first optics of aiming in advance with a certain base standard;

Obtain second optical module of aiming in advance, it has second optics of aiming in advance with base standard; And

First and second optical modules are assembled to pre-position on the fixed reference regularly, wherein, carry out optical effect mutually in the mode of expectation owing to, locate first and second optical devices through aiming in advance.

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