WO2002067033A2

WO2002067033A2 - Optical module

Info

Publication number: WO2002067033A2
Application number: PCT/US2002/005497
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven K. Case; Gregory S. Mowry; Timothy A. Skunes; Patrick J. Garfield; John T. Mcelreath; Craig D. Knighton; Gary A. Lenz; Mark L. Wilson
Original assignee: Cyberoptics Corp; Avanti Optics Corp
Current assignee: Cyberoptics Corp; Avanti Optics Corp
Priority date: 2001-02-20
Filing date: 2002-02-20
Publication date: 2002-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 2003-08-20
Also published as: CN1493013A; GB0319381D0; AU2002306580A1; CN1502054A; CN1220086C; WO2002067032A3; WO2002067034A2; WO2002075415A3; GB2390174B; GB2390174A; GB2387923B; GB0319380D0; AU2002306579A1; WO2002067032A2; WO2002067034A3; WO2002075415A2; GB2387923A; CN1259585C; WO2002067033A3

Abstract

An optical module (12) for use in an optical device (10) is provided. The module (12) includes an optical component (14) and relative reference mount (18). The optical component (14) is fixed spacially relative to a registration feature (50). The registration feature (50) is configured to couple to a fixed reference mount (20).

Description

OPTICAL MODULE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to optical components used in fabricating optical devices . More specifically, the present invention rela-tes to an optical module which carries an optical, optical- electrical or optical mechanic component- Optical devices are being increasingly used in various industries and technologies in order to provide high speed data transfer such as in fiber optic communication equipment. In many applications there is a transition or an incorporation of optical devices where previously only electrical devices were employed. An optical device typically consists of a number of components which must be precisely assembled and aligned for the device to operate and function efficiently.- Example components include fibers, waveguides, lasers, modulators, detectors, gratings, optical amplifiers, lenses, mirrors, prisms, windows, etc.

Historically, optical devices such as those used in fiber optic telecommunications, .data storage and retrieval, optical inspection, etc. have had little commonality in packaging and assembly methods. This limits the applicability of automation equipment for automating the manufacture of these devices since there is such a disparity in the device designs. To affect high volume automated manufacturing of such devices, parts of each individual manufacturing line have to be custom-designed.

In contrast, industries such as printed circuit board manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing have both evolved to have common design rules and packaging methods . This allows the same piece of automation equipment to be applied to a multitude of designs. Using printed circuits as an example, diverse applications ranging from computer motherboards to cellular telephones may be designed from relatively the same set of fundamental building blocks. These building blocks include printed circuit boards, integrated circuit chips, discrete capacitors, and so forth. Furthermore, the same automation equipment, such as a pick and place machine, is adaptable to the assembly of each of these designs because they use common components and design rules.

Further complications arise in automated assembly of optical devices. Such assembly is complicated because of the precise mechanical alignment requirements of optical components. This adds to ^■ problems which arise due to design variations. The problem arises from the fact that many characteristics of optical components cannot be economically controlled to exacting tolerances. Examples of these properties include the ^' fiber core concentricity with respect to the cladding, the location of the optical axis of a lens with respect to its outside mechanical dimensions, the back focal position of a lens, the spectral characteristics of a thin-film interference filter, etc. Even if the mechanical mounting of each optical element were such that each element was located in its exact theoretical design position, due to the tolerances listed above, the performance specifications of the optical device may not be met.,

To appreciate the exacting alignment requirements of high performance optical devices, consider the simple example of aligning two single mode optical fibers. In this example, the following mechanical alignments are required to ensure adequate light coupling from one fiber to the other: the angle of the fibers with respect to each other, the fiber face angle, the transverse alignment (perpendicular to the light propagation direction) and the longitudinal spacing (parallel to the light propagation direction) . Typical single mode optical fibers used in telecommunications for the 1.3 μm to 1.6 μm wavelength band have an effective core diameter of about 9 microns and an outside cladding dimension of 125 microns. The typical tolerance for the concentricity of the core to the outside diameter of the cladding is 1 micron. If the outside claddings of the two fibers were perfectly aligned and there is no angular misalignment or longitudinal spacing, . the cores may still be transversely misaligned by as much as 2 microns. This misalignment would give a theoretical coupling loss of about 14 percent or 0.65 dB. This loss is unacceptable in many applications. Techniques using active alignment, such as that shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,745,624, entitled "AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT AND LOCKING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FIBER OPTICAL MODULE MANUFACTURING"., .issued April 28, 1998 to Chan et al., can be employed to improve coupling efficiency. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one example aspect, an optical module for use in an optical device is provided. The module includes an optical component and a relative reference mount configured to couple to a fixed reference mount.. Bonding material fixedly couples the optical component relative to the relative reference mount. This fixes the position and orientation of the optical component relative to registration features of the relative reference mount. In one aspect, solder is used to fix the component at a spacial location relative to a relative reference mount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of an optical device in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2A is a exploded perspective view of an optical module shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2B is a bottom plan view of a component mount . ' Figure 3 is a front plan view of an optical module of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the optical module of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a top plan . view of a fixed reference mount shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the optical module of Figure 4 taken along the line labeled 6—6. Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view of registration features used to register the relative reference mount with a fixed reference mount shown in Figure 1.

Figure 7B is an exploded cross-sectional view of the registration features.

Figure 8A is a perspective view showing bonding material used with the present invention.

Figure 8B is a side cross-sectional view showing the bonding material of Figure 8A. Figure 8C is an enlarged view of the bonding material.

Figure 8D is an enlarged view of the bonding material which illustrates deformation of the material .after heating. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing an optical module of the present invention which includes a Gradient Index (GRIN) lens.

Figure 10 is a front plan view of the optical module of Figure 9. Figures 11 and 12 are side views showing an electrical connection to an optical module.

Figure 13 shows heat dissipation techniques for an optical module. Figures 14, 15 and 16 are views of another fiber holder embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention includes various aspects that reduce or eliminate many of the problems associated with the prior art. The present invention offers an optical component which is prealigned in a standardized optical module. The optical module can be aligned with sub-micron precision with respect to registration features. Registration features on the module can be aligned with matching features on a substrate. This is similar to mounting an electrical component in or on a printed circuit board. Optical devices can be easily fabricated by mounting prealigned optical modules in the optical "circuit board". The prealignment of the optical component can compensate for variations between components to thereby essentially eliminate the effects of component variability. The prealigned optical modules are well suited for automated fabrication of devices. The modules can be fabricated in silicon using techniques which are well' known in the art of silicon processing. However, any appropriate material can be used. Preferable materials are those which are used with existing electrical or optical components. Further, the invention can be used with active devices such as lasers, modulators, detectors, etc. Electrical conductors can be fabricated on the various layers for coupling to active ■ optical components. Electrical circuitry including analog and digital circuitry, can also be fabricated directly on the modules or on the fixed reference mount.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an optical module in which an optical component is mounted to an optical component mount. The optical component mount is fixed to a relative reference mount such as a base mounting plate at a desired position and orientation. In one aspect, solder is used to mount the components. The relative reference mount is coupled to a fixed reference mount such as a substrate such that the optical component is maintained at a desired position and orientation relative to the fixed reference mount. In this general configuration, the optical component can be pre-aligned to a desired spacial reference and orientation by adjusting the optical component mount relative to the reference mount prior to fixing their relative positions. This can be used to provide general component pre-alignment as well as compensate for the variations which can arise between optical components. The following description sets forth a number of specific examples, however, in various aspects, the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations, components or techniques set forth herein.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an optical device 10. Optical device 10 is shown as a simple optical fiber to optical fiber coupler for purposes of illustrating the present invention. However, the invention is applicable to more complex or other optical devices and other types of optical components . In Figure 1, the optical device 10 is fabricated from two optical modules 12A and 12B which include respective optical components 14A and 14B illustrated in this specific example as optical fibers. The fibers are mounted to respective optical component mounts 16A and 16B which are positioned and oriented to achieve a desired position and orientation of optical components 14A and 14B relative to base mounting plates 18A and 18B, respectively. A number of specific examples of this coupling are set forth below in more detail, however, other aspects of the invention are not limited to such examples. In the example illustrations specifically set forth in Figure 1, base mounting plates 18A and 18B comprise substantially planar mating plates. Base mounting plates 18A, 18B are one example of a relative reference mount. The relative reference^" mount can have any shape or configuration. Base mounting plates 18A and 18B mount to a reference substrate 20 such that the optical components 14A and 14B are in substantial alignment. Substrate 20 is one example of a fixed reference mount and any appropriate fixed reference mount with appropriate shape and configuration can be used. The optical component modules of the present invention can be pre-assembled and prealigned to an appropriate reference such that a final optical device is fabricated by simply mounting the assembled optical modules on the reference substrate. In the example of Figure 1, reference substrate 20 is illustrated as a planar substrate which can be thought of as an optical "circuit board" which receives optical modules to form an optical, opto- electrical or opto-mechanical device. Figure 2A is an exploded perspective view of optical module 12. ^' In the specific example shown in Figure 2A, optical component mount or holder 16 comprises upper component mount or holder 24 and lower component mount or holder 26. Again, other configurations are within the scope of the present invention. Figure 2Α illustrates one example mounting technique coupling optical component mount 16 to base mounting plate 18. In this example, a bonding material 30 is carried on a top surface of base mount plate 18. Material 30 preferably has at least two states. In one state, material 30 does not interfere or contact mount 16. Then, the optical component mount 16 can be positioned with up to six degrees of freedom relative to the base mounting plate 18. In another state, the material couples mounts 16 and 18 and thereby fixes the relative position therebetween. In one preferred embodiment, material 30 comprises a heat or chemically responsive (or activated) material such as solder or other bonding material. The solder can comprise any type of solder including plated solder, solder preforms, solder balls, solder paste, solder bumps, etc. including those types of solders used in flip chip electronic packages. However, other materials such as adhesives which dry, chemically react, or are activated by other means or other attachment techniques can be used. Preferably, the attachment technique allows some relative movement between the optical component mount 16 and the base mounting plate 18 prior to fixedly attaching the two. In embodiments where a heat activated material is used, heating elements (see Figure 8B for more detail) can be provided to heat the material 30. For example, in Figure 2A, heating elements are provided which are activated through the application of electrical energy through contact pads 34. This can be by electrically contacting pads 34 and applying a current therethrough. However, other heating techniques can be used. Of course, other techniques to change the state of bonding material can be used such as application of a curing component such as radiation or a' chemical. Any appropriate adhesives including brazing, welding, bonding or other technique can be used. The bond can be activated using a technique including exposure to air, heat, chemicals, heat radiation (including light and UV) , etc.

Figure 2B is a bottom plan view of optical component mount 16 and lower mount 26 and shows bonding pads 40 which are arranged to mate with material 30 shown in Figure 2A. Pads 40 can comprise, for example, a metal deposited on lower mount 26'. In another embodiment, bonding pads 40 also include integral heating elements and electrical contact pads are provided to energize the heating elements. A reduction in the bonding time may be obtained by heating both bonding pads 40 and bonding material 30.

Figure 3 is a front plan view of optical module 12 showing optical component mount 16 adjacent base mounting plate 18. In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, material 30 is not initially in contact with optical component mount 16. As discussed below, material 30 can be activated to fill or fix the gap 32 between mount 16 and mount 18. However, other types of material 30 can be used in which there is actual contact between mounts 16 and 18 or material 30 fills gap 32 prior to bonding. In one preferred embodiment, prior to fixedly adhering mount 16 to mount 18 either component can be manipulated through up to six degrees of freedom as illustrated by the axes labeled X and Y in Figure 3 along with another Z axis which is not shown and is perpendicular to a plane of the Figure, and rotation about the three axes. For some optical components, all six degrees of freedom may not be required for proper alignment and fewer degrees of freedom can be provided. In one aspect, material 30 comprises solder. Figure 3 also illustrates example registration features 50. In the example embodiment of Figure 3, each registration feature ^' 50 is a protrusion which is configured to mate with reference substrate 20 as discussed below.

Figure 3 also shows a component registration feature 60 formed in lower component mount 26 and a component registration feature 62 in upper component mount 24. In general, any registration technique can be used and the invention is not limited to the specific example illustrated herein. In the example embodiment, component registration features 60 and 62 comprise V-grooves which are configured to receive an optical component such as optical component 14. The optical element 14 can be coupled to the optical component mount using, for example, an adhesive or solder. Optical component 14 is preferably fixed to component mount 16 to maintain alignment relative to registration features 50 of relative reference mount 18.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of optical module 12 which shows base mounting .plate 18 and a portion of lower optical component mount 26 of optical component mount 16. Pads 54 on base mounting plate 18 can bond with bonding material 72. The bottom plan view of Figure 4 illustrates an interface surface 64 of optical component mount 16. Interface surface 64 is an input, output or input/output face for the optical component 14 shown in Figure 3. In some embodiments, the interface surfaces of adjacent optical modules are in abutting contact. In some embodiments, a refractive index optical matching material fills any gap between adjacent interface faces to provide improved coupling and reduce reflections. For example, the optical matching material may be in a solid, gel or liquid form. In one example embodiment, interface surface 64 is a plane which forms an angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of optical fiber 14. For example, this can be eight degrees. An angled surface 64 of the optical component 14 can be preferable because it reduces the amount of reflected light which is coupled back into an optical fiber. If two modules are in close proximity or in abutting contact, the adjacent optical component mount would have a complimentary angle. In embodiments where an angle or a specific interface finish is desired, interface surface 64 can be shaped or formed using an appropriate process such as a lapping process, chemically machining, machining, etc., or an additive process, to achieve the desired configuration. For example, after the optical component 14 is secured within the optical component mount 16, the surface 64 can be lapped to achieve the desired angle or surface finish. Such techniques can also be used to ensure that a face of the optical component is flush with the interface surface 64. However, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to have the optical component 14 either recessed or protruding from interface surface 64.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of reference substrate 20 configured to receive optical modules 12A and 12B shown in Figure 1. Registration features 70A and 70B are provided to receive registration features 50 on respective optical modules 12A and 12B. In the example embodiment, features 70 are precisely defined depressions configured to register the protrusions of registration features 50 shown in Figures 3 or 4. This example embodiment is shown in Figure 7A in more detail. The dashed outlines indicate the placement of base mounting plates 18A and 18B. This configuration provides an example of a kinematic-type registration or alignment technique. One example kinematic technique is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,748,827, entitled "TWO-STAGE KINEMATIC MOUNT". Any appropriate registration or alignment technique can be used, however, preferably the registration -technique should be accurate and provide high repeatability. In the example embodiment, a heat activated material 72 such as solder is provided which can be heated to fixedly adhere the optical modules to the reference substrate. In such an embodiment, contact pads 74 electrically couple to heaters which are used to heat material 72. Material 72 is preferably aligned with pads 54 shown in Figure 4. For example, pads 54 can be of a material to which material 72 will strongly adhere. For example, pads 54 can comprise a metal to which solder will adhere. Pads used to promote adhesion can have multiple layers. For example, one layer to bond with the bonding material and another layer bond with the mount, such as mounts 16, 18 or substrate 20. In another aspect, bonding pads 54 on the bottom of base mounting plate 18 may also include integral heating elements and electrical contact pads may be provided to energize these heating elements. A reduction in the bonding time may be obtained by heating both bonding pads and bonding material 72. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing optical module 12 mounted taken along the line labeled 6—6 in Figure 4 and including substrate 20. This view shows the assembled configuration in which the optical module 12 is coupled to the reference substrate 20 and component holder 16 is coupled to base mounting plate 18.

Figure 7A is an enlarged cross-sectional and Figure 7B is an enlarged exploded view showing v- groove registration feature 70 and protruding registration feature 50. The relative spacing between plate 18 and substrate 20 can be controlled by adjusting the angle or widths of the walls of v- groove 70 or of protrusion 50. If fabricated in properly oriented, single crystal silicon, the angle is typically fixed by the crystal structure of the material and the width can be adjusted to control the spacing. The coupling between plate 18 and substrate 20 actually occurs at line contact points 76. Figure 8A is a perspective view showing bonding material 30 in greater detail and Figure 8B is a cross-sectional view showing bonding material 30 between lower component mount 26 and mounting plate 18. Bonding material 30 is carried on heating elements 80 which are electrically coupled to conductors 82. Heating elements 80 can comprise a resistive elements such as a refractory metal or alloy such as tantalum, chromium or nichrome and be configured to melt material 30 when sufficient electrical current is supplied through conductors 82.

The cross-sectional view shown in Figure 8B illustrates the configuration near heating element

80. Figure 8B is a diagram of thin film layers and is not to scale and shows features, such as contacts 34 which are remote from the heater element 80 and near the edge of mounting plate 18. Element 80 is shown electrically coupled to contacts 34 through electrical conductors 82. An electrical insulating layer 87 can optionally be positioned between element 80 and material 30 to increase the amount- of electrical current flowing through element 80. Additional layer or layers 85 can be deposited on insulator 87 to promote adhesion or provide other characteristics or qualities as desired. This is known in the art of metal deposition as "under-bump metallurgy", or UBM. Thermal (and/or electrical) isolation layers 89 can also be applied to reduce the transfer of thermal energy to the surrounding components. Preferably, heating element 80 is designed to operate in a thermally adiabatic regime. As current flows through the heating element 80 and it begins to warm, the thermal energy flows into the bonding material 30. Similarly, the structure preferably is configured to reduce heat flow into the surrounding areas. This reduces the energy required to activate the bonding material, reduces the heating and setting times and reduces the thermal stress applied to the surrounding material. Element 80 can have any appropriate shape including straight, bifilar, serpentine, etc. Solder provides a bonding material which can be quickly attached (in less than 100 mSec) and allows "reworking" the bond by reheating the solder. The various materials can be selected as desired for the appropriate physical properties. Si0₂ provides good thermal and electrical isolation and is easily processed. Of course, other materials including other oxides or organic films can be used. The electrical isolation layer 87 is preferably relatively thin and provides high thermal conductivity. Silicon nitride is one example material. The conductors 82 can be any conductive material however, preferable materials include those which are easily deposited such as thick refractory metals, gold or aluminum. The material or materials for pads 54 can be any appropriate material that adheres to the bonding material 30. Examples include, gold, nickel, platinum, etc. The thickness of the various layers should also be selected to reduce the thermal load on the heating element. Pad 40 is shown with layers 40A and 40B. Layers 40A can be of a material suitable for bonding to thermal isolation layer 89. For example, Ti if layer 89 is Si0₂. Layer 40B is configured to bond with bonding material 30 and may be, for example, gold, nickel, platinum, or other materials. Pads 40 can be constructed of a multilayer thin film structure of titanium, nickel, and gold. The titanium is used as an adhesion layer to silicon. Next, nickel .is deposited on top of the titanium so that solder will make strong intermetallic bonds with the nickel. Finally, gold is deposited on top of the nickel to prevent the nickel from corroding. Other receiver pad metallurgies, or UBM (under bump metallurgies) configurations, may also be used depending on the solder alloy and many other considerations. The pads may also be pre-tinned with a thin layer .of solder to form intermetallics with the under bump metallurgy prior to securing the components.

In another aspect, component holder laser soldering may be used to secure components. Solder is melted by a laser and attaches to beveled surfaces provided on the components. The laser soldering operations to secure both sides of a component preferably occur simultaneously by two or more laser sources. The laser energy may be delivered by optical fibers.

As shown in Figure 8C, in one embodiment, material 30 comprises a solder formed with a large surface area region 84 and a tapered region 86. When material 30 is melted, surface tension causes the liquid material from tapered region 86 to flow toward large surface area region 84 and cause large surface area region 84 to expand in an upward direction as illustrated in Figure 8D. This configuration is advantageous because it allows the orientation of component mount 16 to be adjusted as desired (through the six degrees of freedom as discussed with respect to Figure 3) without any interference from the bonding material 30. Bonding material only contacts the two surfaces when heat is applied and the material fills the gap between the two components. Similarly, with respect to mounting base mounting plate 18 to reference substrate 20, plate 18 can be securely registered within feature 70 prior to application of the bonding material 72 or actuation of heating elements. Such a solder flow technique is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,892,179, entitled "SOLDER BUMPS AND STRUCTURES FOR INTEGRATED REDISTRIBUTION ROUTING CONDUCTORS", issued April 6, 1999. Multiple tapered regions 86 can also be used as desired to increase the amount of solder which flows toward large surface area region 84.

In another aspect, component mounts may be secured to base mounting plates by laser soldering. Component mounts and base mounting plates may be provided with externally beveled surfaces that have appropriate metallurgy for solder attachment. Solder is melted by a laser and attaches to beveled surfaces provided on the component mount and base mounting plate. The laser soldering operations to secure both sides of a component preferably occur simultaneously by two or more laser sources. The laser energy may be delivered by optical fibers. Laser soldering may also be used to secure base mounting plates to fixed reference plates.

As mentioned above, other bonding techniques including adhesives and UV curing techniques can be used and the invention is not limited to solder. However, in one aspect, the bonding technique can advantageously use the surface tension developed in the bonding material. Note that the solder or adhesive can be electrically conductive to provide electrical contacts to the optical device between the various layers, or to adjacent electronic circuitry. Thermally conductive materials can be used to help dissipate heat. In another aspect, two bonding materials are used, which can be the same or different and can be applied simultaneously or sequentially. For example, after the solder discussed herein is applied, a second bonding material can fill the gap to provide additional stability. However, shrinkage or other shape changes of the bonding material should be addressed to maintain alignment. In some embodiments, roughness or texturing the surfaces using any appropriate technique can be used to promote adhesion of the bonding material.

Component 14 can be any type of optical opto-electrical or opto-mechanical element including active or passive elements. In the above examples, optical element 14 is shown as an optical fiber. To illustrate one alternative example optical module 12, in Figures 9 and 10 an optical element 90 is shown which comprises a GRIN lens. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing lens 90 held in component mount 16 which coupled to base mounting plate 18.

Figure 10 is a front plan view. Lens 90 is registered with a registration groove 60. Additional support bonding material 92 is provided to secure lens 90 to component mount 16. This can be an adhesive, solder or other bonding material.

The various components can be fabricated using any ^"appropriate technique or material. In one embodiment, the depressions or grooves for various registration features are formed by anisotropically etching oriented single-crystal silicon. Protrusions can be formed in an analogous, complimentary manner. The configuration should, preferably eliminate or substantially reduce movement in any of the six degrees of freedom. This is required to achieve sub- micron spacial reproducibility between components. For example, a [100] orientation of single crystal silicon allows the formation of such features which can be orientated at 90 degrees to one another. Any appropriate etching or formation technique can be used. One common anisotropic etch technique uses KOH and masking to define the desired features. Regarding the various conductive layers, heating element layers, and insulating layers, any appropriate sputtering, plating, evaporation or other fabrication technique can be used.

The various aspects. of the present invention discussed above provide prealigned optical modules which can reduce or eliminate the effects of component variability. In the above example, this is achieved by adjusting the component mount (holder) relative to a registration feature on the base mounting plate. The bonding material fixes the spacial orientation between the component and registration feature. Precise registration features are provided on the base mounting plate 18 such that it can be inserted into an optical "circuit board" to fabricate devices which comprise multiple optical component modules. The optical modules are well suited for automated assembly of Optical devices because they are in standardized packages, prealigned and can be easily mounted on a reference substrate. Optical modules can be manually placed into the bpt.ical "circuit board" or the process can be automated. " ^■ The particular optical modules are preferably standardized to facilitate such automation. Further, this configuration allows assembly of devices in a "top downward" fashion in which optical modules are moved downward into an optical "circuit board" which facilitates process automation. Further, because different modules are fabricated using similar materials, variations due to thermal expansion will affect all modules in a similar way such that the alignment between adjacent modules on the optical "circuit board" is maintained.

Electrical conductivity of the solder bond can be used advantageously to provide an electrical connection to electrical components on the module. The solder can be heated in any order or combination including simultaneously. The position and sequence of the heating of the solder can be configured to reduce or compensate for deformation in the components including thermal deformation. Solder can also be used advantageously because the solder can be reheated allowing the component to be repositioned, removed, replaced, and/or repaired.

Figure 11 is a simplified block diagram of another aspect of the present invention. In Figure 11, an electronic circuit 120 is electrically coupled to optical component mount 16. Circuit 120 can be any type of electronic circuit such as an integrated circuit. In such an embodiment, optical component 14 is typically a sensor or an active component which is electrically coupled to electronic circuitry 120. Electrical pads 122 and 124 are carried on substrate 20. An electrical pad 126 is carried on mount 16 and then electrical connection 128 is provided between pad 124 and pad 126. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of another example embodiment in which electrical connections 130 are carried in via holes which extend through base mounting plate 18. In this example embodiment, bonding material 30 provides an electrical connection between electrical connections 130 and optical component mount 16. Pad 124 is extended such that it contacts bonding material 72 thereby providing an electrical connection to circuit 120. An optional electronic circuitry 136 is also illustrated in Figure 12. Circuitry 136 is carried on mount 16 and can be electrically coupled to other circuitry using the conductor routing techniques set forth herein. The various electrical connections in conductors can be deposited using known deposition techniques, such as thin film processes. When the bonding material is used to provide an electrical connection, the bonding material should be electrically conductive. Figure 13 is a side view of an another aspect of the present invention and illustrates techniques for dissipating heat which may be generated by active optical device. A thermally conductive underfill 140 is provided between mount 16 and base mounting plate 18 as well as between base mounting plate 18 and substrate 20. Underfill 140 is of a thermally conductive material such that heat generated by device 14 is transferred to substrate 20 where it can be dissipated across the relatively large area of substrate 20.. By reducing heat buildup, heat based deformations are reduced and the lifespan of device 14 is increased. A heat sink can be mounted to substrate 20 to further assist in heat dissipation. In one embodiment, heat sink 142 comprises a thermal electric cooler configured to transfer thermal energy away from substrate 20. In one embodiment, the thermal electric cooler is integrated with the substrate 20. In another example embodiment, multiple solder connections are provided to transfer heat between the various components. In another example, heat sink 142 comprises a series of channels configured to carry a liquid coolant. Additionally, the heat sink 142 can be optionally coupled directly to optical component mount 16, or through a non-stressing heat path such as a copper, gold, aluminum or silver braid. A thermal spreading (thermal diffusing) film or layer can be attached directly to the thermally active devices or various components.

Figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view of component holder 216. ^• Fiber end 215 has had the protective buffer layer stripped away so that only the fiber cladding and core remain. Likewise, fiber end 219 has had the protective buffer layer stripped away so that only the fiber cladding and core remain. In one embodiment of the optical fiber to optical fiber coupler device 210, the tip of fiber end 215 is cleaved at an angle to reduce the amount of light back reflected into fiber 214 from the tip of fiber end 215. Depending on the application, the tips of fiber ends 215 and 219 may also be cleaved, polished, or prepared in a variety of other fashions, such as making a lens on the tip.

Figure 15 shows a perspective view of bottom holder 226 without fiber 214 and distal end 218. V-grooves 234 are patterned to accept the end of an optical fiber that has had its protective buffer layer stripped away. V-grooves 236 are slightly larger than v-grooves 234 and are patterned to accept sections of optical fiber with the protective buffer layer. V-grooves 234 and 236 are preferably formed by anisotropic etching of silicon with a [1,0,0] crystal orientation. Also shown in Figure 15 are adhesive^' stops 238, 240, 242, and 244 and are shown as V- grooves. Adhesive stops 238, 240, 242, and 244 capture excess adhesive that is present after bonding top holder 224 to bottom holder 226. Otherwise, any excess adhesive may squeeze out the sides and edges of component holder 216.

Figure 16 shows a perspective view of bottom holder 226 with fiber 214 and distal end 218 resting in V-grooves 236. Fiber ends 215 and 219 rest in V-grooves 234. Protective buffer layer 217 is also visible in this ^• view. V-grooves 236 provide strain relief for fiber 214 and distal end 218 so the fiber does not break at fiber ends 215 end 219 where the protective buffer layer 217 has been removed. Top holder 224 has a similar structure of v-grooves as bottom holder 226 so that when they are mated to form component holder 216, fiber 214 and distal end 218 are captured, or "sandwiched", firmly. One of the fibers can be used in the alignment process. The configuration with three grooves 234 provides mirror image symmetry between components.

In one genera! aspect, the present invention provides an optical module in which optical variations due to component variability are eliminated or significantly reduced. This provides uniformity across multiple optical modules which is particularly desirable for automated assembly. In one aspect, the invention can be viewed as providing three stages -of alignment between the optical component and the optical component mount. A first stage_ of alignment is provided _.between the component mount (holder) and the optical component, for example using a V-groove registration feature as shown or other technique. A second stage of alignment is between the optical component ^• mount and registration features of the relative reference mount. This also eliminates .or reduces alignment variations due to component variability. A final alignment occurs between the optical module and the reference substrate. In another example aspect, the optical element has an optical characteristic which varies in space relative to at least one dimension. The optical component is aligned with reference features on the relative reference mount by fixing the position of the component mount relative to the registration features of the relative reference mount to thereby align the optical characteristic. In one aspect, the first stage of alignment is eliminated and the optical element is directly aligned with the registration features of the relative reference mount and no mount/holder is used.

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 number of solder, heater, and receiver sets may be altered depending on detailed requirement. The sequence of reflowing the solder may be altered to enhance stability. The optical component can be any type of active or passive optical, opto-electrical or opto-mechanical component and not limited to the specific examples set forth herein. The optical component can be aligned and its orientation fixed using any suitable .or desirable means. The specific components and examples set forth herein are provided to demonstrate various aspects of the invention and do not limit ^~ the scope of the invention. Other elements, shapes, components, configurations, etc. are within the scope of the invention. Any appropriate material can be used for various components. In one specific aspect, the relative reference mount and other components are formed from a single crystal material such as silicon. In another aspect, these components can be fabricated from any electrical material including semiconductors or ceramics. Other materials include machinable materials such as steel, aluminum, metal alloys, etc. depending on requirements of a particular implementation. An assembled optical module can be used to fabricate an optical device using a "pick and place" machine or any suitable or desirable means. In such an embodiment, the chamfers or bevels on the edges of the component mount can facilitate mechanical gripping of the mount. Similarly, the various components of the invention can be fabricated using any desired technique. Solders are known in the art and any appropriate solder can be selected to obtain the desired characteristics. Soldering may take place in an atmosphere that prevents or removes solder oxidation. The optical component can be coupled directly to the relative reference mount without a separate component mount. As used herein, "light" is not necessarily visible light. Further, the optical component can be any active or passive optical, opto-electrical or opto-mechanical element. The optical modules can be prealigned using any appropriate technique. In an example alternative, the alignment is performed insitu, after the optical module or relative reference mount has been mounted to the optical "circuit board" .

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An optical module for use in an optical device, comprising: an optical component; a relative reference mount having a registration configured to couple to a reference substrate;- and a bonding material configured to fix the optical component relative to the registration feature of the relative reference mount.

2. The optical module of claim 1 including an optical component mount configured to fixedly couple to the optical component.

3. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the bonding material comprises solder. . The optical module of claim 1 wherein the bonding material is electrical conductive.

5. The optical module of claim 2 wherein the optical component mount comprises first and second plates with the optical element secured therebetween.

6. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the optical element has an optical characteristic which varies relative to at least one dimension and wherein the optical characteristic is aligned with a reference defined relative to a registration feature of the relative reference mount.

7. The optical. module of claim 1 wherein the bonding material comprises adhesive.

8. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the bonding material provides a fixed spacial orientation between the optical component and the relative reference mount.

9. The optical module of claim 8 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which the spacial orientation can be adjusted and a second state in which the spacial orientation is fixed.

10. The optical module of claim 9 wherein the bonding material is operably coupled to only one of the optical component and the relative reference mount when in a first state.

11. The optical- module of claim- 10 wherein the bonding material is activated to fill the gap.

12. The optical module of claim 11 wherein application or removal of heat causes a change in state of the bonding material.

13. The optical module of claim 11 wherein application or removal of radiation causes a change in state of the bonding material.

14. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the relative reference mount is substantially planar.

15. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the reference substrate comprises a substantially planar substrate._.

16. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which the optical component can move with up to 6 degrees of freedom relative to the relative reference mount.

17. The optical module of claim 2 including a bonding pad between the optical component mount and the relative reference mount configured to adhere to the bonding material.

18. The optical module of claim 2 wherein the optical component mount includes a registration feature configured to register the optical component.

19. The optical module of claim 2 wherein the optical component is bonded to optical component mount .

20. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the bonding material is heat activated and at least one heater element is thermally coupled to the bonding material.

21. The optical module of claim' 2 including a heater element carried on at least ^"one of the relative reference mount and the optical component mount.

22. The optical module of claim 21 including electrical conductors on at least one of the relative reference mount and the optical component mount electrically coupled to the heater element.

23. The optical module of claim 22 including contact pads electrically coupled to the electrical conductors .

24. The optical module of claim 1 including a bonding pad on^' the relative reference mount configured to adhere to a bonding material coupled to the reference substrate.

25. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the relative reference mount comprises silicon.

26. The optical module of claim 2 wherein the optical component mount comprises silicon.

27. The optical module of claim 2 wherein the optical component mount includes an interface surface and the optical component is flush with the interface surface.

28. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the relative reference mount comprises a semiconductor.

29. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the relative reference mount comprises a ceramic.

30. The optical module of .claim 1 wherein the registration feature is configured to provide substantially kinematic registration to a fixed reference mount.

31. The optical module of claim 1 including an electrical connection to the optical component.

32. The optical module of claim 31 wherein the electrical connection is through a via hole.

33. The optical module of claim 1 wherein the optical component is an active device and the optical module includes a means for dissipating heat from the active device.

34. The optical module of claim 1 including a fiber tail from the optical component for use in prealigning the optical component to the registration feature.

35. An optical module for use in an optical device, comprising: an optical component; a substantially planar mount plate coupled to the optical element; a substantially planar relative reference mount configured to couple to a substantially planar fixed reference, the reference mount bonded by a bonding material to the component mount plate .

36. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.

37. The optical module of claim 35 including an optical component mount coupled to the optical component .

38. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the optical element has an optical characteristic which varies relative to at least one dimension and wherein the optical characteristic is aligned with a reference defined relative to a registration feature of the relative reference mount.

39. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the bonding material comprises adhesive.

40. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the bonding material provides a fixed spacial orientation between the optical component and the relative reference mount .

41. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which the spacial orientation can be adjusted and a second state in which the spacial orientation is fixed.

42. The optical module of claim 41 wherein the bonding material touches only one of the optical component mount and the relative reference mount when in a first state.

43. The optical module of claim 42 wherein application or removal of heat causes a change in state of the bonding material.

44. The optical module of claim 35 including a bonding pad between the optical component mount and the relative reference mount configured to adhere to the bonding material.

45. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the bonding material is heat activated and at least one heating element is thermally coupled to the bonding material.

46. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the relative reference mount comprises silicon.

47. The optical module of claim 38 wherein the registration feature is configured to provide substantially kinematic registration to a fixed reference mount .'

48. The optical module of claim 35 including an electrical connection to the optical component.

49. The optical module of claim 48 wherein the electrical connection is through a via hole.

50. The optical module of claim 35 wherein the optical component is an active device and the optical module includes a means for dissipating heat from the active device.

51. The optical module of claim 35 including a fiber tail from the optical component for use in prealigning the optical component to the registration feature.

52. An optical module for use in an optical device, comprising: an optical compo e t; an optical component mount configured to fixedly couple to the optical component; a relative reference mount configured to couple to a reference substrate; and a fixed spacial orientation between the optical component mount and the relative reference mount .

53. The optical module of claim 52 including bonding material to fix the relative spacial location.

54. The optical module of claim 53 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.

55. The optical module of claim 54 wherein the optical element has an optical characteristic which varies relative to at least one dimension and wherein the optical characteristic is aligned with a reference defined relative to a registration feature of the relative reference mount.

56. The optical module of claim 55 wherein the registration feature is configured to provide substantially kinematic registration to a fixed reference mount.

57. The optical module of claim 54 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which the spacial orientation can be adjusted and a second state in which the spacial orientation is fixed.

58. The optical module of claim 53 wherein the^' bonding material touches only one of the optical component mount and the relative reference mount when in a first state.

59. The optical module of claim 58 wherein the bonding material is activated to fix the spacial orientation.

60. The optical module of claim 59 wherein application or removal of heat causes a change in state of the bonding material.

61. The optical module of claim 52 wherein the relative reference mount is substantially planar.

62. The optical module of claim 52 including a bonding pad between the optical component mount and the relative reference mount configured to adhere to the bonding material.

63. The optical module of claim 60 including a heating element carried on at least one of the relative reference mount and the optical component mount .

64. The optical module of claim 52 wherein the optical component mount comprises silicon.

65. The optical module of claim 52 including an electrical connection to the optical component.

66. The optical module of claim 65 wherein the electrical connection is through a via hole.

67. The optical module of claim 52 wherein the optical component is an active device and the optical module includes a means for dissipating heat from the active device.

68. The optical^' module of claim 52 including a fiber tail from the optical component for use in prealigning the optical component to the registration feature.

69. An optical module for use in an optical device, comprising: an optical component; a relative reference mount having a registration feature configured to couple to a substrate; and bonding material configured to fixedly secure the optical component at a orientation and position relative to the registration feature of the relative reference mount.

70. The optical module of claim 69 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.

71. The optical module of claim 69 wherein the optical component has an optical characteristic which varies relative to at least one dimension and wherein the optical characteristic is aligned with a reference defined relative to a registration feature of the relative reference mount.

72. The optical module of claim 69 wherein the bonding material provides a fixed spacial orientation between the optical component and the relative reference mount.

73. The optical module of claim 72 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which the spacial orientation can be adjusted and a second state in which the spacial orientation is fixed.

74. The optical module of claim 73 wherein the bonding material is operably coupled to only one of the optical component mount and the relative reference mount when in a first state.

75. The optical module of claim 74 wherein application or removal of heat causes a change in state of the bonding material.

76. The optical module of claim 69 wherein the bonding material is heat activated and at least one heating element is thermally coupled to the bonding material.

77. The optical module of claim 69 including an optical component mount configured to couple the optical component to the relative reference mount.

78. The optical module of claim 69 including an electrical connection to the optical component.

79. The optical module of claim 78 wherein the electrical connection is through a via hole.

80. ₍ The optical module of claim 69 wherein the optical component is an active device and the optical module includes a means for dissipating heat from the active device.

81. The optical module of claim 69 including a fiber tail from the optical component for use in prealigning the optical component to the registration feature.