Cisco Technology, Inc.

Stefan Pfnuer

Matthew Joseph Traverso

Utpal Kumar Chakrabarti

Ravinder Kachru

John Matthew Fangman

Pangchen Sun

Ravi Kachru

Vipulkumar K Patel

Chris Togami

Bipin Dama

Pang-Chen Sun

Matt Traverso

John Fangman

A method of manufacturing an optical communication device includes preparing first and second pre-defined break lines in a carrier wafer. A first sub-mount is positioned near the first break line to accommodate an optical laser and a second sub-mount is positioned near the second break line to accommodate an optical modulator. The first sub-mount is secured to a thermally conductive and electrically nonconductive spacer which is secured to a thermo-electrical cooler that defines a gap between the first submount and the thermo-electrical cooler. A portion of the carrier wafer between the sub-mounts is removed.

Method for manufacturing an optical communication device

An optical transmitter may include a chip stack that includes an electrical IC that is mounted using solder balls to a photonic chip. These solder connections permit the electrical IC and the photonic chip to communicate. In addition, the transmitter may include a PCB coupled to the stack so that electrical signals in the PCB are transmitted to the IC and photonic chip (and vice versa). Instead of coupling the PCB to the stack using wire bonds attached to pads on a surface of the photonic chip, at least a portion of the PCB is disposed between the photonic chip and electrical IC. The PCB may also include bond pads used to form a direct solder connection to the electrical IC. As such, the electrical IC may include direct solder connections to both the PCB and the photonic chip.

Direct printed circuit routing to stacked opto-electrical IC packages

Embodiments herein include an optical system that passively aligns a fiber array connector (FAC) to a waveguide in a photonic chip. An underside of the FAC is etched to include multiple grooves along a common axis or plane. Some of these grooves are used to attach optical cables, or more specifically, the fibers of optical cables to the FAC. To do so, the fibers are placed in the grooves and a lid is disposed on the underside of the fibers to hold the fibers in the grooves. The optical system uses other grooves in the FAC to mate with ridges in the photonic chip in order to mechanically couple the FAC to the photonic chip. By registering respective ridges in the photonic chip with grooves in the FAC, the FAC is passively aligned to the photonic chip along at least one optical axis.

Passive fiber array connector alignment to photonic chip

Embodiments include an optical apparatus and associated method of assembling. The optical apparatus comprises a substrate defining a first surface and a channel formed relative thereto, the substrate including one or more waveguides extending to a sidewall partly defining the channel, a plurality of first electrical contacts formed on the first surface. The optical apparatus further comprises a carrier member defining a second surface and at least a third surface, the second surface coupled with the first surface of the substrate. The optical apparatus further at least one optical component coupled with the second surface and at least partly disposed within the channel, wherein the at least one optical component is optically coupled with the one or more waveguides and electrically connected with the first electrical contacts via a plurality of second electrical contacts at the third surface of the carrier member.

Optical component alignment using inverted carrier member

An optical device may include an optical bench used align a photonic chip to a receptacle. In one embodiment, a surface of the optical bench defines an alignment plane. When a fiber stub in the receptacle is disposed on the surface, an optical path in the stub is parallel with the alignment plane. By disposing the photonic chip on the same surface, the chip and the stub can be aligned such that optical signals can be transmitted between the stub and an optical component (e.g., light source or waveguide) in the photonic chip. In one embodiment, the optical path in the stub and the optical component may have the same height relative to the optical bench. Moreover, the optical device may include a direct thermal connection between the assembly and the heat sink, and thus, have better thermal coupling relative to using thermal pads.

Optical bench for aligning an optical device

Embodiments described herein include an apparatus for passive alignment of one or more optical fibers with photonic circuitry. Generally, the apparatus includes a substrate that defines a channel configured to receive an engagement portion of a ferrule member. The apparatus further includes deformable and/or non-deformable members within the channel that form alignment faces arranged at opposite ends of the channel. The alignment faces can deform and/or limit the movement of the engagement portion of the ferrule member in order to align the optical fibers along a first dimension. A top surface of the substrate may be configured to engage with one or more lateral surfaces of the ferrule member when the engagement portion is received into the channel, thereby aligning the optical fibers along a second dimension.

Passive alignment with optical fibers using ferrule member

A method of manufacturing an optical communication device aligns an optical sub-assembly and an optical modulator on a carrier wafer. A first sub-mount supports the optical sub-assembly and a second sub-mount supports the optical modulator. Pre-defined break lines are placed on the carrier wafer to accommodate separation of the sub-assembly and the optical modulator. The first sub-mount connects the optical sub-assembly to a thermoelectric cooler by either an epoxy, a spacer layer, or both. The optical sub-assembly is aligned in the x/y/z directions relative to the second sub-mount in a position to match an optical height of the optical modulator in the z-direction, wherein the z-direction is a vertical direction relative to the carrier wafer.

Embodiments herein describe an optical receiver that demultiplexes a multi-wavelength optical signal into a plurality of optical signals with respective wavelengths. Stated differently, the various wavelengths in the received optical signal are separated into different optical signals with different wavelengths. In one embodiment, the optical receiver includes a plurality of optical filters that is aligned with a mirror to perform the demultiplexing function. The embodiments herein disclose optical receivers where the optical components performing the demultiplexing function using a ball lens aligned with optical filters.

Multi-channel optical receiver or transmitter with a ball lens

In one embodiment, an apparatus for optical communication is disclosed. An optical sub-assembly and optical platform may form the apparatus. Lasers contained in the hermetically sealed optical sub-assembly can be coupled to a modulator on the optical platform. The optical modulator can access an optical network using beams of light sent from the laser.

Efficient optical communication device

Described herein is an optical transmitter that includes an RF signal path that is, at least partially, parallel with an optical signal path. In one embodiment, an electrical transmission element, which defines the RF signal path, is disposed between a laser emitting the optical signal and a side wall of a package containing the optical transmitter. Although the RF and optical signals may propagate along different planes within the optical transmitter, both signals are received at an optical modulator. Using the RF signal, the optical modulator modulates the optical signal (e.g., a continuous wave) to generate a modulated optical signal. The optical modulator then outputs the modulated signal to a receptacle coupled to a light carrying medium such as a fiber optic cable.

Optical transmitter with linear arrangement and stacked laser package and RF path

An apparatus is provided in which a photodiode supported on a planar light wave circuit assembly and arranged such that a photosensitive portion of the photodiode is aligned along an optical path from the output of the planar light wave circuit to the photodiode of the planar light wave circuit assembly. The photodiode is arranged such that a spot size of light output from the planar light wave circuit is incident on the photosensitive portion such that an optical signal transmitted by the light output is converted to an electric signal by the photodiode. A mounting structure is arranged between the planar light wave circuit assembly and the photodiode in order to support the photodiode on the planar light wave circuit assembly. The optical path of the light output from the planar light wave circuit does not contain any refractive optical elements.

Planar light wave circuit based optical transceiver assembly

An optical assembly package is provided for the optical receive components of an optical transceiver. The optical assembly package includes a receptacle subassembly configured to receive an end of an optical fiber. A housing is provided having an opening at one end configured to receive the receptacle assembly. Optical routing and wavelength demultiplexing elements are mounted to a bottom wall of the housing. An electrical subassembly comprising a support plate, a circuit board mounted on the support plate, an integrated circuit mounted to the circuit board, and a plurality of photodetectors mounted to the support plate proximate an edge of the circuit board. The electrical subassembly is positioned a stacked arrangement beneath the housing to minimize an overall length of the optical assembly package.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Stefan Pfnuer