Merging parallel optics packaging and surface mount technologies

Abstract

Optical links are well known to present significant advantages over electrical links for very high-speed data rate at 10Gpbs and above per channel. However, the transition towards optical interconnects solutions for short and very short reach applications requires the development of innovative packaging solutions that would deal with very high volume production capability and very low cost per unit. Moreover, the optoelectronic transceiver components must be able to move from the edge to anywhere on the printed circuit board, for instance close to integrated circuits with high speed IO. In this paper, we present an original packaging design to manufacture parallel optic transceivers that are surface mount devices. The package combines highly integrated Multi-Chip-Module on glass and usual IC ceramics packaging. The use of ceramic and the development of sealing technologies achieve hermetic requirements. Moreover, thanks to a chip scale package approach the final device exhibits a much minimized footprint. One of the main advantages of the package is its flexibility to be soldered or plugged anywhere on the printed circuit board as any other electronic device. As a demonstrator we present a 2 by 4 10Gbps transceiver operating at 850nm.

Grating Couplers on Silicon Photonics: Design Principles, Emerging Trends and Practical Issues

“…One example of this approach is the “g-Pack” standard offered by commercial service ePIXpack, where standardized fiber array is mounted with a glass block polished to provide 8° tilt angle on a v-groove carrier [ 147 ]. Hermetic sealing not offered by “g-Pack” is also investigated in to other works such as by quad flat no-lead package widely used for microelectronic device packaging [ 148 , 149 ]. This approach, however, occupies much space for further component integration and offers poor mechanical strength.…”