Transceiver assembly for use in fiber optics communications

• US 20030053762A1
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Stratos International Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kim, Brian, Cheng, Hengju, Chin, Jesse, Crews, Darren, Xu, Lee L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,056,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/88
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4261 Packages with mounting structures to be pluggable or detachable, e.g. having latches or rails
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4269 with heat sinks or radiation fins
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4281 the printed circuit boards being flexible in general H05K1/147
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4283 with electrical insulation means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence

Abstract

A transceiver assembly for use in fiber optic communications systems where multiple optical fibers are used in transmitting and receiving optical signals. The assembly is adapted for being mechanically and optically connected with a ferrule supporting a set of optical communications fibers. The transceiver assembly supports an optoelectronic device having a corresponding set of photoactive components which are operative for either converting photonic signals to electrical signals (in a receiver) or converting electrical signals to photonic signals (in a transmitter). The transceiver assembly includes a frame section having a carrier which is precisely fabricated for supporting the optoelectronic device and includes an alignment structure for cooperating with the optical ferrule to align the photoactive components with the fibers in the ferrule. The frame section is part of a larger carrier assembly including a multilayer circuit board which may include a microcontroller chip, an edge connector for electrically connecting with a computer or communications system and a flex circuit which provides communications lines linking the frame section, circuit board and edge connector.

Claims

1. A transceiver assembly for use in fiber optics communications, comprising:

a) a frame section including a carrier, said carrier having;

1) an alignment structure for use in aligning said carrier and any devices supported on said carrier to an optical ferrule supporting a plurality of optical communications fibers, and

2) an optoelectronic device comprising a set of photoactive components which is supported by and precisely mounted on the carrier with reference to said alignment structure;

b) a rigid PCB board; and

c) a flex circuit for carrying data and control signals which flexibly couples said rigid PCB board to said frame section.

2. The transceiver assembly of claim 1, further including:

d) an edge connector formed on one end of said rigid PCB board.

3. The transceiver assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said frame section includes a plurality of layers defining a well within which said carrier is mounted.

4. The transceiver assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said carrier further includes a window section and said optoelectronic device is mounted over said window section with said photoactive components positioned for exchanging photonic signals with the fibers in said ferrule through said window section.

5. The transceiver assembly of claim 1, further including:

a controller chip which is surface mounted on said rigid PCB board.

6. The transceiver assembly of claim 2, wherein:

said rigid PCB board includes flex circuit layer, a top rigid PCB layer and a bottom rigid PCB layer.

7. The transceiver assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said photoactive components comprise vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers.

8. The transceiver assembly of claim 1, wherein:

said photoactive components comprise PIN photodiodes.

9. A transceiver assembly for use in fiber optics communications, comprising:

a) a frame section including a flex circuit layer for use in carrying data, control and power signals and an optoelectronic device containing a set of photoactive components;

b) a rigid PCB board including a first rigid PCB layer and a flex circuit layer for use in carrying data, control and power signals;

c) a flex circuit for carrying data, control and power signals which flexibly links said rigid PCB board to said frame section and forms the flex circuit layers in said rigid PCB board and frame section; and

d) an edge connector formed on one end of said rigid PCB board by a plurality of connection pads disposed along one edge of said PCB board.

10. The transceiver assembly of claim 9, wherein:

said rigid PCB board includes a second rigid PCB layer and said first and second rigid PCB layers are positioned on either side of said flex circuit layer.

11. The transceiver assembly of claim 9, wherein:

said rigid PCB Board includes a microcontroller which is surface mounted on said rigid PCB.

12. The transceiver assembly of claim 9, wherein:

said frame section includes a carrier on which said optoelectronic device is mounted.

13. The transceiver assembly of claim 9, wherein:

said photoactive components comprise vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers.

14. The transceiver assembly of claim 9, wherein:

said photoactive components comprise PIN photodiodes.

15. A transceiver assembly for use in fiber optics communications, comprising:

a) a frame section including an optoelectronic device containing a set of photoactive components, a signal processing chip for providing the drive signals to said photoactive components and a flex circuit layer;

b) a rigid circuit board including;

a first rigid PCB layer,

a second rigid PCB layer, and

a flex circuit layer positioned in between said first and second rigid PCB layers;

c) a flex circuit which also forms the flex circuit layers in said rigid PCB board and in said frame section and which is adapted for electrically coupling said first and second PCB layers in said rigid circuit board to said frame section; and

d) a controller chip mounted on the surface of said first rigid PCB layer of said rigid circuit board for providing control signals to said signal processing chip.

16. The transceiver assembly of claim 15, wherein:

said photoactive components are vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers.

17. The transceiver assembly of claim 15, further including:

e) an edge connector formed on one end of said rigid circuit board comprising a set of connection pads disposed on said first and second rigid PCB layers.

18. A frame section for use in supporting an optoelectronic device comprising a set of photoactive components within a fiber optic transceiver assembly for use in interconnecting with a fiber optic ferrule supporting a set of fiber optic communication fibers, said frame section comprising:

a) a flex circuit layer including a plurality of communication lines and including a flex circuit window section;

b) a support layer attached to said spacing layer and including a support layer window smaller than said flex circuit window section so as to define and inwardly extending support shelf; and

c) a silicon substrate carrier mounted on said support shelf in said support well and including an optoelectronic device supported on said carrier and comprising a set of photoactive components.

19. The frame section of claim 18, wherein:

said silicon substrate carrier also includes an alignment structure comprising a plurality of alignment apertures extending through said carrier.

20. The frame section of claim 18, further including:

d) a spacing layer mounted in between said flex circuit layer and said support layer.

21. The frame section of claim 18, wherein:

said silicon substrate layer includes a window section etched into said carrier and a transparent film layer extending over said window and on which said optoelectronic chip is mounted.

22. The frame section of claim 18, wherein:

said silicon substrate layer also includes and supports a signal processing chip in communication with said optoelectronic device and said flex circuit layer.

23. The frame section of claim 18, wherein:

said photoactive components comprise vertical cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers.

24. The frame section of claim 18, wherein:

said photoactive components comprise PIN photodiodes.

25. An optoelectronic subassembly for use in a fiber optic communications transceiver which is adapted for being mechanically and optically connected to an optical ferrule supporting an array of optical communication fibers, said subassembly comprising:

a) a planar substrate including a array of photoactive components mounted on said substrate and a set of apertures in said substrate which are aligned with said photoactive components;

b) a set of guide pins having proximal and distal ends extending through said set of apertures in said substrate; and

c) a support block having a set of support passages in which the distal ends of said guide pins are cemented and having a support face at right angles to said support passages on which said substrate is mounted.

26. The optoelectronic subassembly of claim 25, in which:

the planar substrate comprises a silicon substrate and said apertures are fabricated using photolithography techniques.

27. The optoelectronic subassembly of claim 26, further comprising:

one or more alignment marks deposited on said substrate using photolithography techniques; and

an optoelectronic device containing said photoactive components positioned and secured on said substrate with reference to said one or more alignment marks.

28. The optoelectronic subassembly of claim 27, further including:

a window section etched in said substrate using photolithography techniques; and

a transparent film layer deposited on said substrate over said window section on which said one or more alignment marks are deposited.