Opto-electronic package for integrated sealing of optical fibers

• US 20030068141A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera America Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera America Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Velsher, Benne, Boehm, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/92
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4243 Mounting of the optical light guide into a groove mounting optical light guides into a groove in general G02B6/3636
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4248 Feed-through connections for the hermetical passage of fibres through a package wall see provisionally also G02B6/4428
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4251 Sealed packages G02B6/4248 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4253 by embedding housing components in an adhesive or a polymer material G02B6/4212 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4255 Moulded or casted packages

Abstract

An opto-electronic package includes an enclosed package, a plurality of the electrical contacts extending into the enclosed package, an optical integrated circuit mounted within the package and coupled to the electrical contacts, and optical fibers extending through opposite ends of the package to the optical integrated circuit along a common plane. The package is comprised of a package body and an opposite package lid joined together at an interface substantially at the common plane, and configured to form end pipes around the optical fibers at the opposite ends of the package. This enables the optical fibers to be laid into feedthroughs formed by opposing portions of the package body and the package lid before they are joined together, eliminating the need to feed the fibers through opposite apertures in the package body and for a separate subassembly to mount the opposite fibers and the integrated circuit. The package body and the package lid are solder sealed to each other, and the optical fibers are solder sealed with the end pipes at the opposite ends of the package, to form a hermetically sealed package.

Claims

1. An opto-electronic package comprising the combination of:

an enclosed package;

a plurality of electrical contacts extending into the enclosed package;

an optical integrated circuit mounted within the package and coupled to the electrical contacts; and

an optical fiber extending through at least one peripheral portion of the package to the optical integrated circuit along a common plane;

wherein the package is comprised of opposite portions joined together at an interface substantially at the common plane.

2. An opto-electronic package according to claim 1, further including a second optical fiber extending through a second peripheral portion of the package along the common plane.

3. An opto-electronic package according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber comprises a plurality of optical fibers.

4. An opto-electronic package according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber comprises plural optical fibers extending through opposite ends of the package to the optical integrated circuit along the common plane.

5. An opto-electronic package according to claim 4, wherein the plural optical fibers comprise opposite arrays of optical fibers lying within the common plane.

6. An opto-electronic package according to claim 4, where the opposite portions of the package comprise a package body and a package lid joined at said interface and configured to form end pipes around the optical fibers at opposite ends of the package.

7. An opto-electronic package according to claim 6, wherein the package body and the package lid are solder sealed to each other along said interface and the optical fibers are solder sealed with the end pipes at the opposite ends of the package

8. An opto-electronic package according to claim 6, wherein the package body has plural grooves therein at opposite ends thereof forming portions of the end pipes.

9. An opto-electronic package comprising the combination of:

a package body having electrical leads extending through at least one side thereof to wire bond pads within the body, and a fiber feedthrough path extending through the package body from opposite ends thereof;

an optical integrated circuit mounted in the package body in the fiber feedthrough paths;

a pair of fiber arrays extending into the package body from the opposite ends thereof along the fiber feedthrough path to opposite sides of the optical integrated circuit; and

a package lid mounted on and enclosing the package body and having opposite feedthrough portions disposed at the fiber feedthrough path.

10. An opto-electronic package according to claim 9, wherein the fiber feedthrough path lies within a common plane within an interface between the package lid and the package body.

11. An opto-electronic package according to claim 10, wherein the package lid is solder sealed to the package body around the interface therebetween.

12. An opto-electronic package according to claim 9, wherein the package body and the package lid each have hollowed-out fiber feedthrough portions at opposite ends thereof disposed on opposite sides of the fiber arrays and forming end pipes.

13. An opto-electronic package according to claim 12, wherein the pair of fiber arrays are solder sealed within the end pipes.

14. An opto-electronic package according to claim 12, wherein the hollowed-out fiber feedthrough portions of the package body each have a plurality of grooves therein for receiving individual fibers of the pair of fiber arrays.

15. A method of making an opto-electronic package comprising the steps of:

providing a package body having fiber feedthrough paths on opposite sides of an optical integrated circuit;

laying optical fibers in the fiber feedthrough paths on the opposite sides of the optical integrated circuit, aligning the optical fibers and attaching the optical fibers to the optical integrated circuit;

providing a package lid having fiber feedthrough paths at opposite ends thereof;

mounting the package lid on the package body so that the fiber feedthrough paths thereof are disposed on opposite sides of the optical fibers from the fiber feedthrough paths of the package body;

sealing the package lid to the package body; and

sealing the optical fibers with the fiber feedthrough paths of the package body and the package lid.

16. A method of making a opto-electronic package according to claim 15, comprising the further step of anchoring the optical fibers at the fiber feedthrough paths of the package body and the package lid.

17. A method of making an opto-electronic package according to claim 15, wherein the steps of sealing the package lid and sealing the optical fibers are performed as a single step.