OPTO-COUPLER

• US 20050035356A1
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kek, Theng Hui, Tay, Gary Thiam Siew, Kwok, Ka Hin
• Granted Patent: US 6,943,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/81
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

An opto-coupler including an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The opto-coupler includes at least three layers of materials between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver that attach and optically couple the optical transmitter and the optical receiver to define a stack. A method of manufacturing the opto-coupler is also disclosed. The method includes disposing an insulating layer on a first die and disposing an isolation layer on the insulating layer. The method further includes disposing a securing layer on the isolation layer and disposing a second die on the securing layer.

Claims

1. An opto-coupler comprising:

an optical transmitter;

an optical receiver;

at least three layers of materials between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver to attach and optically couple the optical transmitter and the optical receiver to define a stack;

said at least three layers of materials comprising a glass isolation layer sandwiched between two epoxy securing layers, wherein the area of said glass isolation layer is greater than the area of an active face of said optical transmitter; and

said stack electrically and mechanically attached to the surface of a printed circuit board having electrical conductors thereon.

3. An opto-coupler according to claim 1, wherein said at least three layers further comprises a silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or benzo cyclo butene insulating layer that is an integrally formed part of the optical receiver and wherein one of said epoxy securing layers attaches the insulating layer to the glass isolation layer.

7. An opto-coupler according to claim 1, further comprising a light transmissive guide that covers at least a portion of the optical transmitter and at least a portion of the optical receiver for guiding a light signal from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver.

8. An opto-coupler according to claim 7, wherein the optical transmitter comprises a front-emitting LED and wherein the light transmissive guide comprises a reflective surface for reflecting the light signal transmitted by the front-emitting LED to the optical receiver.

2. (Canceled)

4. (Canceled)

5. (Canceled)

6. (Canceled)

9. (Canceled)

11. A method of manufacturing an opto-coupler comprising:

disposing an insulating layer on a first die;

disposing an isolation layer on the insulating layer;

disposing a securing layer on the isolation layer; and

disposing a second die on securing layer.

10. An opto-coupler according to claim 19, further comprising an encapsulant that encloses the optical transmitter and the optical receiver.

12. A method of manufacturing an opto-coupler according to claim 11, wherein the insulating layer, the isolation layer and the securing layer are light transmissive.

13. A method of manufacturing an opto-coupler according to claim 11, wherein the light transmissive insulating layer comprises one of a silicon dioxide, a silicon nitride and a benzo cyclo butene layer, the light transmissive isolation layer comprises an epoxy layer and the light transmissive securing layer comprises one of a glass and a polyimide layer.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein disposing an insulating layer on a first die comprises forming an insulating layer on a wafer of first dies from which the first die is obtained.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein disposing an isolation layer on the insulating layer comprises spin-coating an isolation layer on the insulating layer after the insulating layer has been formed on the wafer.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein disposing an isolation layer on the insulating layer comprises disposing another securing layer on the insulating layer prior to disposing an isolation layer on the another insulating layer.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising forming a light transmissive guide over at least a portion of the first die and at least a portion of the second die for guiding a light signal between the first die and the second die.

18. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

mounting the first die on a substrate, wherein the substrate has a plurality of mutually electrically insulated conductors thereon; and

electrically connecting the first die and second die to the corresponding conductors.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising encapsulating the first die and the second die with an encapsulant.

20. A method according to claim 20, wherein mounting the first die on a substrate comprises mounting the first die on one of a plurality of adjoined substrate units and the method further comprising separating the one of the plurality of adjoined substrate units from the other substrate units.

21. An opto-coupler comprising:

an optical transmitter;

an optical receiver;

at least three layers of materials between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver to attach and optically couple the optical transmitter and the optical receiver to define a stack;

said at least three layers of materials comprising a polyimide isolation layer sandwiched between two epoxy securing layers, wherein the area of

said polyimide isolation layer is greater than the area of an active face of said optical transmitter; and

said stack electrically and mechanically attached to the surface of a printed circuit board having electrical conductors thereon.

22. An opto-coupler according to claim 21, wherein said at least three layers further comprises a silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, or benzo cyclo butene insulating layer that is an integrally formed part of the optical receiver and wherein one of said epoxy securing layers attaches the isolation layer to the polyimide isolation layer.

23. An opto-coupler according to claim 21, further comprising a light transmissive guide that covers at least a portion of the optical transmitter and at least a portion of the optical receiver for guiding a light signal from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver.

24. An opto-coupler according to claim 23, wherein the optical transmitter comprises a front-emitting LED and wherein the light transmissive guide comprises a reflective surface for reflecting the light signal transmitted by the front-emitting LED to the optical receiver.

25. An opto-coupler according to claim 21, further comprising an encapsulant that encloses the optical transmitter and the optical receiver.