OPTICAL MODULE WITH LENS ASSEMBLY SOLDERED TO CARRIER

• US 20130011104A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: SATO, Shunsuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,821,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/93
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4228 Passive alignment, i.e. without a detection of the degree of coupling or the position of the elements G02B6/4234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4244 Mounting of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4257 having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate G02B6/3648 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical module is disclosed where the module includes an optical active device mounted on a carrier via a sub-mount, and a lens assembly mounted on the carrier and optically coupled with the device and an external fiber. A feature of the optical module is that the lens assembly has a metalized portion fixed to the carrier by the soldering.

Claims

1. An optical module, comprising:

at least one semiconductor optical device;

at least one lens assembly optically coupled with the semiconductor optical device; and

a carrier for mounting the optical device and the lens assembly,

wherein the lens assembly has a metalized surface fixed to the carrier by a solder.

2. The optical module of claim 1,

wherein the lens assembly has the metalized surface at least in a side thereof,

wherein the solder forms a solder fillet on the metalized surface.

3. The optical module of claim 2,

wherein the lens assembly has the metalized surface in a bottom thereof facing the carrier.

4. The optical module of claim 1,

wherein the lens assembly has a structure to be grasped in a top portion thereof opposite to the carrier.

5. The optical module of claim 1,

wherein the carrier is made of ceramics and provides a metal layer and a heater in a portion where the lens assembly is soldered.

6. The optical module of claim 5,

wherein the carrier has a hollow in a portion of a back surface opposite to a surface mounting the lens assembly corresponding to the heater.

7. The optical module of claim 1,

wherein the carrier is made of semiconductor material with an insulating layer in a surface thereof, the carrier providing a heater on the insulating layer and a metal layer on the heater as putting another insulating layer therebetween, the metal layer soldering the lens assembly thereto.

8. The optical module of claim 7,

wherein the carrier has a hollow in a portion of a back surface opposite to the surface for mounting the lens assembly corresponding to the heater.

9. The optical module of claim 8,

wherein the carrier within the hollow thereof is fully removed for the hollow to reach the insulating layer.

10. The optical module of claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor optical device is a semiconductor laser diode (LD).

11. The optical module of claim 10,

wherein the module comprises a plurality of LDs and a plurality of lens assembly each optically coupling with the LD,

wherein the module further includes an optical multiplexer to multiplex a plurality of light each emitted from the LD and processed by the lens assembly, and

wherein the carrier directly mounts the lens assembly and the optical multiplexer by soldering, and the LDs via the sub-mount.

12. The optical module of claim 11,

wherein the lens assemblies a tightly arranged on the carrier.