Optical Coupling Structures

• US 20180335585A1
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Published: 11/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adolite Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adolite Inc.
• Inventors: Jou, Abraham, Wu, Paul Mao-Jen
• Granted Patent: US 10,371,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12011 characterised by the arrayed waveguides, e.g. comprising a filled groove in the array section
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1221 made from organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3652 the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/421 the intermediate optical component consisting of a short length of fibre, e.g. fibre stub
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4212 the intermediate optical element being a coupling medium interposed therebetween, e.g. epoxy resin, refractive index matching material, index grease, matching liquid or gel
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/425 Optical features semiconductor laser arrays H01S5/40; hybrid LED arrays H01L25/0753; monolithic LED arrays H01L27/153
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4259 of the transparent type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4279 Radio frequency signal propagation aspects of the electrical connection, high frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02251 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02255 using beam deflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/183 having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/506 Multiwavelength transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/67 Optical arrangements in the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10121 : Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 : Sensor

Abstract

An optical coupling structure is provided, an exemplary structure has a single-mode polymer waveguide terminated with a lens-shaped coupling structure on each end between an edge emitting laser chip and a single mode fiber. The edge emitting laser is assembled on the lower cladding layer of the waveguide front end with a gap filled with index matching structure, with multiple layers of different index materials for better matching efficiency. Another exemplary structure is a multiple channel polymer waveguide, developed for transmitting optical signals from edge emitting laser arrays to fiber arrays as well as to receive optical signals from fiber array to photodiode arrays. The multiple channel polymer waveguides are assembled with multiple channel connector to link to fiber cable. Multiple channel polymer waveguide cores are made to form angles with waveguide axial direction to compensate for the pitch difference between edge emitting laser channels and the single mode fibers in the fiber cable.

Claims

1. An optical coupling structure comprising:

an edge emitting laser;

a polymer waveguide comprising a core structure made of a first polymer and a cladding structure made of a second polymer, a first end, a second end, and a first integrally formed lens at the first end, wherein the edge emitting laser is aligned with the first integrally formed lens;

wherein the polymer waveguide is a single mode waveguide;

a connector aligned with the second end of the polymer waveguide; and

a single mode optical fiber aligned with the connector.

2. The optical coupling structure in claim 1, wherein the edge emitting laser is a Distributed Feedback(DFB) laser.

3. The optical coupling structure in claim 1, wherein the polymer waveguide is a single mode or multimode polymer waveguide.

4. The optical coupling structure of claim 1, further comprising a first index matching structure between the laser diode and the first end of the polymer waveguide, wherein the first index matching structure covers the first end of the polymer waveguide including the first integrally formed lens.

5. The optical coupling structure of claim 4, wherein the first index matching structure comprises multiple layers of materials each having a different index.

6. The optical coupling structure of claim 1, further comprising a second integrally formed lens at the second end of the polymer waveguide.

7. The optical coupling structure of claim 6, further comprising a second index matching structure between the connector and the polymer waveguide, wherein the second index matching structure covers the second end of the polymer waveguide including the second integrally formed lens.

8. The optical coupling structure of claim 1, wherein the first integrally formed lens is convex-shaped.

9. The optical coupling structure of claim 1, wherein the cladding structure of the polymer waveguide further comprises a bottom cladding layer and a top cladding layer, wherein the core structure is formed on the bottom cladding layer, and wherein the top cladding layer sits over and laterally around the core structure.

10. An optical coupling structure comprising:

a laser diode;

a polymer waveguide comprising a core structure made of a first polymer and a cladding structure made of a second polymer, a first end, a second end, and a first integrally formed lens at the first end, wherein the laser diode is aligned with the first integrally formed lens;

a connector aligned with the second end of the polymer waveguide; and

a single mode optical fiber aligned with the connector;

wherein the cladding structure of the polymer waveguide further comprises a bottom cladding layer and a top cladding layer, wherein the core structure is formed on the bottom cladding layer, and wherein the top cladding layer sits over and laterally around the core structure;

wherein the bottom cladding layer includes a first bottom protrusion, and the top cladding layer includes a first top protrusion, and the first bottom and top protrusions are aligned with the first integrally formed lens.

11. A multiple channel optical coupling structure comprising:

a plurality of edge emitting lasers;

a multiple channel polymer waveguide comprising a plurality of polymer core structures made of a first polymer and a cladding structure made of a second polymer, a first end, a second end, and a plurality of first integrally formed lenses at the first end, wherein the plurality of edge emitting lasers each is aligned with one of the plurality of first integrally formed lenses;

wherein the plurality of polymer core structures each is a single mode polymer waveguide;

a multiple channel connector aligned with the second end of the multiple channel polymer waveguide; and

a plurality of single mode optical fibers assembled in a fiber cable and aligned with the multiple channel connector.

12. The multiple channel optical coupling structure of claim 11, wherein the plurality of edge emitting lasers each is a Distributed Feedback(DFB) laser.

13. The multiple channel optical coupling structure in claim 11, wherein the multiple channel polymer waveguide includes a plurality of single mode or multimode polymer waveguides.

14. The multiple channel optical coupling structure of claim 11, further comprising a first index matching structure between the plurality of laser diodes and the first end of the multiple channel polymer waveguide, wherein the first index matching structure covers the first end of the multiple channel polymer waveguide including the plurality of first integrally formed lens.

15. The multiple channel optical coupling structure of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of second integrally formed lenses at the second end of the multiple channel polymer waveguide.

16. The multiple channel optical coupling structure of claim 15, further comprising a second index matching structure between the multiple channel connector and the multiple channel polymer waveguide, wherein the second index matching structure covers the second end of the multiple channel polymer waveguide including the plurality of second integrally formed lens.

18. A method of forming the optical coupling structure of claim 11, wherein the core structure of the polymer waveguide is patterned as a line structure on a flat surface of a bottom cladding layer first and a top cladding layer is formed covering the core structure.

19. A method of forming the optical coupling structure of claim 11, wherein a trench is first formed in a bottom cladding layer, the core structure is formed filling the trench, and a top cladding layer is formed covering the core structure.

20. A method of forming the optical coupling structure of claim 19, further comprising a planarizing process to remove excess core structure outside the trench on the bottom cladding layer.

17. A multiple channel optical coupling structure comprising:

a plurality of laser diodes;

a multiple channel polymer waveguide comprising a plurality of core structures made of a first polymer and a cladding structure made of a second polymer, a first end, a second end, and a plurality of first integrally formed lenses at the first end, wherein the plurality of laser diodes each is aligned with one of the plurality of first integrally formed lenses;

a multiple channel connector aligned with the second end of the multiple channel polymer waveguide; and

a plurality of single mode optical fibers assembled in a fiber cable and aligned with the multiple channel connector;

wherein the plurality of core structures in the multiple channel polymer waveguide is arranged to form a plurality of angles with a waveguide axial line to compensate a pitch difference between laser channels and the single mode optical fibers in the fiber cable, wherein the plurality of angles is a multiple of θ

(θ

=pitch difference/waveguide length).