PROBE DEVICE AND TEST DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20200132947A1
• Filed: 05/20/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JI, Ho Chul, CHO, Keun Yeong
• Granted Patent: US 11,448,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/33 with a light emitter being disposed at one fibre or waveguide end-face, and a light receiver at the other end-face
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12142 Modulator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• 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 6/4228 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 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres

Abstract

A probe device includes an optical fiber array including an optical fiber to be in optical communication with an optical integrated circuit board, the optical integrated circuit board including an optical coupling element and a reflection mirror, a base substrate fixing the optical fiber, and an intermediate substrate including a hole into which the optical fiber is inserted, and a probe mirror to reflect an optical signal between the reflection mirror and the optical coupling element.

Claims

1. A probe device, comprising:

an optical fiber array including an optical fiber to be in optical communication with an optical integrated circuit board, the optical integrated circuit board including an optical coupling element and a reflection mirror;

a base substrate fixing the optical fiber; and

an intermediate substrate including a hole into which the optical fiber is inserted, and a probe mirror to reflect an optical signal between the reflection mirror and the optical coupling element.

2. The probe device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the optical fiber includes a plurality of optical fibers, and

the base substrate has a plurality of grooves to which the plurality of optical fibers are fixed.

3. The probe device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical fiber array has a first base substrate having the plurality of grooves and a second base substrate on the first base substrate and fixing the plurality of optical fibers.

4. The probe device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a length of the first base substrate is greater than a length of the second base substrate.

5. The probe device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, the optical fiber has a protruding region extended outside the base substrate.

6. The probe device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the protruding region is inserted into the hole of the intermediate substrate.

7. The probe device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the hole is greater than a diameter of the optical fiber.

8. The probe device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the diameter of the hole is determined based on at least one of a diameter of the optical fiber, a manufacturing tolerance of the optical fiber, a manufacturing tolerance of the hole, a coupling tolerance of the base substrate and the optical fiber, and an alignment tolerance of the optical fiber array and the intermediate substrate.

9. The probe device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probe mirror is a concave mirror.

10. The probe device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate includes an alignment feature for alignment with the optical integrated circuit board.

11. The probe device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the alignment feature is spaced apart by a predetermined offset in each of first and second directions with respect to the probe mirror, the first and second directions intersecting a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber.

12. The probe device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, when aligned using the alignment feature, at least a region of the probe mirror overlaps the reflection mirror.

13. The probe device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, when aligned using the alignment feature, at least a region of the probe mirror overlaps the optical coupling element.

14. The probe device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spacer substrate in a lower portion of the intermediate substrate.

15. The probe device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the optical signal is output by the optical fiber and is incident on the reflection mirror;

or

the optical signal is output by the optical coupling element, is incident on the probe mirror and the reflection mirror, and is incident on the optical fiber.

16. A probe device, comprising:

an optical fiber array including a plurality of optical fibers transmitting an optical signal, and a base substrate in which the plurality of optical fibers are disposed, the plurality of optical fibers being arranged in a first direction, and having a protruding region extended outside the base substrate;

an intermediate substrate having a plurality of holes, into which the protruding region is inserted, and arranged in the first direction, and a plurality of probe mirrors spaced apart from the plurality of holes by a predetermined distance in a second direction, intersecting the first direction; and

a spacer substrate in a lower portion of the intermediate substrate and formed of a light-transmitting material.

17. A test device, comprising:

a light source outputting an optical signal for testing an optical integrated circuit board having a waveguide including a first optical coupling element and a second optical coupling element, a first reflection mirror adjacent to the first optical coupling element, and a second reflection mirror adjacent to the second optical coupling element;

an optical fiber array including an optical fiber outputting the optical signal to be incident on the first reflection mirror;

a base substrate fixing the optical fiber;

an intermediate substrate between the optical fiber array and the optical integrated circuit board, and having a hole, into which at least a region of the optical fiber is inserted, and a probe mirror reflecting the optical signal, reflected by the first reflection mirror, to be incident on the first optical coupling element;

a photodetector to detect the optical signal propagating in the waveguide output by the second optical coupling element; and

a controller to inspect the optical integrated circuit board based on the optical signal detected by the photodetector.

18. The test device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a spacer substrate between the intermediate substrate and the optical integrated circuit board.

19. The test device as claimed in claim 18, wherein a thickness of the spacer substrate is determined based on a focal length of at least one of the probe mirror and the first reflection mirror.

20. The test device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller inspects the optical integrated circuit board using intensity of the optical signal detected by the photodetector.