Hybrid optical integration assembly using optical platform

• US 5,780,875 A
• Filed: 08/29/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.), Hitachi Tohbu Semiconductor, Ltd. (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Satoru, Aoki, Satoshi, Shishikura, Masato, Tsuji, Shinji, Takahashi, Ryuta
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MINH LOAN
• Application Number:
  US08/705,524
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 257/80, 257/81, 257/84, 257/98, 257/99, 385/49, 385/83, 385/92, 385/131
• US Class Current: 257/81
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4224 using visual alignment markings, e.g. index methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance

Abstract

An optical assembly structure includes, a semiconductor element generating a large amount of heat and a high impedance optical element which are to be mounted, with low optical loss on the same semiconductor substrate which has an optical waveguide formed thereon.The element generating a large amount of heat is mounted on a terrace of the semiconductor substrate directly or through an insulating layer having a thickness of submicron order, while the high impedance element is mounted in a groove which is etched into the semiconductor substrate to such an extent that the optical axis of the high impedance element mates with the optical axis of the optical waveguide layer formed on a recess in the semiconductor substrate. The optical axes can be adjusted independently for the respective elements. Alternatively, with a potential on the semiconductor substrate set equal to a supply voltage or a ground potential, a crystal substrate for a forward biased heat generating element is given the polarity opposite to that of a crystal substrate for a reverse biased element which may imply a problem of stray capacitance.

Claims

1. An optical assembly, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor light emitting element mounted on said semiconductor substrate; and

a semiconductor light receiving element mounted on said semiconductor substrate,

wherein said semiconductor light emitting element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate through a dielectric layer,

said semiconductor substrate includes an optical waveguide formed thereon, said optical waveguide having said dielectric layer,

wherein a material inserted between said semiconductor light receiving element and said semiconductor substrate has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of a material inserted between said semiconductor light emitting element and said semiconductor substrate, and

said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said semiconductor light emitting element, and said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said semiconductor light receiving element.

2. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor substrate has a terrace for mounting said semiconductor light emitting element thereon;

said semiconductor light emitting element is mounted on said terrace;

said semiconductor substrate has a bottom around said terrace;

said optical waveguide is formed on said bottom; and

said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted in a groove formed by partially etching said dielectric layer.

3. An optical assembly according to claim 2, wherein said groove in which said optical light receiving element mounted is covered by a lid.

4. An optical assembly according to claim 2, wherein the interior of said groove in which said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted is filled with a resin to bury a light path.

5. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor light receiving element has an optical waveguide structure, and the height of the optical axis of said semiconductor light receiving element is adjusted to the height of the optical axis of said optical waveguide with an offset equal to or less than 3 microns.

6. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor light receiving element is applied with a predetermined voltage such that said semiconductor light receiving element is reversely biased.

7. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein a material for said semiconductor substrate is silicon having a crystal orientation of (100) with an offset less than 5 degrees.

8. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein a dielectric material of said optical waveguide includes silicon oxide.

9. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor light emitting element has an optical waveguide structure, and the height of the optical axis of said semiconductor light emitting element is adjusted to the height of the optical axis of said optical waveguide with an offset equal to or less than 3 microns.

10. An optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein said optical waveguide connected to said semiconductor light emitting element is optically coupled to said optical waveguide connected to said semiconductor light receiving element.

11. An optical transmission module using the optical assembly according to claim 1.

12. An optical assembly, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor light emitting element mounted on said semiconductor substrate; and

a semiconductor light receiving element mounted on said semiconductor substrate;

wherein said semiconductor light emitting element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said semiconductor light emitting element is mounted to be biased in a forward direction, and said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted to be biased in a reverse direction,

said semiconductor light emitting element and said semiconductor light receiving element are mounted so that signal lines for said semiconductor light emitting element and said semiconductor light receiving element are arranged at a side a distance from said semiconductor substrate,

an optical waveguide having a dielectric layer is formed on said semiconductor substrate, and

said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said semiconductor light emitting element, and said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said semiconductor light receiving element.

13. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor light emitting element and said semiconductor light receiving element are mounted on terraces formed on said semiconductor substrate.

14. An optical assembly according to claim 13, wherein an insulating film is formed on each of said terraces.

15. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor light receiving element has an optical waveguide structure, and the height of the optical axis of said semiconductor light receiving element is adjusted to the height of the optical axis of said optical waveguide with an offset equal to or less than 3 microns.

16. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein a material for said semiconductor substrate is silicon having a crystal orientation of (100) with an offset less than 5 degrees.

17. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein a dielectric material of said optical waveguide includes silicon oxide.

18. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor light emitting element has an optical waveguide structure, and the height of the optical axis of said semiconductor light emitting element is adjusted to the height of the optical axis of said optical waveguide with an offset equal to or less than 3 microns.

19. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein said optical waveguide connected to said semiconductor light emitting element is optically coupled to said optical waveguide connected to said semiconductor light receiving element.

20. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted on a groove formed on said semiconductor substrate, said groove being covered by a lid.

21. An optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted on a groove formed on said semiconductor substrate, and an interior of said groove and an optical path are filled with a resin.

22. An optical transmission module using the optical assembly according to claim 12.

23. An optical assembly comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a pre-amplifier element mounted on said semiconductor substrate; and

a semiconductor light receiving element mounted on said semiconductor substrate,

wherein said pre-amplifier element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said semiconductor light receiving element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate through a dielectric layer,

wherein a material inserted between said semiconductor light receiving element and said semiconductor substrate has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of a material inserted between said pre-amplifier element and said semiconductor substrate, and

said semiconductor substrate includes an optical waveguide formed thereon, said optical waveguide including said dielectric layer.

24. An optical assembly, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an element generating a large amount of heat mounted on said semiconductor substrate; and

a high impedance optical element mounted on said semiconductor substrate,

wherein said element generating a large amount of heat is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said high impedance optical element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate through a dielectric layer,

said semiconductor substrate includes an optical waveguide formed thereon, said optical waveguide including said dielectric layer,

wherein a material inserted between said high impedance optical element and said semiconductor substrate has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of a material inserted between said element generating a large amount of heat and said semiconductor substrate, and

said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said element generating a large amount of heat, and said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said high impedance optical element.

25. An optical assembly, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an element generating a large amount of heat mounted on said semiconductor substrate; and

a high impedance optical element mounted on said semiconductor substrate,

wherein said element generating a large amount of heat is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said high impedance optical element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said element generating a large amount of heat is forward biased, and said high impedance optical element is reverse biased,

said element generating a large amount of heat and said high impedance optical element are mounted so that signal lines for said element generating a large amount of heat and said high impedance optical element are arranged at a side a distance from said semiconductor substrate,

an optical waveguide having a dielectric layer is formed on said semiconductor substrate, and

said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said element generating a large amount of heat, and said optical waveguide has its optical axis adjusted to the optical axis of said high impedance optical element.

26. An optical assembly, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an element generating a large amount of heat mounted on said semiconductor substrate; and

a high impedance optical element mounted on said semiconductor substrate,

wherein said element generating a large amount of heat is mounted on said semiconductor substrate directly or through a thin film layer,

said high impedance optical element is mounted on said semiconductor substrate through a dielectric layer,

wherein a material inserted between said high impedance optical element and said semiconductor substrate has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of a material inserted between said element generating a large amount of heat and said semiconductor substrate, and

said semiconductor substrate includes an optical waveguide formed thereon, said optical waveguide including said dielectric layer.