Optocoupler package being hermetically sealed

• US 6,388,264 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Data Device Corporation (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Benedict G. Pace
• Inventors: Pace, Benedict G
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US09/633,631
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 250/551, 250/239, 250/214.1, 250/214.R, 250/216, 250/208.1, 257/80-85, 257/431-435
• US Class Current: 250/551
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4295 coupling with semiconductor devices activated by light through the light guide, e.g. thyristors, phototransistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/057 the leads being parallel to the base
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/10 characterised by the material or arrangement of seals between parts, e.g. between cap and base of the container or between leads and walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49805 the leads being also applied on the sidewalls or the bottom of the substrate, e.g. leadless packages for surface mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5389 the chips being integrally enclosed by the interconnect and support structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/97 the devices being connected to a common substrate, e.g. interposer, said common substrate being separable into individual assemblies after connecting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• 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 2924/01019 Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01025 Manganese [Mn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1204 Optical Diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1301 Thyristor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16195 Flat cap [not enclosing an internal cavity]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1627 : stacked type assemblies, e.g. stacked multi-cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0203 : Containers; Encapsulations , e.g. encapsulation of photodiodesfor photovoltaic devices H01L31/048; for organic photosensitive devices H10K30/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/12 : structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto semiconductor devices with at least one potential barrier or surface barrier adapted for light emission H01L33/00; amplifiers using electroluminescent element and photocell H03F17/00; electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00

Abstract

A compact, rugged, optocoupler which is a self-contained package. The optocoupler has a photon emitter mounted on the conductive pattern of a first, inorganic substrate, and a photon detector mounted on the conductive pattern of a second, inorganic, insulating substrate. The first and second substrates are bonded to an inorganic frame to form a cell containing a photon emitter opposite a photon detector. The first and second substrates and the frame also constitute the walls of the self-contained package. The optocoupler package may be manufactured with one or multiple cells in a package.

Claims

1. An optocoupler package comprising first and second, inorganic, insulating substrates and an inorganic, ring frame joining the first and second substrates forming a cell;

the first substrate being a ceramic circuit having a conductive pattern with at least one photon emitter mounted directly thereon;

the second substrate being a ceramic circuit having a conductive pattern with at least one photon detector mounted in direct, over-under opposition to the photon emitter;

the frame being bonded to the first and second substrates, and

the cell being hermetically sealed, capable of containing an inert environment, and forming a completely self-contained, optocoupler package.

2. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 wherein the ring frame comprises at least two laminae.

3. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 wherein the ring frame comprises a conductive pattern.

4. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the insulating substrates comprises a hybrid circuit containing other discrete components.

5. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the conductive patterns comprises a thick film conductor.

6. An optocoupler package according to claim 5, wherein the thick film conductive pattern comprises at least one, thick film resistor.

7. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the insulating substrates comprises a cofired, conductive pattern.

8. An optocoupler package according to claim 7 comprising a cofired ring frame.

9. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the conductive patterns comprises a thin film conductor.

10. An optocoupler package according to claim 1 further comprising an inorganic, insulating layer bonded between the photon emitter and photon detector, the layer being transparent to the photons emitted by the emitter.

11. A package having a plurality of optocouplers, the package comprising first and second inorganic, insulating substrates and a common frame sealed to the first and second inorganic substrates forming a plurality of hermetically sealed cells;

the first and second insulating substrates having a plurality of photon emitters and photon detectors mounted thereon so that each cell enclosing an optocoupler has at least one photon emitter opposing at least one photon detector;

the package being hermetically sealed and capable of containing an inert atmosphere.

12. An optocoupler package according to claim 11 wherein the frame comprises at least two laminae.

13. An optocoupler package according to claim 11 wherein the frame comprises a conductive pattern.

14. An optocoupler package according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the insulating substrates comprises a hybrid circuit containing other discrete components.

15. An optocoupler package according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the conductive patterns comprises a thick film conductor.

16. An optocoupler package according to claim 15, wherein the thick film conductive patterns comprise at least one, thick film resistor.

17. An optocoupler package according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the insulating substrates comprises cofired, conductive patterns.

18. An optocoupler package according to claim 17 comprising a cofired, ring frame.

19. An optocoupler package according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the conductive patterns comprises a thin film conductor.

20. An optocoupler package according to claim 11, further comprising at least one insulating layer bonded to the frame between the photon emitters and the photon detectors, the layer being transparent to the photons emitted by the emitters.

21. A method of manufacturing an optocoupler package comprising:

providing first and second, inorganic insulating substrates;

forming conductive patterns on the substrates;

mounting at least one photon emitter on the conductive pattern of the first insulating substrate;

mounting at least one photon detector on the conductive pattern of the second insulating substrate;

providing an inorganic, ring frame capable of surrounding the photon emitter and photon detector, and

bonding the frame to the first and second substrates, forming a hermetic seal, enclosing the photon emitter and photon detector spaced apart from and opposite each other, the first and second substrates and the frame forming the exterior surfaces of the package.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the conductive pattern on at least one of the substrates is formed on both sides of the substrate to include contact pads on the second side of the substrate.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising mounting other discrete components on at least one of the insulating substrates.

24. A method according to claim 21 further comprising installing a transparent, insulating layer between the photon emitter and the photon detector, the layer being transparent to the photons emitted by the emitter.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the conductive patterns comprise a thick film conductor.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein at least one of the insulating substrates comprises a cofired, conductive pattern.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the frame comprises two green ceramic preforms;

cofiring one of the preforms with the green, ceramic sheet for the first insulating substrate and the other preform with the green, ceramic sheet for the second insulating substrate.

28. A method according to claim 26 wherein the frame comprises a green, ceramic preform, and cofiring the preform with a green, ceramic sheetforming one of the insulating substrates.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the conductive patterns comprise a thin film conductor.

30. A method of manufacturing a hermetically sealed package containing a plurality of optocouplers comprising:

printing a conductive pattern on a first, ceramic, insulating substrate;

printing a conductive pattern on a second, ceramic, insulating substrate;

mounting a plurality of photon emitters and photon detectors directly on the conductive patterns of the first and second substrates;

bonding a ceramic frame between the first and second substrates forming a hermetic seal, the frame having a plurality of cells, each cell enclosing at least one photon emitter opposite at least one photon detector.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the conductive pattern on at least one of the substrates is formed on both sides of the substrate to include contact pads on the second side of the substrate.

32. A method according to claim 30 further comprising bonding a transparent, insulating layer between a photon emitter and a photon detector, the layer being transparent to the photons emitted by the emitter.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising mounting other discrete components on at least one of the insulating substrates.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the conductive patterns comprise at least one thick film conductor.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the insulating substrates comprise a cofired conductive pattern.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein the frame comprises two green, ceramic preforms, and cofiring one of the preforms with the green, ceramic sheet for the first insulating substrate and the other preform with the green, ceramic sheet for the second insulating substrate.

37. A method according to claim 35 wherein the frame comprises a green, ceramic preform, and cofiring the preform with a green, ceramic sheet forming one of the insulating substrates.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein the conductive patterns comprise at least one thin film conductor.

39. A method of manufacturing a hermetically sealed optocoupler package comprising:

forming a conductive pattern on a first, planar, insulating, ceramic, substrate, the conductive pattern including conductors on the edge of the substrate;

mounting at least one photon emitter directly on the conductive pattern of the first substrate;

forming a conductive pattern on a second, planar, insulating, ceramic, substrate, the conductive pattern including conductors on the edge of the substrate;

mounting at least one photon detector directly on the conductive pattern of the second substrate;

providing a ceramic, ring frame having conductors on its outer edges;

positioning the frame between the first and second substrates with the edge conductors of the frame, and first and second substrates aligned creating a cell containing a photon emitter opposite a photon detector;

bonding the first and second substrates to the frame forming a hermetic seal, and

electrically connecting the edge conductors of the package.

40. A method according to claim 39 wherein the conductive pattern on at least one of the substrates is formed on both sides of the substrate to include contact pads on the second sides of the substrate, the contact pads being joined to the edge connector.

41. A method according to claim 39 wherein the edge conductors are metallized castellations.

42. A method according to claim 39, wherein the aligned castellations are electrically connected by soldering.

43. A method according to claim 41, wherein a plurality of cells are formed from ceramic sheets;

the sheets being provided with holes corresponding to the castellations of the finished cells;

metallizing the walls of the holes and printing the conductive patterns on the sheets;

mounting a plurality of photon emitters and photon detectors on the conductive patterns;

sealing the ceramic sheets together into a three layer assembly, and

cutting the assembly into individual packages, wherein cuts through the holes form the castellations.

44. Method according to claim 43 wherein the assembly is cut into individual packages containing a plurality of cells.