Methods of fabricating optoelectronic IC modules
First Claim
1. A method of forming an optoelectronic module, comprising:
- forming a plurality of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) on a substrate;
removing a portion of the substrate;
etching openings through the thickness of the substrate for light from the VCSELs to pass;
mounting a fiber optic faceplate which receives light from said etched openings at the location of the removed substrate to provide optical access to said VCSELs;
stabilizing the VCSELs prior to mounting the fiber optic faceplate by affixing a temporary substrate to the VCSELs; and
removing said temporary substrate after mounting the fiber optic faceplate to the VCSELs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A optoelectronic module comprises one or more VCSELs electrically connected to an IC and optically connected to a fiber optic faceplate. The fiber optic faceplate, comprising a closely packed bundle of optical fibers, permits efficient capture of light from the VCSELs. Precise alignment of the faceplate with respect to the VCSELs is not needed since light not collected by one fiber is captured by another nearby optical fiber. One method of fabricating the module comprises forming substrate layers on both sides of the VCSELs such that features can be formed on the first substrate layer while the second temporary substrate layer provides structural support. The method further comprises forming apertures on the first substrate layer by etching. An etch stop buffer layer positioned between the first substrate layer and the VCSELs protects the VCSELs from being etched in the process. The second temporary substrate layer is removed after the fiber optic faceplate is mounted on the first substrate side. An alternate method of VCSEL fabrication comprises forming an aperture by patterning a dielectric layer above an active layer within the VCSEL. The aperture in the dielectric layer can be formed with a high degree of precisely using conventional patterning techniques. The dielectric layer is part of a current confinement element that concentrates current in an active region. A top DBR can also be formed of multiple layers of dielectric.
45 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of forming an optoelectronic module, comprising:
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forming a plurality of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) on a substrate;
removing a portion of the substrate;
etching openings through the thickness of the substrate for light from the VCSELs to pass;
mounting a fiber optic faceplate which receives light from said etched openings at the location of the removed substrate to provide optical access to said VCSELs;
stabilizing the VCSELs prior to mounting the fiber optic faceplate by affixing a temporary substrate to the VCSELs; and
removing said temporary substrate after mounting the fiber optic faceplate to the VCSELs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of forming an optoelectronic module, comprising:
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forming a plurality of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) on a substrate;
removing a layer of the substrate so that said substrate is less than about 150 μ
m thick;
mounting a substantially optically transmissive element at the location of the removed substrate to provide optical access to said VCSELs; and
stabilizing the VCSELs prior to mounting the optically transmissive element by affixing a temporary substrate to the VCSELs, wherein interstices between adjacent VCSELs are filled with a filler material and a temporary substrate is adhered to said filler material. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of forming an optoelectronic module, comprising:
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forming a plurality of optoelectronic devices comprising Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and optical detectors on a substrate;
removing a portion of the substrate;
etching openings through the thickness of the substrate for light to pass;
mounting a fiber faceplate that directs light into said etched openings at the location of the removed substrate to provide optical access to said optoelectronic devices; and
stabilizing the optoelectronic devices prior to mounting the fiber faceplate by affixing a temporary substrate to the optoelectronic devices. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method of forming an optoelectronic module, comprising:
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forming a plurality of optoelectronic devices comprising Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and optical detectors devices on a substrate;
removing a portion of the substrate;
etching openings through the thickness of the substrate for light to pass;
mounting a substantially optically transmissive element at the location of the removed substrate to provide optical access to said optoelectronic devices; and
stabilizing the optoelectronic devices prior to mounting the optically transmissive element by affixing a temporary substrate to the optoelectronic devices, wherein interstices between adjacent optical detectors are filled with a filler material and a temporary substrate is adhered to said filler material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of forming an optoelectronic module, comprising:
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forming a plurality of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) on a substrate;
removing a layer of the substrate so that said substrate is less than about 150 μ
m tick;
mounting a faceplate at the location of the removed substrate to provide optical access to said VCSELs;
stabilizing the VCSELs prior to mounting the faceplate by affixing a temporary substrate to the VCSELs; and
mounting on said faceplate an optical element that redirects said light from said VCSELS in a substantially perpendicular direction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification