Systems and methods for removing heat from opto-electronic components

• US 6,807,345 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom International Pte Ltd. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Simon, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Palmer, Phan T. H.
• Application Number:
  US10/156,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20030223697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 385/49, 385/88-94, 313/512, 313/499, 313/503, 313/501
• US Class Current: 385/49
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4268 Cooling of semiconductor devices H01L23/24; of electric apparatus H05K7/20; of instruments G12B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/36 Selection of materials, or shaping, to facilitate cooling or heating, e.g. heatsinks H01L23/28, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence; heating H01L23/345
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Systems for removing heat from an opto-electronic component are provided. One such system incorporates an opto-electronic component that is thermally coupled to a heat spreader. The heat spreader is formed, at least partially, of a material capable of propagating optical signals. The heat spreader is operative to receive heat from the opto-electronic component and conduct an amount of the heat through at least a portion of the heat spreader. Methods and other systems also are provided.

Claims

1. An opto-electronic system comprising:

an opto-electronic component; and

a heat spreader thermally coupled to the opto-electronic component, the heat spreader being formed, at least partially, of a material capable of propagating optical signals, the heat spreader being operative to receive heat from the opto-electronic component and conduct an amount of the heat through at least a portion of the heat spreader, and wherein the heat spreader includes an optical waveguide, the optical waveguide optically communicating with the opto-electronic component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat spreader is formed, at least partially, of a thick film diamond substrate;

and

wherein the optical waveguide is formed in the thick film diamond substrate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat spreader is formed, at least partially, of diamond.

4. An opto-electronic system comprising:

an opto-electronic component;

a heat spreader thermally coupled to the opto-electronic component, at least a portion of the heat spreader being optically transparent such that optical signals can be propagated through the optically transparent portion, the heat spreader being operative to receive heat from the opto-electronic component and conduct an amount of the heat through at least a portion of the heat spreader, and wherein the heat spreader defines a an optical waveguide, the waveguide being optically coupled to the opto-electronic component and being operative to propagate optical signals associated with the opto-electronic component.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a heat sink thermally coupled to the heat spreader, the heat sink having an exterior surface area greater than an exterior surface area of the opto-electronic component, the heat sink being operative to receive heat from the opto-electronic component via the heat spreader.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the exterior surface area of the heat sink is greater than an exterior surface area of the heat spreader.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the heat sink is formed, at least partially, of metal.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a heat sink thermally coupled to the heat spreader such that the heat spreader is arranged at least partially between the opto-electronic component and the heat sink, the heat sink having an exterior surface area greater than an exterior surface area of the heat spreader, the heat sink being operative to receive heat associated with the opto-electronic component via the heat spreader.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the heat sink is formed of metal.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

means for propagating optical signals associated with the opto-electronic component.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the heat spreader is at least partially formed of at least one of diamond, graphite and carbon fiber/epoxy composite.

12. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

an input transmission medium, the input transmission medium being at least one of optically and electrically coupled to the opto-electronic component.

13. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

an output transmission medium, the output transmission medium being at least one of optically and electrically coupled to the opto-electronic component.

14. The system of claim 4, wherein the heat spreader is formed, at least partially, of a thick film diamond substrate.

15. A method for removing heat from an opto-electronic component, the method comprising:

providing an opto-electronic component;

providing a medium including an optical waveguide capable of propagating optical signals; and

removing heat from the opto-electronic component with the medium.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a heat sink; and

thermally coupling the heat sink to the medium such that an amount of heat removed from the opto-electronic component by the medium is transferred to the heat sink.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing signals to the opto-electronic component; and

receiving signals from the opto-electronic component.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

optically coupling at least a portion of the medium to the opto-electronic component; and

propagating optical signals associated with the opto-electronic component via the portion of the medium.