Electrooptic assembly

• US 7,039,263 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Towle, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US10/253,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20040057649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385/88, 385/89, 385/93, 385/32, 385/33, 257/678, 257/183, 257/200, 257/680, 257/676
• US Class Current: 385/14
• 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 6/4232 using the surface tension of fluid solder to align the elements, e.g. solder bump techniques flip-chip mounting techniques in assembly of semiconductor devices H01L24/81
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/568 Temporary substrate used as encapsulation process aid H01L21/4832 and H01L21/566 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04105 Bonding areas formed on an encapsulation of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. bonding areas on chip-scale packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/12105 Bump connectors formed on an encapsulation of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. bumps on chip-scale packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73209 Bump and HDI connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92144 the second connecting process involving a build-up interconnect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/18162 of a chip with build-up interconnect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3511 Warping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02 Structural details or components not essential to laser action

Abstract

An electrooptic assembly including a microelectronic package and an optical substrate, wherein the optical substrate includes a coupler and a waveguide. An electrooptic element is disposed to convert an electrical signal from the microelectronic package to an optical signal for transmission to the coupler and waveguide, and/or to receive an optical signal and convert it to an electrical signal for transmission to the microelectronic package.

Claims

1. An electrooptic assembly, comprising:

a microelectronic package having an active side, wherein said microelectronic package includes a core having an opening in which a microelectronic die is adhered by an encapsulation material;

a build-up layer on the active side of the microelectronic package and including a conductive trace;

an optical substrate;

an electrooptic element coupled to said build-up layer to convert and transmit a signal from one of said microelectronic package and said optical substrate to the other of said microelectronic package and said optical substrate; and

a bonding agent bonding said optical substrate to said build-up layer.

2. The electrooptic assembly of claim 1, wherein said optical substrate has a coupler and a waveguide.

3. The electrooptic assembly of claim 2, wherein said electrooptic element converts a signal from one of said microelectronic die and said coupler and transmits said signal to the other of said microelectronic die and said coupler.

4. The electrooptic assembly of claim 2, wherein said electrooptic element converts an electrical signal from said microelectronic die to an optical signal and transmits said optical signal into said coupler.

5. The electrooptic assembly of claim 2, wherein said electrooptic element converts an optical signal from said coupler to an electrical signal and transmits said electrical signal to said microelectronic die.

6. The electrooptic assembly of claim 2, including a refractive-index matched material on a surface of said electrooptic assembly generally adjacent said coupler.

7. The electrooptic assembly of claim 2, wherein said electrooptic element includes an integrated lens to focus and transmit said optical signal to said coupler.

8. The electrooptic assembly of claim 1, wherein said active side is defined by an active surface of said microelectronic die and corresponding surfaces of said core.

9. The electrooptic assembly of claim 8, wherein said encapsulation material in said opening in said core of said microelectronic package is coplanar with said active surface of said microelectronic die.

10. The electrooptic assembly of claim 8, wherein the build-up layer on said active side of said microelectronic package supports the conductive trace in electrical contact with said microelectronic die.

11. The electrooptic assembly of claim 10, wherein said build-up layer comprises a dielectric layer through which said conductive trace extends for contact on said active side of said microelectronic package.

12. The electrooptic assembly of claim 10, including a solder ball to secure said electrooptic element to said conductive trace and to a patterned opening of a solder mask on said build-up layer.

13. The electrooptic assembly of claim 12, wherein said bonding agent includes a solder ball secured to said optical substrate and to a patterned opening on said build-up layer of said microelectronic package.

14. The electrooptic assembly of claim 13, wherein said patterned openings for said electrooptic element and said bonding agent are patterned by a single patterning process in a single layer for said solder mask.

15. The electrooptic assembly of claim 14, wherein said patterning process includes patterning said patterned opening for said electrooptic element and bonding agent with a single photolithographic mask.

16. The electrooptic assembly of claim 1, wherein said electrooptic element is between said microelectronic package and said optical substrate and comprises a VCSEL.

17. The electrooptic assembly of claim 1, wherein said electrooptic element is between said microelectronic package and said optical substrate and comprises a photodetector.

18. The electrooptic assembly of claim 1, wherein said optical substrate comprises a printed circuit board having a coupler and a waveguide therein.

19. A method of fabricating an electrooptic package, comprising:

bonding an electrooptic element to a build-up layer on an active side of a microelectronic package having a microelectronic die, where at least a portion of the build-up layer is on an active surface of the microelectronic die;

positioning an optical substrate having a coupler and a waveguide to face said electrooptic element; and

bonding said build-up layer of said microelectronic package to said optical substrate such that said electrooptic element is in alignment with said coupler.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said electrooptic element is bonded with a solder ball to a patterned opening of a solder mask on the build-up layer on said active side of said microelectronic package.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said optical substrate is bonded with a solder ball to a patterned opening of a solder mask on the build-up layer on said active side of said microelectronic package.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein alignment between the electrooptic element and the coupler uses solder self-alignment.