Optical module

• US 9,031,361 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Inventors: Yu, Juhyun, Yasuda, Hiroki, Hirano, Kouki, Sunaga, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US13/748,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20130216179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385/16, 385/2
• US Class Current: 385/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12 of the integrated circuit kind electric integrated circuits H01L27/00
• 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 6/4257 having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate G02B6/3648 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]

Abstract

An optical module has a circuit board, a photoelectric conversion element mounted on a mount surface of the circuit board, an optical coupling member for holding an optical fiber and optically coupling the optical fiber and the photoelectric conversion element, a semiconductor circuit element mounted on the mount surface of the circuit board and electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion element, and a plate-shaped supporting substrate arranged to sandwich the optical coupling member between the supporting substrate and the circuit board. An electrically conductive metal foil which extends in a thickness direction of the supporting substrate is provided integrally with a side surface of the supporting substrate, and the metal foil is connected at one end thereof to an electrode provided on a non-mount surface of the circuit board.

Claims

1. An optical module, comprising:

a circuit board having a mount surface;

a photoelectric conversion element mounted on the mount surface of the circuit board;

an optical coupling member for holding an optical fiber and optically coupling the optical fiber and the photoelectric conversion element;

a semiconductor circuit element mounted on the mount surface of the circuit board and electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion element; and

a plate-shaped supporting substrate arranged to sandwich the optical coupling member between the supporting substrate and the circuit board,

wherein an electrically conductive metal foil which extends in a thickness direction of the supporting substrate is provided integrally with a side surface of the supporting substrate, and the metal foil is connected at one end thereof to an electrode provided on a non-mount surface of the circuit board; and

wherein the supporting substrate is formed by dicing a rod-shaped base material made of an insulation provided with an electrically conductive metal foil along a center axis at a cross section which is orthogonal to the center axis together with the metal foil.

2. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling member includes a groove which opens toward a supporting substrate to receive a tip of the optical fiber, and the supporting substrate sandwiches the tip of the optical fiber received in the groove between the supporting substrate and the optical coupling member.

3. The optical module according to claim 2, wherein the supporting substrate has such translucency that the tip of the optical fiber received in the groove is visible from a second plane opposite a first plane facing the optical coupling member.

4. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the optical coupling member includes a holding body for holding the optical fiber and a light guiding body for guiding light exiting from the optical fiber.