Patent Application
20200363597
The subject matter herein generally relates to optical transmitters, optical transceivers and methods of the optical transmitters.
Networks using optical communications have low transmission loss, high data confidentiality, immunity against interference, and large bandwidth. Optical transceivers are basic components for optical communication, which receive optical signals from optical communication networks and convert the optical signals into electrical signals, and the reverse.
However, conventional optical modules use mirrors to adjust light paths, which requires many optical devices, increasing cost. In addition, the light paths of the conventional optical modules are complicated, causing more speckle patterns and increasing risk of data errors as well as reducing the reliable range of the network.
Many aspects of the present disclosure are better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.
The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one”.
The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections.
The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “comprising, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like.
The electronic components 26 comprise a laser driver for driving the laser 22 and other circuit components necessary to perform an optical signal transmission function. In other embodiments, the electronic components 26 may comprise a part of the control circuit 16. The control signals and the electronic signals input via the input and output port 28 are converted into light beams by the laser driver.
The laser 22 has a light-emitting surface 35 that emits light beams along the direction substantially parallel to the surface 30 of the substrate 20. As shown in
The lens module 24 has a light-incident surface, a light-emitting surface, and a lens side surface between the light-incident surface and the light-emitting surface, and the lens side surface is orthogonal to the light-incident surface. The light beams emitted from the laser 22 are incident to the lens module 24 through the light-incident surface, and output from the light-emitting surface. The lens side surface of the lens module 24 is also affixed to the surface 30 of the substrate 20 through the adhesive layer 33.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the lens module 24 is a collecting lens, and the collecting lens concentrates the light beams emitted by the laser 22 and forwards concentrated light beams to an optical fiber 21, the same then being transmitted to other optical receivers through the optical fiber 21. In accordance with other embodiments, the lens module 24 may also be provided with collimating lenses as needed to adjust the directions of the light beams, such as to render the light beams parallel.
Light beams emitted by other light emitters (not shown) are transmitted through an optical fiber 41, and emitted toward the lens module 44. The lens module 44 has a light-incident surface, a light-emitting surface, and a lens side surface between the light-incident surface and the light-emitting surface. The light beams emitted from the optical fiber 41 are incident to the lens module 44 through the light-incident surface, and output from the light-emitting surface. The lens side surface of the lens module 44 is also adhered to the surface of the substrate 20 through an adhesive layer 47. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the lens module 44 is a collecting lens, and the light beams emitted by the optical fiber 41 are concentrated by such collecting lens, and then coupled to the photodetector 42. In accordance with other embodiments, the lens module 44 may also be provided with collimating lenses as needed to adjust the directions of the light beams, such as to render the light beams parallel.
The photodetector 42 can be a PIN photodiode or an avalanche photodiode (APD) for converting the light beams coupled by the lens module 44 into electrical signals. The electronic components 46 comprise circuit components necessary for controlling the photodetector 42 and processing the electrical signals generated by the photodetector 42. For example, the electronic components 46 may comprise a transimpedance amplifier to convert the electrical signals generated by the photodetector 42 into electrical signals with smaller amplitude, and also comprise circuits to convert the amplified electrical signals into digital signals. In other embodiments, the electronic components 46 may comprise a part of the control circuit 16.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the photodetector 42 is electrically connected to the substrate 20 through wires, and electrically connected to the electronic components 46 through interconnections of the substrate 20. The photodetector 42 is affixed to the surface of the substrate 20 through the adhesive layer 47. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the adhesive layer 47 can be formed from various materials, including a polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Teflon, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), nylon or polyamides, polymethyl polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, phenolic pesins, epoxy resin, polyester, silicone, polyurethane (PU), polyamide-imide (PAI) or a combination thereof, not being limited thereto, as long as materials having adhesive properties are applicable to the disclosure.
The photodetector 42 has a light receiving surface. The received light beams are transmitted along the direction substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate 20. As shown in
The electronic components 26 comprise a laser driver for driving the laser 22 and other circuit components necessary to perform an optical signal transmission function. In other embodiments, the electronic components 26 may comprise a part of the control circuit 16. The control signals and the electronic signals input via the input and output port 28 are converted into light beams by the laser driver. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, one of the laser side surfaces of the laser 22 is affixed to the surface 30 of the substrate 20 through the adhesive layer 33, and the electronic components 26 can be mounted on the substrate 20 using surface mount technology (SMT) or by soldering. In the substrate 20, there are pre-designed interconnecting structures, and the electronic components 26 and the control circuit 16 can be electrically connected through the interconnecting structures.
In step S52, a wire bonding process is performed. The wire bonding process is to electrically connect the laser 22 and the interconnect structures of the substrate 20 through gold wires. In step S53, an optical alignment is performed. First, a positioning element may be disposed on the substrate 20 to assist in preliminary alignment of the laser 22 with the lens module 24. An ultraviolet (UV) glue may be applied between the lens module 24 and the substrate 20. To improve the positioning accuracy, the position can be aligned by assistance of a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. After the lens module 24 is positioned, the UV glue is irradiated with ultraviolet lights to cure the UV glue, and then the lens module 24 is affixed by the adhesive layer 33. Thus, fabrication of the optical transmitter 12 is completed. It should be noted that the method or process does not rely on a particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the disclosure should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In addition, regarding the method of manufacture of the optical receiver 14, it is similar to the steps shown in
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the light beams emitted by the laser 22 are emitted in the direction parallel to the substrate 20, and concentrated by the lens module 24. The light beams can be transmitted to the optical fiber 21 without light reflection steps by mirror components. Under this architecture, in addition to reducing the optical components (omitting the mirror components), the optical transmission path can be simplified, the optical transmission efficiency and the manufacturing yield can be enhanced, and the optical transmission quality can be improved to reduce speckle patterns.
Many details are often found in the relevant art, thus many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and comprising the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201910407732.5 | May 2019 | CN | national |
