Multichannel monostatic rangefinder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11088127-B2
Application number	US-202016878821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2020
Priority date	Oct 9, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to optical systems and methods for their manufacture. An example optical system includes a first substrate having a mounting surface and a spacer structure having at least one cavity. The spacer structure is coupled to the mounting surface of the first substrate. The optical system also includes a light-emitter device that is coupled to the spacer structure and a detector device coupled to the first substrate such that the at least one detector device is disposed within the at least one cavity of the spacer structure. The optical system also includes a second substrate that mounts a lens and a waveguide and is coupled to the spacer structure. The optical system also includes a shim coupled between the second surface of the spacer structure and a mounting surface of the second substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical system comprising:
a first substrate;
a spacer structure, wherein the spacer structure comprises at least one cavity, wherein the spacer structure is coupled to the first substrate;
at least one light-emitter device, wherein the at least one light-emitter device is coupled to the spacer structure;
at least one detector device, wherein the at least one detector device is coupled to the first substrate such that the at least one detector device is disposed within the at least one cavity of the spacer structure;
a second substrate, coupled to the spacer structure;
at least one lens coupled to the second substrate; and
at least one waveguide coupled to the second substrate, wherein the at least one light-emitter device is configured to emit light toward the at least one lens such that at least a portion of the emitted light is optically coupled into the at least one waveguide as optically-coupled light.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate lid, wherein the intermediate lid is coupled to the spacer structure, wherein the intermediate lid comprises at least one aperture that defines an optical path to the at least one detector device through the at least one cavity of the spacer structure.

3. The optical system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one detector device is configured to receive light from an external environment via the at least one aperture.

4. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one waveguide comprises at least one reflective surface, and wherein at least a portion of the optically-coupled light interacts with the reflective surface so as to be directed toward an external environment.

5. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises a material that is transparent to light emitted by the at least one light-emitter device.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is coupled to a surface of the first substrate by way of a plurality of controlled-collapse solder balls.

7. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens comprises a cylindrical lens, wherein the cylindrical lens is configured to collimate light emitted by the at least one light-emitter device.

8. The optical system of claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical lens comprises an optical fiber.

9. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more pulser circuits configured to control the at least one light-emitter device, wherein the one or more pulser circuits are disposed on the spacer structure, and wherein the at least one light-emitter device is electrically coupled to the one or more pulser circuits by way of one or more wire bonds.

10. A method comprising:
forming at least one cavity in a spacer structure;
coupling at least one detector device to a first substrate and coupling the first substrate to the spacer structure such that the at least one detector device is disposed within the at least one cavity of the spacer structure;
coupling at least one light-emitter device to the spacer structure;
determining a step height between a surface of the at least one light-emitter device and the spacer structure;
selecting a shim based on the determined step height;
coupling at least one lens and at least one waveguide to a second substrate; and
coupling the second substrate to the spacer structure by way of the selected shim.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
applying an adhesive material to at least one of the first substrate, a surface of the spacer structure, the shim, or the second substrate.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
coupling an intermediate lid to the spacer structure, wherein the intermediate lid comprises at least one aperture that defines an optical path to the at least one detector device through the at least one cavity of the spacer structure.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the spacer structure comprises at least one alignment feature, wherein the method further comprises aligning the second substrate to the spacer structure according to the at least one alignment feature.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
coupling a circuit board to a surface of the first substrate by way of a plurality of controlled-collapse solder balls.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming at least one reflective facet in the at least one waveguide.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the selected shim is selected such that, upon coupling the second substrate to the spacer structure, a respective laser diode region of the at least one light-emitter device is positioned at a desired location with respect to the at least one lens.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one lens comprises a cylindrical lens, wherein the cylindrical lens is configured to collimate light emitted by the at least one light-emitter device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cylindrical lens comprises an optical fiber.

19. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
coupling at least one pulser circuit to the spacer structure; and
electrically connecting the at least one pulser circuit to the at least one detector device.

Assignees

• Waymo Llc

Inventors

• Last Matthew
• Chilumula Ajaya

Classifications

• H10W90/00 Primary

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10F77/933

  for devices having potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F39/804

  Containers or encapsulations · CPC title

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S7/4816 Primary

  of receivers alone · CPC title