Premolded cavity for optoelectronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9279946-B2
Application number	US-201213479103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2012
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

An optoelectronic device is disclosed. The optoelectronic device may be employed as a single or multi-channel opto-coupler that electrically isolates one circuit from another circuit. The opto-coupler may include one or more premolded cavities with a light-coupling medium contained therein. Walls of the one or more premolded cavities advantageously help shape the light-coupling medium during manufacture, therefore, resulting in a light path with controlled shape and dimensions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optoelectronic device, comprising:
a light source configured to emit light according to electrical signals received from one or more input leads;
a light detector configured to detect light emitted by the light source and convert the detected light into electrical signals for transmission by one or more output leads;
a single conductive base layer that supports or includes the one or more input leads and the one or more output leads; and
at least one insulating feature molded on or to the base layer, wherein the at least one insulating feature is configured to at least partially retain a liquefied light-coupling medium and contribute to forming a shape of the liquefied light-coupling medium that establishes an optical path between the light source and light detector.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating feature comprises one or more of a plastic, polyphthalamide, polyamide, silicone, epoxy, epoxy molding compound, Liquid Crystal Polymer, and FR-4.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating feature comprises at least one inner wall that at least partially forms an optical cavity in which the light source and light detector are mounted, wherein the at least one inner wall has a first height, and wherein a height of the light-coupling medium is greater than the first height of the at least one inner wall due to an inherent surface tension of the light-coupling medium.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one inner wall is reflective.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one inner wall is substantially orthogonal to a first major surface of the base layer.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the base layer comprises at least one of a substrate and a lead.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-coupling medium is insulative and at least one of transparent and translucent.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-coupling medium comprises at least one of epoxy, silicone, a hybrid of silicone and epoxy, phosphor, a hybrid of phosphor and silicone, an amorphous polyamide resin or fluorocarbon, glass, and plastic.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light-coupling medium is covered with an additional reflective material that reflects light from the light source to the light detector.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an extended gap divider that is molded in an isolation gap that divides the one or more input leads from the one or more output leads and wherein the extended gap divider comprises an upper surface that is not co-planar with a first major surface of the base layer.

11. An opto-coupler, comprising:
one or more input leads;
one or more output leads;
an isolation gap that electrically separates the one or more input leads from the one or more output leads; and
a molded feature that establishes an optical cavity around the isolation gap, wherein the molded feature is premolded on a single base layer, wherein the molded feature is a single continuous piece of insulating material that surrounds the isolation gap and includes at least one inner wall facing the isolation gap, the at least one inner wall being configured to confine a light-coupling medium in a liquid state thereby contributing to a formation of a final shape of the light-coupling medium.

12. The opto-coupler of claim 11 , wherein an inherent surface tension of the light-coupling medium contributes to the formation of the final shape of the light-coupling medium when confined by the at one inner wall.

13. The opto-coupler of claim 12 , wherein the at least one inner wall comprises a reflective material.

14. The opto-coupler of claim 12 , wherein the light-coupling medium comprises silicone.

15. The opto-coupler of claim 11 , wherein the molded feature comprises a plurality of discrete pieces of insulating material that surrounds the isolation gap.

16. The opto-coupler of claim 15 , wherein the molded feature comprises at least one of a plastic, polyphthalamide, polyamide, silicone, epoxy, epoxy molding compound, Liquid Crystal Polymer, and FR-4.

17. The opto-coupler of claim 11 , further comprising a first channel and at least a second channel, the first channel comprising the isolation gap that electrically separates the one or more input leads from the one or more output leads, the at least a second channel comprising a second isolation gap that electrically separates a second set of input leads from a second set of output leads, wherein the molded feature establishes a second optical cavity around the second isolation gap.

18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an isolation gap that electrically separates the one or more input leads from the one or more output leads.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the at least one insulating feature is a single continuous piece of insulating material that surrounds the isolation gap and includes at least one inner wall facing the isolation gap.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the at least one inner wall is configured to confine a light-coupling medium in a liquid state.

Assignees

• Tay Gary
• Ho Dominique
• Avago Technologies General Ip

Inventors

• Tay Gary
• Ho Dominique

Classifications

• H10W90/756

  between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10F55/20

  wherein the electric light source controls the radiation-sensitive semiconductor devices, e.g. optocouplers · CPC title

• H10F55/00 Primary

  Radiation-sensitive semiconductor devices covered by groups H10F10/00, H10F19/00 or H10F30/00 being structurally associated with electric light sources and electrically or optically coupled thereto · CPC title

• G02B6/12

  of the integrated circuit kind (electric integrated circuits H10B, H10D84/00 - H10D89/00, H10F19/00, H10F39/00, H10H29/00, H10K19/00, H10K39/00, H10K59/00, H10N19/00, H10N39/00, H10N59/00, H10N69/00, H10N79/00, H10N89/00) · CPC title