Optical module and method for manufacturing optical module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9341797-B2
Application number	US-201414483596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2014
Priority date	Oct 11, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

An optical module includes: at least one optical waveguide provided on a surface of a substrate; a plurality of grooves provided in the optical waveguide on the surface of the substrate and having both a surface orthogonal to the surface of the substrate and an inclined surface; multiple pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements aligned with the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and provided so as to correspond to light of different wavelengths on the optical waveguide; and a plurality of light-selecting filters each provided on an inclined surface of the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and reflecting light of the wavelength corresponding to the light-emitting element in the respective pair of light-emitting and light-receiving elements towards the optical waveguide, and selectively reflecting light of the corresponding wavelength from the light propagating through the optical waveguide towards the corresponding pair of light-emitting and light-receiving elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical module comprising:
at least one optical waveguide provided on an obverse surface of a substrate, wherein the at least one optical waveguide propagates four optical signals;
a plurality of grooves provided in the at least one optical waveguide on the surface of the substrate and having both a surface orthogonal to the surface of the substrate and an inclined surface;
a plurality of pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements aligned with the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and provided so as to correspond to light of different wavelengths on the at least one optical waveguide; and
a plurality of light-selecting filters each provided on the inclined surface of the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and reflecting light of a wavelength corresponding to the light-emitting element in a respective pair of light-emitting and light-receiving elements towards the optical waveguide, and selectively reflecting light of the corresponding wavelength from the light propagating through the optical waveguide towards the corresponding pair of light-emitting and light-receiving elements; and
the optical module is formed using a device comprising:
a vacuum chamber including a vapor deposition source;
a first mask and a second mask, wherein the first mask and the second mask each have at least one opening; and a stage controller, wherein the stage controller controls a position of the second mask relative to the first mask in an X-Y stage in the vacuum chamber over the optical module.

2. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the light of a plurality of different wavelengths comprises light of different wavelengths having a wavelength spacing of at least 25 nm.

3. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined surfaces are surfaces inclined at 45 degrees relative to the surface of the substrate.

4. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the light-selecting filters are distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR).

5. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements is provided so as to face a reflective surface of the corresponding light-selecting filter.

6. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves and the plurality of light-selecting filters are covered by an optically transparent underfill.

7. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of grooves corresponds to a number of wavelengths used to multiplex optical signals.

8. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the light-selecting filters are composed of one or more dielectric film layers.

9. The optical module according to claim 8 , wherein a first dielectric film layer has a first refractive index, and wherein a second dielectric film layer has a second refractive index, and the first and the second dielectric film layers alternate.

10. The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein four optical signals, each of a different wavelength, are inputted.

11. A method for manufacturing an optical module comprising:
forming a plurality of grooves in at least one optical waveguide provided on a surface of a substrate, each groove having a surface orthogonal with respect to and a surface inclined at 45 degrees with respect to the surface of the substrate, and wherein the formation of the plurality of grooves are formed together, by dicing;
forming a plurality of light-selecting filters for reflecting light of a wavelength corresponding to light of different wavelengths on the corresponding inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves, wherein the formation of the light selecting filters further comprises:
using a device comprising a first mask and a second mask, wherein the first mask and the second mask each have at least one opening, and a stage controller, wherein the stage controller controls a position of the second mask relative to the first mask in an X-Y stage in a vacuum chamber over the optical module; and
discharging, in the vacuum chamber, a dielectric material, from a vapor disposition source, wherein the dielectric material is discharged onto the optical module to form a film, wherein the film comprises at least one layer.

12. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 11 further comprising providing a plurality of pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements aligned with the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and corresponding to light of different wavelengths on the optical waveguide.

13. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 11 , wherein formation of a plurality of light-selecting filters on the corresponding inclined surface of the plurality of grooves involves the formation of a plurality of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) on the corresponding inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves.

14. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 13 , wherein formation of a plurality of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) on the corresponding inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves is performed by using a mask having one opening formed to the size of each of the plurality of grooves, the opening in the mask being aligned successively with each of the plurality of grooves, and a DBR filter vapor-deposited on the inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves.

15. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 13 , wherein formation of the plurality of DBR filters on the corresponding inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves is performed using a first mask having a plurality of openings aligned with and sized according to each of the plurality of grooves, and a second mask having a plurality of openings of different sizes formed so that a largest opening covers each of the plurality of grooves and each smaller opening covers one less groove, so that a smallest opening covers only one groove, each of the plurality of openings in the first mask being aligned with and fixed to one of the plurality of grooves, each of the plurality of openings in the second mask being moved successively and aligned one at a time with each of the plurality of openings in the first mask, and a DBR filter being vapor-deposited on each inclined surface of the plurality of grooves.

16. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 11 , wherein formation of the light-selecting filters on the corresponding inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves further comprises deposition of a dielectric film, wherein the deposition is repeated to form one or more dielectric film layers.

17. A method for manufacturing an optical module comprising:
forming a plurality of grooves in at least one optical waveguide provided on a surface of a substrate, each groove having a surface orthogonal with respect to and a surface inclined with respect to the surface of the substrate;
forming a plurality of light-selecting filters for reflecting light of a wavelength corresponding to light of different wavelengths on the corresponding inclined surfaces of the plurality of grooves, wherein the plurality light-selecting filters are not deposited on a surface orthogonal to the plurality of grooves, and wherein the formation of the light selecting filters further comprises:
using a device comprising a first mask and a second mask, wherein the first mask and the second mask each have at least one opening, and a stage controller, wherein the stage controller controls a position of the second mask relative to th

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Nakagawa Shigeru
• Taira Yoichi
• Tokunari Masao

Classifications

• H10W90/724

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10F55/15

  wherein the radiation-sensitive devices and the electric light source are all semiconductor devices · CPC title

• G02B6/42

  Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements · CPC title

• G02B6/4214

  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 title

• G02B6/12007

  forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer · CPC title