Optical module including semiconductor optical modulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9473245-B2
Application number	US-201414389705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

An optical module that processes an input optical signal and outputs a processed optical signal is disclosed. The optical module provides a housing and an optical processing device in the housing. The housing provides an optical input port and an optical output port in a first wall thereof in side-by-side arrangement. A third wall of the housing only provides RF terminals. Second and fourth walls of the housing provide DC terminals. Electrical connection between the DC terminals with DC pads on the device is realized through a wiring substrate whose top avoids an optical path from the optical input port to the input port of the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical module that receives an input optical signal and outputs a processed optical signal, comprising:
an optical processing device configured to receive the input optical signal and output the processed optical signal, the optical processing device having a rectangular plane shape with first to fourth edges, the optical processing device further having an input port in the second edge, an output port in the first edge, a monitor port in at least one of the second and fourth edges, RF signal pads in the third edge opposite to the first edge, and DC signal pads in the second and fourth edges;
a housing having a rectangular plane shape including first to fourth walls corresponding to the first to fourth edges of the optical processing device, the housing further having an optical input port and an optical output port in the first wall, the optical input port receiving the input optical signal thereat, the optical output port outputting the processed optical signal therefrom, the optical output port being aligned with the output port of the optical processing device;
an input coupling system provided between the second wall of the housing and the second edge of the optical processing device, the input coupling system guiding the input optical signal provided in the optical input port of the housing to the input port of the optical processing device; and
a wiring substrate that electrically connects terminals provided in the second wall of the housing to the DC signal pads provided in the second edge of the optical processing device,
wherein the optical module installs the optical processing device in the housing as being offset from a longitudinal axis of the housing and provides a space between the second wall and the second edge wider than a space between the fourth wall and the fourth edge, and
wherein the wiring substrate has a top level thereof avoiding an optical path of the input optical signal from the optical input port of the housing to the input port of the optical processing device.

2. The optical module of claim 1 ,
wherein the input coupling system includes a mirror that reflects the input optical signal provided from the optical input port of the housing toward the input port of the optical processing device by substantially a right angle.

3. The optical module of claim 1 ,
wherein the wiring substrate provides interconnections thereon, the DC signal pads in the optical processing device being electrically connected with the terminals in the second wall through bonding wires connecting the DC signal pads to the interconnections on the wiring substrate, the interconnections, and other bonding wires connecting the interconnections to the terminals in the second wall.

4. The optical module of claim 1 ,
wherein the wiring substrate provides interconnections, first conductive dies set in first ends of the interconnections, and second conductive dies set in second ends of the interconnections, the DC signal pads in the optical processing device being electrically connected with the terminals in the second wall through bonding wires connecting the DC signal pads to the first conductive dies, the interconnections, and other bonding wires connecting the second conductive dies to the terminals provided in the second wall.

5. The optical module of claim 1 ,
wherein the monitor port of the optical processing device is arranged in the second edge of the optical processing device,
wherein the optical module further includes a monitor substrate that mounts an optical monitoring device and an electronic circuit for processing an output of the optical monitoring device, and
wherein the monitor substrate, the optical monitoring device, and the electronic circuit avoid an optical path of the input optical signal from the optical input port of the housing to the input port of the optical processing device.

6. A modulator module, comprising:
a modulator device for modulating an input optical signal and outputting two modulated optical signals, the modulator device including an input port for inputting the input optical signal thereat and two output ports for outputting the respective modulated optical signals therefrom, RF signal pads, and DC signal pads, where the modulator device has a rectangular plane shape having first to fourth edges, the input port being provided in the second edge, the two output ports being provided in the first edge, the RF signal pads being arranged only along the third edge, the DC signal pads being arranged along the second and fourth edges;
a housing with a rectangular shape formed by first to fourth walls, having an optical input port in the second wall, an optical output port in the first wall, RF terminals only in the third wall, and DC terminals only in the second and fourth walls;
a wiring substrate that electrically connects the DC terminals in the second wall of the housing to the DC signal pads along the second edge of the modulator device, the wiring substrate having a top level avoiding an optical path of the input optical signal from the optical input port in the first wall of the housing to the input port in the modulator device;
an input coupling system arranged between the second wall of the housing and the second edge of the modulator device, the input coupling system optically coupling the optical input port with the input port of the modulator device, the input coupling system providing a mirror; and
an output coupling system provided between the first wall of the housing and the first edge of the modulator device, the output coupling system optically coupling the optical output port with the two output ports of the modulator device, the output coupling system providing a half wave retarder that rotates a polarization of one of the two modulated optical signals by substantially a right angle,
wherein the modulator device is set in the housing as being offset from a longitudinal axis of the housing, the optical output port of the housing having an axis common to an axis of one of the two output ports of the modulator device such that the modulator module has a space between the second wall and the second edge where the wiring substrate and the input coupling system are installed wider than a space between the fourth wall and the fourth edge.

7. The modulator module of claim 6 ,
wherein the input coupling system is mounted on a coupling substrate installed in the space between the second wall and the second edge.

8. The modulator module of claim 7 ,
wherein the input coupling system reflects the input optical signal provided to the optical input port in the first wall toward the input port in the second edge of the modular device.

9. The modulator module of claim 6 ,
wherein the output coupling system further includes two collimating lenses, a mirror, and a polarization beam combiner, the two collimating lenses collimating the two modulated optical signals output from respective output ports of the modulator device, the half wave retarder rotating of the polarization of the one of the two modulated optical signals, and the polarization beam combiner combining another of the two modulated optical signals with the one of the two modulated optical signals whose polarization is rotated by the half wave retarder, and the output coupling system providing the polarization combined optical beams to the output port of the housing.

10. The modulator module of claim 6 ,
further including drivers that electrically drive the modulator device,
wherein the drivers are mounted in a space between the third wall and the third edge of the modulator device.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Yamaji Kazuhiro
• Yamauchi Yasuyuki

Classifications

• 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

• G02F2201/127

  travelling wave · CPC title

• G02F2001/212

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02B6/4265

  of the Butterfly or dual inline package [DIP] type · CPC title

• G02F2201/58

  Arrangements comprising a monitoring photodetector · CPC title