Proceedings Article | 8 February 2008
Proc. SPIE. 6899, Photonics Packaging, Integration, and Interconnects VIII
KEYWORDS: Optical components, Mirrors, Silicon, Single mode fibers, Optical fabrication, Optical benches, Optical alignment, Semiconducting wafers, Tolerancing, Optics manufacturing
An optical sub-assembly of MUX/DEMUX where optical devices are hybrid-integrated on a silicon optical bench (SiOB)
using a low cost passive alignment method was reported. A tight tolerance of positional and tilting angular accuracy is
required for optical devices attachment in order to maximize the coupling efficiency. The critical positioning transverse
to the optical axis merely depends on the symmetry, and accuracy of the position and shape of trenches. Any inaccuracy
primarily affects the non-critical positioning, i.e., z-axis & θz, in the direction along the optical axis; misalignment
accumulated and causes undesired insertion loss. All the piece parts, i.e., mirror, thin-film filters (TFFs), ball lens, SiOB
etc., have a defined tolerance in their dimensions and surfaces which increases the challenge in achieving high placement
accuracy along the optical axis. The effects from these inherent inaccuracies of the position and shape of trenches and
piece parts could be minimized by improve the bottom flatness, and proper procedure selection. Misalignment at each
axis, e.g. x-, y-, z-, θx, θy & θz was characterized and its effect to the coupling efficiency was discussed.
