Title
Scalable electro-photonic integration concept based on polymer waveguides
Author
Bosman, E.
van Steenberge, G.
Boersma, A.
Wiegersma, S.
Harmsma, P.J.
Karppinen, M.
Korhonen, T.
Offrein, B.J.
Dangel, R.
Daly, A.
Ortsiefer, M.
Justice, J.
Corbett, B.
Dorrestein, S.
Duis, J.
Contributor
Chen, R.T. (editor)
Schroder, H. (editor)
Publication year
2016
Abstract
A novel method for fabricating a single mode optical interconnection platform is presented. The method comprises the miniaturized assembly of optoelectronic single dies, the scalable fabrication of polymer single mode waveguides and the coupling to glass fiber arrays providing the I/O's. The low cost approach for the polymer waveguide fabrication is based on the nano-imprinting of a spin-coated waveguide core layer. The assembly of VCSELs and photodiodes is performed before waveguide layers are applied. By embedding these components in deep reactive ion etched pockets in the silicon substrate, the planarity of the substrate for subsequent layer processing is guaranteed and the thermal path of chip-to-substrate is minimized. Optical coupling of the embedded devices to the nano-imprinted waveguides is performed by laser ablating 45 degree trenches which act as optical mirror for 90 degree deviation of the light from VCSEL to waveguide. Laser ablation is also implemented for removing parts of the polymer stack in order to mount a custom fabricated connector containing glass fiber arrays. A demonstration device was built to show the proof of principle of the novel fabrication, packaging and optical coupling principles as described above, combined with a set of sub-demonstrators showing the functionality of the different techniques separately. The paper represents a significant part of the electro-photonic integration accomplishments in the European 7th Framework project "Firefly" and not only discusses the development of the different assembly processes described above, but the efforts on the complete integration of all process approaches into the single device demonstrator.
Subject
Nano Technology
MAS - Materials Solutions
TS - Technical Sciences
High Tech Systems & Materials
Electronics
Industrial Innovation
Polymer waveguides
Photonic integration
Micromirror
Fiber-coupling
Nano-imprinting
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d1a74452-a0fa-40eb-aae4-7ee971dd0d86
TNO identifier
537439
Publisher
SPIE
ISBN
9781628419887
ISSN
0277-786X
Source
Optical Interconnects XVI, 9753
Series
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Article number
97530G
Document type
conference paper