Packaging an arcuate planar lightwave circuit
View Patent ↗A package for an arcuate planar lightwave circuit (PLC) chip includes a heater plate coupled to a base by a thick and soft support layer. The arcuate PLC is attached to the heater plate by soft adhesive. A hard adhesive is applied to a multi-waveguide end of the arcuate PLC, to additionally strengthen the attachment of the arcuate PLC to the heater plate. The structure allows the mechanical stress due to fiber pull/shock/vibration to be dissipated in the support layer without introducing large wavelength shifts in the arcuate PLC. The support layer also serves as a heat insulator, facilitating uniform heating of the arcuate PLC.
1. An optical module comprising:
a base plate;
a support layer located on the base plate,
wherein the support layer has a hardness less than a first particular Shore A value;
a heater plate located on the support layer; and
a chip having an input at a first end and a plurality of outputs at a second end,
wherein the chip is adhered to the heater plate, across an area spanning the first end and the second end, with a first adhesive having a hardness less than a second particular Shore A value,
wherein the second particular Shore A value is greater than the first particular Shore A value, and
wherein the chip is adhered to the heater plate proximate the second end with a second adhesive having a hardness greater than a particular Shore D value,
wherein the particular Shore D value is greater than the second particular Shore A value.
2. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein
the base plate includes a first electrical trace and a second electrical trace,
the first electrical trace is coupled to a first contact of the heater plate, and
the second electrical trace is coupled to a second contact of the heater plate.
3. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the chip is shaped as an arcuate slab.
4. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the chip is a planar lightwave circuit (PLC).
5. The optical module of claim 1 , wherein the chip is an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG).
6. The optical module of claim 5 , wherein the AWG is adhered to the base plate at a first portion and a second portion.
7. The optical module of claim 6 , wherein
a hardness of the first portion is less than the first particular Shore A value, and
a hardness of the second portion is less than the first particular Shore A value.
8. An optical module comprising:
a base plate;
a support layer located on the base plate,
wherein the support layer has a hardness less than a first value;
a heater plate located on the support layer; and
a chip having an input at a first end and a plurality of outputs at a second end,
wherein the chip is adhered to the heater plate, across an area spanning the first end and the second end, with a first adhesive having a hardness less than a second value,
wherein the second value is greater than the first value, and
wherein the chip is adhered to the heater plate proximate the second end with a second adhesive having a hardness greater than a third value,
wherein the third value is greater than the second value.
9. The optical module of claim 8 , wherein
the base plate includes a first electrical trace and a second electrical trace,
the first electrical trace is coupled to a first contact of the heater plate, and
the second electrical trace is coupled to a second contact of the heater plate.
10. The optical module of claim 8 , wherein the chip is shaped as an arcuate slab.
11. The optical module of claim 8 , wherein the chip is a planar lightwave circuit (PLC).
12. The optical module of claim 8 , wherein the chip is an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG).
13. The optical module of claim 12 , wherein the AWG is adhered to the base plate at a first portion and a second portion.
14. The optical module of claim 13 , wherein
a hardness of the first portion is less than the first value, and
a hardness of the second portion is less than the first value.
15. A method comprising:
affixing a base plate and a support layer together,
wherein the support layer has a hardness less than a first value;
affixing a heater plate and the support layer together;
epoxying the heater plate and a chip together,
wherein the chip has input at a first end and a plurality of outputs at a second end, and
wherein the chip and the heater plate are epoxied across an area, spanning the first end and the second end, with a first epoxy having a hardness less than a second value,
wherein the second value is greater than the first value; and
epoxying the heater plate and the second end of the chip together with a second epoxy having a hardness greater than a third value,
wherein the third value is greater than the second value.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein
the base plate includes a first electrical trace and a second electrical trace, and
the method further includes:
coupling the first electrical trace to a first contact of the heater plate, and
coupling the second electrical trace to a second contact of the heater plate.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the chip is shaped as an arcuate slab.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the chip is a planar lightwave circuit (PLC).
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the chip is an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG).
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein
the AWG is adhered to the base plate at a first portion and a second portion,
a hardness of the first portion is less than the first value, and
a hardness of the second portion is less than the first value.