Optical waveguide edge coupling within a substrate
Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques directed to dense integration of PICs in a substrate using an optical fanout structure that includes waveguides formed within a substrate to optically couple with the PICs at an edge of the substrate. One or more PICs may then be electrically with dies such as processor dies or memory dies. The one or more PICs may be located within a cavity in the substrate. The substrate may be made of glass or silicon. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a substrate with a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
an optical waveguide within the substrate, the optical waveguide between the first side and the second side of the substrate, wherein an end of the optical waveguide is at an edge of the substrate between the first side and the second side, and wherein the optical waveguide has a first thickness at the edge of the substrate, and a second thickness below the edge of the substrate, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness; and
an optical connector on the first side of the substrate, the optical connector vertically overlapping with the optical waveguide.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a selected one of: a glass substrate or a silicon substrate.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide is a first optical waveguide, and further comprising a second optical waveguide within the substrate, the second optical waveguide between the first side and the second side of the substrate, wherein an end of the second optical waveguide is at the edge of the substrate; and
wherein the first optical waveguide is at a first distance from the first side of the substrate, and wherein the second optical waveguide is at a second distance from the first side of the substrate.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first distance and the second distance are a same distance.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first distance and the second distance are different distances.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a cavity within the substrate extending from the first side of the substrate to the second side of the substrate; and
wherein the edge of the substrate is adjacent to the cavity.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the end of the optical waveguide is a first end; and further comprising a second end of the optical waveguide opposite the first end; and
wherein the second end of the optical waveguide is at an edge of the substrate that is not adjacent to the cavity.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a first layer and a second layer, the first layer extending from the first side of the substrate and the second layer extending from the second side of the substrate; and
wherein the optical waveguide is at least partially disposed within the first layer and within the second layer.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide is substantially parallel to the first surface or to the second surface of the substrate.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the optical waveguide perpendicular to a direction of the optical waveguide has a shape that is a selected one of: a rectangle, or a circle.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide includes a selected one or more of: silicon, nitrogen, oxygen, or erbium.
12 . A method comprising:
providing a first layer of a substrate;
forming one or more optical waveguides on a surface of the first layer of the substrate, wherein an end of one of the one or more optical waveguides is at an edge of the substrate, and wherein the one of the one or more optical waveguides has a first thickness at the edge of the substrate, and a second thickness below the edge of the substrate, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness;
applying a second layer of the substrate onto the surface of the first layer of the substrate; and
coupling an optical connector to the second layer of the substrate, the optical connector vertically overlapping with the optical waveguide.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein applying the second layer of the substrate onto the surface of the first layer of the substrate further includes encapsulating the one or more formed optical waveguides within the substrate.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein forming the one or more optical waveguides on the surface of the first layer of the substrate further includes depositing an optical waveguide material on the surface of the first layer of the substrate.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first layer of the substrate is a glass layer; and wherein forming the one or more optical waveguides on the surface of the first layer of the substrate further includes forming the one or more optical waveguides within one or more volumes of substrate material within the first layer adjacent to the surface of the substrate using a selected one of: implanting ions or laser direct writing.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more optical waveguides include glass.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein applying the second layer of the substrate onto the surface of the first layer of the substrate further includes depositing the second layer.
18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least two of the one or more optical waveguides are substantially parallel.
19 . A package comprising:
a substrate comprising:
a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
a cavity within the substrate extending from the first side of the substrate to the second side of the substrate; and
an optical waveguide within the substrate, the optical waveguide between the first side and the second side of the substrate, wherein an end of the optical waveguide is at an edge of the substrate between the first side and the second side adjacent to the cavity, and wherein the optical waveguide has a first thickness at the edge of the substrate, and a second thickness below the edge of the substrate, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness;
an optical connector on the first side of the substrate, the optical connector vertically overlapping with the optical waveguide; and
a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) optically coupled with the end of the optical waveguide.
20 . The package of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the PIC is disposed within the cavity of the substrate.
21 . The package of claim 20 , further including a die electrically coupled with the PIC, wherein at least a portion of the die is disposed within the cavity of the substrate.
22 . The package of claim 19 , wherein the optical waveguide is a first optical waveguide, and wherein the PIC is a first PIC; and further comprising:
a second optical waveguide within the substrate, the second optical waveguide between the first side of the second side of the substrate, wherein an end of the optical waveguide is at the edge of the substrate between the first side and the second side adjacent to the cavity;
a second PIC optically coupled with the end of the second optical waveguide;
a die electrically coupled with the first PIC and the second PIC; and
wherein at least a portion of the first PIC, the second PIC, and the die are disposed within the cavity of the substrate.
23 . The package of claim 19 , wherein the end of the optical waveguide is a first end; and further comprising a second end of the optical waveguide opposite the first end, the second end is at an edge of the substrate that is not adjacent to the cavity.
24 . The package of claim 19 , wherein an optical underfill is disposed between a surface of the end of the optical waveguide and the PIC.