IP Library Granted Patent US 12,481,107
Granted Patent B2
US 12,481,107 · App. 17/546,436 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Photonic computing platform

Inventors: Jianhua Wu (Quincy, MA); Zhan Su (Boston, MA); Hui Chen (Wellesley Hills, MA); Huaiyu Meng (Medford, MA); Yichen Shen (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: Lightelligence PTE. Ltd.
G02B6/4204G02B6/34G02B6/4206G02B6/4214G02B6/4227G02B6/4244G02B6/4271G06E1/00G02B6/124G02B6/4269G02B6/4286G02B7/003G02B27/62G06N3/0675
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,481,107
App. No.
17/546,436
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for assembling a photonic computing system includes attaching a photonic source to a support structure, and attaching a photonic integrated circuit to the support structure. The photonic source includes a first laser die on a substrate configured to provide a first optical beam, and a second laser die on the substrate configured to provide a second optical beam. The photonic integrated circuit includes a first waveguide and a first coupler coupled to the first waveguide, and a second waveguide and a second coupler coupled to the second waveguide. The method includes attaching a plurality of beam-shaping optical elements to the support structure, the substrate, or the photonic integrated circuit, in which the attaching includes aligning a first beam-shaping optical element during attachment so that the first optical beam is coupled to the first coupler, and aligning a second beam-shaping optical element during attachment so that the second optical beam is coupled to the second coupler.

Claims (41)

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a support structure;

a photonic source attached to the support structure, the photonic source comprising:

a first laser die on a first substrate in which the first laser die is configured to provide a first optical beam,

a second laser die on the first substrate or a second substrate in which the second laser die is configured to provide a second optical beam, and

a third laser die on the first substrate or a third substrate in which the third laser die is configured to provide a third optical beam;

a photonic integrated circuit having a bottom side attached to the support structure, the photonic integrated circuit comprising:

a first waveguide and a first coupler coupled to the first waveguide,

a second waveguide and a second coupler coupled to the second waveguide, and

a third waveguide and a third coupler coupled to the third waveguide; and

a plurality of beam-shaping optical elements attached to at least one of the support structure, the first substrate, respective first, second, and third substrates, or the photonic integrated circuit, wherein the beam-shaping optical elements comprise:

a first beam-shaping optical element configured to couple the first optical beam to the first coupler on the photonic integrated circuit,

a second beam-shaping optical element configured to couple the second optical beam to the second coupler on the photonic integrated circuit, and

a third beam-shaping optical element configured to couple the third optical beam to the third coupler on the photonic integrated circuit,

wherein each of the plurality of beam-shaping optical elements is independently movable relative to the corresponding laser die, the corresponding coupler, and the other beam-shaping optical elements prior to alignment,

wherein each of the plurality of beam-shaping optical elements is individually aligned with the corresponding laser die and the corresponding coupler independent of the other beam-shaping optical elements; and

an electronic integrated circuit attached to a top side of the photonic integrated circuit;

wherein the photonic integrated circuit comprises at least one optical modulator, and the electronic integrated circuit comprises control circuitry configured to provide electronic control signals for controlling the at least one optical modulator;

wherein the support structure comprises an optoelectronic interposer that provides electrical signal paths for electrical signals from the photonic integrated circuit, and optical signal paths for optical signals from the photonic integrated circuit.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam-redirecting optical element attached to the photonic integrated circuit, the beam-redirecting element configured to redirect the first optical beam into the first coupler and to redirect the second optical beam into the second coupler.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the beam-redirecting element comprises a first surface that is configured to reflect the first optical beam into the first coupler, and a second surface that is configured to reflect the second optical beam into the second coupler.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first surface of the beam-redirecting element overlaps the second surface of the beam-redirecting element.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the beam-redirecting optical element comprises a prism.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the beam-redirecting optical element comprises a mirror.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first laser die is configured to provide the first optical beam from a first emitting location, the second laser die is configured to provide the second optical beam from a second emitting location, the third laser die is configured to provide the third optical beam from a third emitting location,

wherein the first, second, and third emitting locations are substantially aligned along a line, and a distance between any of the first, second, and third emitting locations and the line is less than a specified distance.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the photonic source comprises a fourth laser die on the substrate, the fourth laser die is configured to provide a fourth optical beam from a fourth emitting location,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth emitting locations are substantially aligned along a plane, and a distance between any of the first, second, third, and fourth emitting locations and the plane is less than a specified distance.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photonic source comprises at least eight laser dies on the first substrate or respective substrates, including the first and second laser dies, with the first substrate or the respective substrates attached to one or more heatsink structures.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the laser dies are configured to provide optical beams from corresponding emitting locations that are substantially aligned along a plane, and a distance between any of the emitting locations and the plane is less than a specified distance.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second beam-shaping optical elements comprise lenses.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second couplers comprise waveguide grating couplers coupled to the respective first and second waveguides.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second couplers comprise edge couplers coupled to the respective first and second waveguides.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photonic integrated circuit is attached to the optoelectronic interposer in a controlled collapse chip connection.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photonic integrated circuit comprises optoelectronic computing elements, and the electronic integrated circuit comprises control circuitry configured to provide electronic control signals for controlling the optoelectronic computing elements.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the optoelectronic computing elements comprise the at least one optical modulator, and the at least one optical modulator is configured to modulate an optical signal based on at least one of the electronic control signals.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a second electronic integrated circuit that is attached to the optoelectronic interposer in a controlled collapse chip connection.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic integrated circuit is attached to the photonic integrated circuit in a controlled collapse chip connection.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a high bandwidth memory (HBM) stack of two or more dynamic random access memory (DRAM) integrated circuits attached to the optoelectronic interposer.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first laser die is configured such that the first optical beam has a first wavelength, the second laser die is configured such that the second optical beam has a second wavelength, the first wavelength is different from the second wavelength, and the photonic integrated circuit includes a wavelength division multiplexed computation module that concurrently processes a first optical signal derived from the first optical beam and a second optical signal derived from the second optical beam.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the photonic integrated circuit comprises one or more electrically conductive vias extending from the at least one optical modulator to a bottom side of the photonic integrated circuit, the one or more electrically conductive vias have end or ends that are bonded to conducting structures on the bottom side of the photonic integrated circuit.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2022
From: LIGHTELLIGENCE, INC.
To: LIGHTELLIGENCE PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 061386/0202 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2022
From: WU, JIANHUA; SU, ZHAN; CHEN, HUI; MENG, HUAIYU; SHEN, YICHEN
To: LIGHTELLIGENCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 060720/0192 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 63253704 · Oct 8, 2021
Provisional Application 63123338 · Dec 9, 2020
Related Publication 20220179159A1 · Jun 9, 2022
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Cited By (1)
US 12,625,334