Photonic-electronic circuit boards

1. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package family having electrical intra-layer and electrical inter-layer interconnection means, optical intra-layer and optical inter-layer interconnection means, plus electrical and optical escape means, and including electronic and optical transducer means both intra-layer and inter-layer

characterized by:

an electrical interconnected pattern layer having a selected pattern for connectivity to operational elements, and having physical gaps appropriately positioned for optical vias; and

optical inter-layer interconnection via means positioned for unobstructed optical passage through intervening layers at said gaps in the electrical interconnect pattern.

2. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package family in which optical via gaps are arrayed in a standard matrix pattern having electrical intra-layer and electrical inter-layer interconnection means, optical intra-layer and optical inter-layer interconnection means, plus electrical and optical escape means, and including electronic and optical transducer means both intra-layer and inter-layer

characterized by:

an electrical interconnected pattern layer having a selected pattern for connectivity to operational elements, and having physical gaps appropriately positioned for optical vias; and

optical inter-layer interconnection via means, in which said optical via gaps are arrayed in a standard matrix pattern, positioned for unobstructed optical passage through intervening layers at said gaps in the electrical interconnect pattern.

3. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package family according to claim 2 , in which said optical via gaps are arrayed in a selected pattern appropriate for a selected photonic-electronic configuration.

4. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package family having electrical intra-layer and electrical inter-layer interconnection means, optical intra-layer and optical inter-layer interconnection means, plus electronic and optical escape means, and including electronic and optical transducer means both intra-layer and inter-layer

characterized by:

an electrical interconnected pattern layer having a selected pattern for connectivity to operational elements, and having physical gaps appropriately positioned for optical vias; and

optical inter-layer interconnection via means, with embedded photonic bandgap devices, in which said optical via gaps are arrayed in a standard matrix pattern, positioned for unobstructed optical passage through intervening layers at said gaps in the electrical interconnect pattern.

5. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package according to claim 2 , with embedded diffractive elemental modulators.

6. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package according to claim 2 , with embedded diffractive elemental modulator devices.

7. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package according to claim 2 , with at least one of the following optical devices included:

optical clock, optical transceiver, detector arrays, waveguides, splitters, taps, switches, filters, wavelength multiplexers, wavelength demultiplexers, interconnected by optical switching and routing means; and

interconnected electronic circuitry and power circuitry.

8. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package according to claim 1 , with multiple layers aligned together

further characterized in that

said multiple aligned layers are subject to alignment anomalies; and

said optical vias and said electrical vias are aligned with accommodation for such alignment anomalies and for noninterference.

9. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit package according to claim 1 , with integral rounded optical waveguides for low-loss connectivity to individually aligned rounded optical fibers.

10. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer circuit in which said integral rounded optical waveguides are produced by depositing and pattern-etching a thick layer of a first TIR-complementary photoresist over a first TIR-complementary base material, to form a TIR-complementary rounded-bottom half channel corresponding to the bottom half of an optical fiber to be connected; depositing an optical waveguide material over said photoresist and half channel to a thickness which, combined with the thickness of said first photoresist, approximates the diameter of the optical fiber to be connected; patterning a central channel mask of a second photoresist material over said optical waveguide material, centered above said half channel so that etching will result in rounding the top of the optical waveguide material; etching away said optical waveguide material down to said first photoresist, and removing said second photoresist, to leave a half-embedded half-exposed rounded waveguide approximating an optical fiber; and covering said photoresist layer and said rounded waveguide material with a TIR-complementary material, so as to complete the TIR encapsulation of said waveguide material and leave effectively rounded TIR waveguides ready for low-loss connection to rounded optical fibers.

11. A photonic-electronic multiple-layer printed circuit package according to claim 10 , in which said integral rounded optical waveguides are half embedded in a thick layer of a photoresist over a first TIR-complementary base material, to form a rounded-bottom half channel corresponding to the bottom half of an optical fiber to be connected;

an optical waveguide material over said half channel to a thickness which, combined with the thickness of said photoresist, approximates the diameter of the optical fiber to be connected,

a TIR-complementary layer over said optical waveguide material, to leave a fully embedded rounded waveguide approximating in shape and dimension an optical fiber; covered with a TIR-complementary material, completing the encapsulation of said waveguide material and leaving effectively round waveguides ready for low-loss connection by butt joint to aligned flat ends of round optical fibers at a polished edge.

12. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package termination characterized as follows:

Step 1 Deposit, pattern, and develop a photoresist layer to leave a slope-sided run of photoresist over a base;

Step 2 Deposit waveguide material B filling said slope-sided run and over the remainder of said photoresist layer;

Step 3 Deposit protective mask layer D, of width related to the diameter of the desired rounded cross-section of waveguide, over said waveguide run; and

Step 4 Etch unwanted B down to layer A, leaving a waveguide run of material B of rounded cross-section, to approximate a ridge waveguide with rounded terminations.

13. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package termination according to claim 12 , further characterized as follows:

Step 5 Deposit overlayer C over said remaining waveguide run to approximate a channel waveguide with rounded terminations.

14. The method of claim 12 , in which the waveguide resulting at Step 4 is further characterized by:

Step 5. Apply photoresist layer, expose and develop a well at a selected angle transition;

Step 6. Deposit metal on side walls of said well, and strip resist;

Step 7. Apply photoresist layer R 2 , expose waveguide regions and etch all areas except waveguide regions, so that all non-waveguiding regions are exposed; and

Step 8a. Photobleach optically transmissive material so as to be lower in refractive index from said waveguide layer ( 101 ) material, forming a channel type waveguide.

15. A photonic-electronic waveguide circuit board with off-board connective provision, for contacting to optical fibers having rounded cross-section of a selected diameter,

characterized by:

a photonic printed circuit fabricated by the methods of claim 13 , in which a selected portion of the waveguide pattern resulting at Step 4 is further characterized by rounded cross-section fabricated as follows:

Step 5 Deposit overlayer C and grind the edge flat vertical, leaving a termination for a butt joint of round cross-section photonic printed circuit waveguide run with a flat distal end for accepting a mating flat distal end of a similar-dimensioned round optical fiber.

16. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, in the following steps:

Step 1 Provide a composite layer of waveguide-forming material (C 11 ) with a complementary waveguide-forming material (A 12 ) and a layer of photoresist (R 1 13 );

Step 2 Pattern and develop said photoresist layer (R 1 13 ) into a turning pattern ( 14 ) for a waveguide layer ( 12 );

Step 3 Remove sacrificial portion of waveguide layer ( 12 ) to leave patterned waveguide ( 15 );

Step 4 Coat with -overlayer (B 16 ) to leave a channel waveguide with a turning mirror right angle effectuated by total internal reflection.

17. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, in the following steps:

Step 1 Provide a composite layer of waveguide-forming material (C 11 ) with a complementary waveguide-forming material (A 12 ) and a layer of photoresist (R 1 13 );

Step 2 Image and develop to form a rectangular well ( 24 ) appropriately placed and angled for a turning mirror;

Step 3 Etch to transfer the well into the layer (A 12 ) to complete the well opening ( 25 ) stopping at the base layer (C 11 );

Step 4 Metallize with a mirror layer ( 26 ) on walls of the well;

Step 5 Strip resist (R 1 23 ), leaving mirrorized wall ( 27 ) in the well;

Step 6 Apply planarizing photoresist layer (R 2 28 ), expose waveguide regions and etch all areas except waveguide regions, so that all non-waveguiding regions and desired mirror ( 30 ) are exposed, forming a ridge waveguide.

18. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package according to claim 17 , further characterized by

the planarizing photoresist (R 2 29 ) is patterned with a small overhang to protect the mirror layer ( 30 ) under the overhang.

19. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package according to claim 17 , further characterized by

Step 7 Coat with a complementary TIR waveguide-forming layer (B 38 ) of lower refractive from said waveguide layer material, forming a channel-type waveguide of total internal reflection, except at metallized mirror facet transitions, to convert from ridge waveguide to channel waveguide.

20. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package according to claim 17 , further characterized by:

Step 7. Photobleach optically transmissive material so as to be lower in refractive index from said waveguide layer (A 12 ) material, forming a channel type waveguide.

21. The method of making a photonic circuit package according to claim 17 , further characterized by

the planarizing photoresist (R 2 29 ) is patterned with a small overhang to protect the mirror layer ( 30 ) under the overhang.

22. The method of making a photonic circuit package according to claim 17 , further characterized by substitution of direct photoablation for photoresist techniques in making the non-waveguiding regions of said waveguide layer ( 12 ).

23. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, in the following steps:

Step 1 Provide a composite layer of waveguide-forming material (C 11 ) with a layer of photoresist (R 41 );

Step 2 Image and develop to form a pillar ( 42 ) appropriately placed and angled for a turning mirror, but having a set of undesired.curves as well as a desired mirror base portion;

Step 3 Develop and bake to cure said pillar ( 42 );

Step 4 Metallize with a mirror layer ( 43 ) on said pillar;

Step 5 Deposit underlayer ( 44 ) to cover at least one of said undesired curves of said pedestal ( 42 ); and

Step 6 Apply waveguide material layer over said underlayer, so that the waveguiding region addresses said desired mirror base portion of said pedestal ( 42 ); leaving a vertical light beam exit perpendicular to said waveguide material layer.

24. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, according to claim 23 , further characterized in that said mirror layer is removed to be discontinuous just outside said waveguide layer under said underlayer ( 44 ).

25. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, according to claim 23 , further characterized in that said mirror layer is removed to be discontinuous just outside said waveguide layer under both said underlayer ( 44 ) and said overcoat layer (B 46 ).

26. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, according to claim 23 , further characterized by the following steps:

Step 7 Deposit a thick photoresist layer over a top portion of said pedestal ( 42 );

Step 8 Expose and develop a well ( 52 );

Step 9 Fill said well ( 52 ) with waveguide material ( 54 ): and

Step 10 Coat all around said waveguide material ( 54 ) with a lower refractive index waveguide complementary TIR material ( 53 ) to provide an vertical optical exit via.

27. The method of making a photonic-electronic circuit package, according to claim 25 , further characterized by the following steps:

Step 11 Coat with underlayer ( C″ 71 ) of optical material that obeys the condition n C″ <n A′ , pattern a gap and fill with waveguide material (A 72 ) as an extension vertical waveguide;

Step 12 Coat with waveguide material (A 73 ) and a top coating of material (B 74 ) and a thick layer of resist (R 62 );

Step 13 Pattern and develop said thick layer of resist (R 62 ) with clearance past said vertical waveguide extension ( 72 ):

Step 14 Etch to transfer the slope into layers ( 71 , 73 and 74 ) down to the leave of said vertical waveguide ( 54 ) and remove resist (R 62 ); and

Step 15 Coat with TIR waveguide-complementary material (B 76 ), resulting in a vertical optical via turning into a horizontal optical waveguide in a parallel layer.