Photonic package and method forming same

1. A method comprising:

forming a first opening extending from a first side of a semiconductor plate into the semiconductor plate;

filling the first opening with a filling material to form a ring, wherein the ring encircles a portion of the semiconductor plate;

performing a grinding process on the semiconductor plate, until the ring is exposed from a second side of the semiconductor plate, wherein remaining portions of the semiconductor plate and the filling material form an adapter;

adhering the adapter on a photonic die, with the photonic die being configured to perform a function selected from light-to-electrical conversion, electrical-to-light conversion, and combinations thereof, wherein the photonic die comprises a second opening extending into the photonic die, and wherein the portion of the semiconductor plate is aligned to the second opening;

after the adapter is adhered to the photonic die, encapsulating the adapter in an encapsulant; and

performing a planarization process to reveal the adapter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filling the first opening with the filling material comprises performing an oxidation process to oxidize surface portions of the semiconductor plate, and wherein an oxide generated by the oxidation process fills the first opening.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising performing an additional planarization process from the first side of the semiconductor plate to remove a portion of the oxide.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor plate comprises a silicon substrate, and the ring forms a waveguide penetrating through the silicon substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is adhered to the photonic die through fusion bonding.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is adhered to the photonic die through an adhesive film.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photonic die further comprises a third opening, and the adapter further comprises an additional ring aligned to the third opening, and the method further comprises attaching a radiation source aligned to the third opening.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at a time after the adapter is attached over the photonic die, the portion of the semiconductor plate is still encircled by the ring.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising filling an additional filling material inside the ring formed of the filling material, wherein the additional filling material has a first refractive index greater than a second refractive index of the additional filling material.

10. A method comprising:

attaching an adapter to a photonic die, wherein the adapter comprises:

a ring formed of a first material; and

a second material encircled by the ring, wherein the second material is different from the first material, and the second material is transparent;

bonding an electronic die to the photonic die; and

encapsulating the adapter and the electronic die in an encapsulant, wherein the encapsulating the adapter and the electronic die comprises:

dispensing the encapsulant; and

polishing the encapsulant until the second material is exposed.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the photonic die is configured to perform a function selected from light-to-electrical conversion, electrical-to-light conversion, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the adapter, the electronic die, and substantially an entirety of the encapsulant are over the photonic die.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming the adapter, and the forming the adapter comprises:

forming a ring-shaped hole extending from a first surface of a silicon substrate into the silicon substrate;

performing an oxidation process, until a silicon oxide formed by the oxidation process fills the ring-shaped hole; and

singulating the silicon substrate to form the adapter.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ring-shaped hole extends to an intermediate level between the first surface and an opposing second surface of the silicon substrate, and the method further comprises:

before the silicon substrate is singulated, polishing the silicon substrate from the opposing second surface of the silicon substrate, until the ring is revealed.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first material has a first refractive index lower than a second refractive index of the second material.

16. A method comprising:

forming an adapter comprising:

a plate formed of a first material; and

a first ring and a second ring penetrating through the plate, wherein each of the first ring and the second ring encircles a portion of the plate;

attaching the adapter onto a photonic die;

bonding an electronic die onto the photonic die;

encapsulating the electronic die and the adapter in an encapsulant;

attaching a coupler to the adapter, with the coupler aligning to the first ring; and

attaching a lamp to the adapter, with the lamp aligning to the second ring.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising performing a planarization process on the encapsulant until the portions of the plate encircled by the first ring and the second ring are exposed.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein after the planarization process, the electronic die is exposed.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plate comprises a silicon substrate, and the first ring and the second ring are formed of silicon oxide.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first ring and the second ring are formed through oxidation.