Methods, devices and systems that dissipate heat and facilitate optical alignment in optical communications modules

1. An optical communications module comprising:

a circuit board having at least a first surface;

a cold block mounted on the first surface, the cold block being made of a material of high thermal conductivity, the cold block having at least first and second mounting surfaces, the first mounting surface being at a first height and the second mounting surface being at a second height, the first and second heights corresponding to first and second distances of the first and second mounting surfaces from a lower surface of the cold block, respectively, the first and second heights being different from one another;

at least a first optoelectronic component mounted on the first mounting surface; and

a lens assembly comprising at least a first lens block, the first lens block being mounted on the second mounting surface, wherein mounting the first optoelectronic component and the first lens block on the first and second mounting surfaces, respectively, optically aligns the first optoelectronic component and the first lens block with one another in a direction normal to the first mounting surface.

2. The optical communications module of claim 1 , wherein the cold block further comprises at least a third mounting surface that is at a third height that corresponds to a third distance of the third mounting surface from the lower surface of the cold block, the third distance being different from the first and second distances, and wherein the module further comprises:

at least a second optoelectronic component mounted on the third mounting surface; and

at least a second lens block of the lens assembly mounted on the second mounting surface, wherein mounting the second optoelectronic component and the second lens block on the third and second mounting surfaces, respectively, optically aligns the second optoelectronic component and the second lens block with one another in a direction normal to the third mounting surface.

3. The optical communications module of claim 1 , wherein the cold block further comprises at least a third mounting surface that is at a third height that corresponds to a third distance of the third mounting surface from the lower surface of the cold block, the third distance being different from the first and second distances, and wherein the module further comprises:

at least a second optoelectronic component mounted on the first mounting surface; and

at least a second lens block of the lens assembly mounted on the third mounting surface, wherein mounting the second optoelectronic component and the second lens block on the first and third mounting surfaces, respectively, optically aligns the second optoelectronic component and the second lens block with one another in a direction normal to the third mounting surface.

4. The optical communications module of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least a second optoelectronic component mounted on the first mounting surface; and

at least a second lens block of the lens assembly mounted on the second mounting surface, the second lens block having an offset formed in a portion of the lower surface thereof that offsets an optical surface of the second lens block from a non-offset portion of the lower surface of the second lens block, wherein mounting the second optoelectronic component and the second lens block on the first and second mounting surfaces, respectively, optically aligns the second optoelectronic component and the second lens block with one another in a direction normal to the second mounting surface.

5. The optical communications module of claim 2 , wherein the first optoelectronic component is a first semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light detectors therein, where N is a positive integer that is greater than or equal to 2, and wherein the second optoelectronic component is a second semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light sources therein.

6. The optical communications module of claim 5 , further comprising:

at least a third optoelectronic component mounted on the third mounting surface adjacent the second semiconductor chip, the third optoelectronic component being optically aligned with the second lens block in a direction normal to the third mounting surface of the cold block.

7. The optical communications module of claim 6 , wherein the third optoelectronic component is a third semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light detectors therein.

8. The optical communications module of claim 2 , wherein the first and second lens blocks each have at least one recess formed in the lower surface thereof, the recesses being filled with an adhesive material, wherein the adhesive material bonds the first and second lens blocks to the second mounting surface.

9. The optical communications module of claim 8 , wherein the first optoelectronic component is bonded to the first mounting surface by an adhesive material.

10. The optical communications module of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least a first integrated circuit (IC) chip mounting on the circuit board adjacent the cold block, the first IC chip being electrically interconnected with the circuit board and with the first optoelectronic component.

11. The optical communications module of claim 2 , further comprising:

an optical interface device, the optical interface device having a first array of lenses disposed on a front face thereof, the optical interface device being configured to mate with an optical connector that holds ends of optical fibers in an array of optical fiber ends such that the ends of the optical fibers are aligned with respective lenses of the first array of lenses, and wherein the optical interface device couples light beams between the first and second lens blocks and the ends of the optical fibers and wherein the first and second lens blocks couple light beams between the first and second optoelectronic components, respectively, and the optical interface device.

12. The optical communications module of claim 11 , wherein the optical interface device further comprises:

a first reflector aligned with a first row of the ends of the optical fibers, with a first row of the lenses of the first array and with a first array of optoelectronic elements disposed in the first optoelectronic component, wherein the first reflector turns an optical pathway along which light beams travel between the ends of the optical fibers and the first array of optoelectronic elements; and

a second reflector aligned with a second row of the ends of the optical fibers, with a second row of the lenses of the first array and with a second array of optoelectronic elements disposed in the second optoelectronic component, wherein the second reflector turns an optical pathway along which light beams travel between the ends of the optical fibers of the second row and the second array of optoelectronic elements.

13. The optical communications module of claim 12 , wherein the first and second reflectors turn the respective optical pathways by an angle of 90°.

14. The optical communications module of claim 12 , wherein the first and second reflectors are first and second distances away from the lenses of the first array, respectively, in a direction that is parallel to optical axes of the lenses of the first array, and wherein a spacing between the first and second optoelectronic components on the cold block depends at least in part on the first and second distances of the first and second reflectors from the lenses of the first array.

15. The optical communications module of claim 14 , wherein the first optoelectronic component is a first semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light detectors therein, where N is a positive integer that is greater than or equal to 2, and wherein the second optoelectronic component is a second semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light sources therein, wherein there are N lenses in the first row of the first array of lenses and N lenses in the second row of the first array of lenses, and wherein there are N ends of optical fibers arranged in the first row of the ends of the optical fibers and N ends of optical fibers arranged in the second row of the ends of the optical fibers, the first row of lenses of the first array of lenses collimating N light beams passing out of the ends of the first row of the ends of the optical fibers, the first reflector receiving the N collimated light beams and reflecting the N collimated light beams toward the 1×N array of light detectors, the lens assembly focusing the N collimated light beams onto respective light detectors of the 1×N array of light detectors, the lens assembly collimating light beams emitted by the 1×N array of light sources into N collimated light beams and directing at least first portions of the N collimated light beams toward the second reflector, the second reflector reflecting the first portions of the N collimated light beams toward the second row of lenses of the first array, the second row of lenses of the first array focusing the first portions of the N collimated light beams on the ends of the optical fibers of the second row of the ends of the optical fibers.

16. The optical communications module of claim 14 , wherein the first optoelectronic component is a first semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light detectors therein, and wherein the second optoelectronic component is a second semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light detectors therein, where N is a positive integer that is greater than or equal to 2, wherein there are N lenses in the first row of the first array of lenses and N lenses in the second row of the first array of lenses, and wherein there are N ends of optical fibers arranged in the first row of the ends of the optical fibers and N ends of optical fibers arranged in the second row of the ends of optical fibers, the first and second rows of lenses of the first array of lenses collimating 2N light beams passing out of the ends of the first and second rows of the ends of the optical fibers, the first reflector reflecting N of the collimated light beams toward the 1×N array of light detectors of the first semiconductor chip, the second reflector reflecting N of the collimated light beams toward the 1×N array of light detectors of the second semiconductor chip, the lens assembly focusing N of the reflected collimated light beams onto N respective light detectors of the first semiconductor chip and focusing N of the reflected collimated light beams onto N light detectors of the second semiconductor chip.

17. The optical communications module of claim 14 , wherein the first optoelectronic component is a first semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light sources therein, and wherein the second optoelectronic component is a second semiconductor chip having a 1×N array of light sources therein, where N is a positive integer that is greater than or equal to 2, wherein there are N lenses in the first row of the first array of lenses and N lenses in the second row of the first array of lenses, and wherein there are N ends of optical fibers arranged in the first row of the ends of the optical fibers and N ends of optical fibers arranged in the second row of the ends of optical fibers, the lens assembly collimating light beams emitted by the light sources of the first and second semiconductor chips into 2N collimated light beams and directing at least first portions of the 2N collimated light beams toward the first and second reflectors, the first reflector reflecting the first portions of N of the 2N collimated light beams toward the first row of lenses of the first array, the second reflector reflecting the first portions of N of the 2N collimated light beams toward the second row of lenses of the first array, the first and second rows of lenses of the first array focusing the first portions of the collimated light beams reflected by the first and second reflectors on the ends of the optical fibers of the first and second rows of the ends of the optical fibers, respectively.

18. A chip-on-board mounting arrangement for use in an optical communications module for mounting components and for dissipating heat, the arrangement comprising:

a cold block having a lower surface and at least first, second and third mounting surfaces opposite the lower surface, the cold block being made of a material of high thermal conductivity, the first mounting surface being at a first height, the second mounting surface being at a second height, and the third mounting surface being at a third height, the first, second and third heights corresponding to first, second and third distances of the first, second and third mounting surfaces from the lower surface of the cold block, respectively, at least the first and third heights being different from one another;

at least a first optoelectronic component mounted on the first mounting surface;

at least a second optoelectronic component mounted on the second mounting surface; and

a lens assembly mounted on the third mounting surface, wherein mounting the first optoelectronic component, the second optoelectronic component and the lens assembly on the first, second and third mounting surfaces, respectively, optically aligns the first and second optoelectronic components with the lens assembly in directions normal to the first and second mounting surfaces.

19. The chip-on-board mounting arrangement of claim 18 , further comprising:

at least a third optoelectronic component mounted on the second mounting surface, the third optoelectronic component being optically aligned with the lens assembly in a direction normal to the second mounting surface.

20. A chip-on-board mounting arrangement for use in an optical communications module and for mounting components and for dissipating heat, the arrangement comprising:

a cold block mounted having a lower surface and at least first and second mounting surfaces opposite the lower surface, the cold block being made of a material of high thermal conductivity, the first mounting surface being at a first height and the second mounting surface being at a second height, the first and second heights corresponding to first and second distances of the first and second mounting surfaces from the lower surface of the cold block, respectively, the first and second heights being different from one another;

at least first and second optoelectronic components mounted on the first mounting surface; and

a lens assembly mounted on the second mounting surface, the lens assembly comprising at least first and second lens blocks having lower surfaces that are in abutment with the second mounting surface, the second lens block having an offset formed in a portion of the lower surface thereof that offsets an optical surface of the second lens block from a non-offset portion of the lower surface of the second lens block, wherein mounting the first and second optoelectronic components on the first mounting surface and mounting the first and second lens blocks on the second mounting surface optically aligns the first and second optoelectronic components with the first and second lens blocks, respectively, in directions normal to the first and second mounting surfaces.