PACKAGING OPTOELECTRONIC MODULES

PACKAGING POSES A MAJOR IMPEDIMENT TO THE PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF OPTO-ELECTRONIC MODULES (OEMS). OEMS MAY REQUIRE MULTIPLE FIBER-OPTIC INTERFACES AND LARGE ELECTRICAL PIN-OUT, AND MAY DISSIPATE SIGNIFICANT POWER. WE PROPOSE A PROGRAM TO DEVELOP NEW PACKAGING TECHNIQUES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OEMS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL UTILIZE OPTIVISION'S PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE PACKAGING AND APPLICATION OF OPTO-ELECTRONIC DEVICES. A MAJOR THRUST OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE INVESTIGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERAL NOVEL MULTI-FIBER OPTICAL INTERFACING TECHNIQUES BASED ON THE USE OF PLANAR OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES MADE FROM SIO2 ON A SILICON SUBSTRATED. SIO2/SI WAVEGUIDE TECHNOLOGY MAY PROVIDE HIGH-PERFORMANCE, LOW-COST, COMPACT, RUGGED OPTICAL INTERFACES WHICH CAN BE APPLIED TO A BROAD CLASS OF OEMS. THE APPLICATION OF CURRENT ADVANCED ELECTRONIC AND OPTO-ELECTRONIC PACKAGING TO OEMS WILL BE EXPLORED, INCLUDING THE USE OF ADVANCED METALS AND CERAMICS, THERMOELECTRIC COOLING, AND FLIP-CHIP DEVICE MOUNTING. PACKAGE PERFORMANCE OVER A RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (TEMPERATURE, VIBRATION) WILL BE INVESTIGATED. A CANDIDATE OEM WILL BE SELECTED FOR PACKAGING DURING THE PHASE II EFFORT, AND A DETAILED PACKAGE DESIGN WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THIS DEVICE. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS: THIS RESEARCH PROJECT ADDRESSES KEY DESIGN AND FEASIBILTY ISSUES IN THE PACKAGING OF OPTO-ELECTRONIC MODULES (OEMS). IT WILL PROVIDE ADVANCED IN PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY TO ALLOW THE USE OF OEMS IN WIDE VARIETY OF DOD AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDING FIBER-OPTIC NETWORKS, OPTICAL BACKPLANES, AND PHASED ARRAY ANTENNAS.