New hybrid assembly technique said to be simple

21 February 2007 Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services

The Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP) has announced a hybrid assembly technique which offers a very simple reliable method of integrating optical devices. The technique eliminates the expense of actively aligning devices - the process in common use today - providing a platform for creating the building-blocks required for advanced optical networking.

Graeme Maxwell, CIP's VP of hybrid R&D, said: "Hybrid integration is an optimal way forward for many of the optical functions needed in advanced optical networks, but most of the assembly techniques in mainstream use today rely on highly skilled labour and expensive equipment, and do not scale. Our technique requires just passive assembly, yet provides very low insertion losses - making it possible to create single-module solutions for applications such as packet switches and signal regenerators."

The technique integrates by means of plugging silicon daughterboards carrying individual optical components into a planar silica motherboard - each having precision-machined mating faces. The components themselves also employ interface modifications, namely mode expansion, and features to support precision cleaving. The result turns hybrid photonic integration into a similar form of process to that used for assembling electronic PCBs - with the planar silica motherboard providing the equivalent of printed wiring.

"We believe this hybrid integration technique provides the performance, reliability and economy to address many of the sophisticated component functions necessary for advanced optical switched fabrics," adds Maxwell. "Among the potential applications are reconfigurable add-drop multiplexers, 2R and 3R signal regenerators, high-speed interconnect, packet switches, WDM PON devices and optical buffer memories. In each of these cases I expect our platform approach to offer considerable cost reduction and performance advantages over current component solutions and integration methods."

www.ciphotonics.com

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