Packaging of VCSEL, MC-LED and detector 2-D arrays

An alignment and mounting scheme has been devised for the hybrid integration of Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSEL), Micro-Cavity Light-Emitting Diodes (MCLED) and photodetector arrays with Si CMOS chips for optical interconnection of integrated circuits. Assembly processes are being developed for an area interconnect test bed being realised in the EC-funded ESPRIT-MELARI project OIIC (“Optically Interconnected Integrated Circuits”). Here, short inter-chip (or intra-chip) links are based on a free-space optical pathway with micromirrors and microlenses while longer inter-chip interconnects within or between Multi-Chip Modules (MCMs) are being realised using Plastic Optical Fibre (POF) arrays configured in an Optical Pathway Block (OPE). Alignment accuracies in the region of ±20 μm are required for interfacing between the optoelectronic devices and the optical pathway