Monte Carlo tolerance analysis of a passively aligned silicon waferboard package

Clearly, the most daunting challenge facing developers of passively aligned optical packages is that of meeting the manufacturing tolerances necessary to achieve adequate coupling between a laser source and an outgoing optical fiber. As these tolerances continue to press the limits of available manufacturing technology, the need for optimized designs becomes obvious. Unfortunately, the arrival at an optimized design is complicated by the often complex interaction of many variables ranging from component process variability, to device placement on assembly to optical fiber core concentricity and fiber diameter. In response to this, the current work describes a simplified approach towards optimizing the design of a silicon waferboard optical subassembly by ways of Monte Carlo analysis. Issues ranging from the impact of silicon process variables to device placement to fiber geometric variability are combined to predict anticipated assembly yields. Key control variables are identified enabling the arrival at optimized designs in a reasonably straightforward manner