Integrated optical transceiver and related methods

Abstract

An optical transceiver includes at least one light source and at least one detector mounted on the same surface of the same substrate. The detector is to receive light from other than a light source on the surface. At least one of the light source and the detector is mounted on the surface. An optics block having optical elements for each light source and detectors is attached via a vertical spacer to the substrate. Electrical interconnections for the light source and the detector are accessible from the same surface of the substrate with the optics block attached thereto. One of the light source and the detector may be monolithically integrated into the substrate.

1 . An optical transceiver comprising: 
 at least one light source on a first surface of a substrate;    at least one detector on the first surface of the substrate, at least one of the at least one light source and the at least one detector being mounted on the substrate, the at least one detector to receive light other than from a light source on the first surface of the substrate; and    an optics block having optics for both the at least one light source and the at least one detector integrated thereon, the optics block being attached to the substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein at least one light source and the at least one detector are of different materials.  
     
     
         3 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one light source and the at least one detector is monolithically integrated with the substrate.  
     
     
         4 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source is an array of light sources and the at least one detector is an array of detectors.  
     
     
         5 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , further comprising a spacer between the substrate and the optics block.  
     
     
         6 . The optical transceiver of  claim 5 , wherein the spacer completely surround the periphery of the optics block.  
     
     
         7 . The optical transceiver of  claim 5 , wherein the spacer includes a plurality of separate spacers provided in the periphery of the optics block.  
     
     
         8 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein optics for the at least one light source and the at least one detector have the same design.  
     
     
         9 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein optics for the at least one light source are formed on an opposite side of the optics block from optics for the at least one detector.  
     
     
         10 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.  
     
     
         11 . The optical transceiver of  claim 1 , further comprising interconnection features on the first surface of the substrate for the at least one light source and the at least one detector.  
     
     
         12 . The optical transceiver of  claim 11 , wherein the interconnection features are on a same side of the first surface of the substrate for both the at least one light source and the at least one detector.  
     
     
         13 . The optical transceiver of  claim 11 , wherein the interconnection features are on opposite sides of the first surface of the substrate for the at least one light source and the at least one detector.  
     
     
         14 . The optical transceiver of  claim 4 , wherein the array of light sources and the array of detectors are parallel.  
     
     
         15 . The optical transceiver of  claim 4 , wherein the array of light sources and the array of detectors form a line.  
     
     
         16 . A method of forming an optical transceiver comprising: 
 providing a plurality of detectors on a first surface of a first wafer;    providing a plurality of light sources on the first surface of the first wafer, at least one of the plurality of detectors and the plurality of light sources being mounted on the first wafer, the detectors to receive light from other than the plurality of light sources on the first surface;    providing electrical interconnections for each of the plurality of detectors and each of the plurality of light sources on the first surface of the first wafer;    providing an optics block having at least one optical element for each of the plurality of detectors and each of the plurality of light sources;    providing a vertical spacer between the optics block and the first wafer;    attaching the vertical spacer, the optics block and the first wafer to one another; and    singulating the first wafer into a plurality of transceiver, each transceiver having at least one light source and at least one detector.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said providing of the optics block includes forming the at least one optical element for each of the plurality of detectors and each of the plurality of light sources on a second wafer and attaching the second wafer to the first wafer before said singulating, said singulating allowing access to the electrical interconnections.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said providing of the vertical spacer includes forming vertical spacers for each of the transceivers on a spacer wafer and attaching the spacer wafer to the first wafer before said singulating, said singulating allowing access to the electrical interconnections.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said providing of the optics block includes forming the at least one optical element for each of the plurality of detectors and each of the plurality of light sources on a second wafer and attaching the second wafer to the spacer wafer and the first wafer before said singulating, said singulating allowing access to the electrical interconnections.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said attaching includes directly attaching the second wafer to the spacer wafer.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said providing of one of said plurality of light sources and said plurality of detectors includes monolithically integrating into the first wafer.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein aid providing electrical interconnections for each of the plurality of detectors and each of the plurality of light sources includes using a same mask for both interconnections to the detectors and the light sources.