Coupling & Packaging

The Information Age was ushered into existence by Microelectronics. The future will depend on the networking of databases for universal accessibility. This new Age of Connectivity will require a mating of microelectronic and fiber optic technology through integration of microphotonic functionality. The key frontier is the large- scale integration and manufacturing of photonic components to enable the distribution of high bit rate optical streams to the individual information appliance. To provide full functionality, these optical signal processing components must be integrated at densities compatible with microelectronic integration. This microphotonics platform represents not only a solution to information access, but it directly addresses the issues of bandwidth, pin count, reliability, and complexity that threaten to end the advance of silicon integrated circuit technology.

The emergence and growth of a planar lightguide circuit (PLC) technology platform is being driven by the needs of cost, coupling loss and footprint reduction with increasing functionality. Currently coupling, packaging and testing can represent as much as ninety percent of product cost. Optical components are much more sensitive to dimensional integrity and alignment than electronic components. As a result, PLC design has utilized a thick-film silica technology that is closely matched in materials and dimensions to the optical fiber carrier (50-100 micrometer cross section). Coupling is achieved by mechanical alignment with intervening index matching fluid. Connection to the fiber carrier involves splicing from a "pigtail" connection. This low-index contrast technology is limited to low levels of integration by the size of individual components and the bend radius capability of the lightguides.

We cordially invite your company to join the Microphotonics Center in creating the future of telecommunications and computing. The Coupling and Packaging Consortium fee is $250,000 per year.

For more information about the Fiber-to-Waveguide Coupling & Packaging Consortium, please contact:

Mark Beals
Associate Director, Microphotonics Center
617-253-2129
617-258-6900 fax
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Mailing address:

Coupling & Packaging Consortium
MIT Microphotonics Center
77 Massachusetts Avenue
MIT Room 12-007
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307