Passive alignment packaging of semiconductor lasers and OEICs

Summary form only given. For applications in fiber optical communications, laser diodes and optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs) need to be efficiently coupled to optical fibers and packaged. Efficient coupling involves precise positioning of optical components and fibers with micron and submicron accuracies, often in combination with optical imaging and beam size adapters between the typically small (0.5/spl times/2.1/spl times/1 and 0.25/spl times/0.25 /spl mu/m/sup 2/) waveguide cross-sections of optical components and the larger core sizes (10 /spl mu/m) of single-mode fibers. Successful optical alignment and packaging techniques have evolved for laser diodes (LDs), semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) and passive optical waveguide components, involving single optical outputs as well as moderate numbered arrays of optical inputs and outputs. They involve optically active as well as optically passive alignment techniques, the goal being precise positioning with highest optical coupling efficiencies, achieved repeatedly, reliably and within the shortest assembly times.