ALTER has experience in the assembly and packaging of a wide range of Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) devices including Silicon Photonics and InP PIC devices.
A PIC is a photonic integrated circuit that integrates multiple photonic functions, such as lasers, detectors, modulators and splitters on a single chip.
Due to the high level of functionality within a PIC device, there are a number of challenges that exist in the packaging such as optical tolerances, RF electrical signals & thermal management. Interfacing to the chip is far from standardised and most prototype technologies available are not suitable or robust for real life applications.
ALTER’s PIC packaging capabilities enable customers to take a step forward from prototype and breadboard testing, by providing robust hermetic packaging, suitable for deployment in real-world applications.
A standard hermetic PIC package platform is available offering customers a fast time to market for new designs without lengthy design or extensive NRE. Customer’s can consult ALTER’s design rules at the PIC design phase, to assist in achieving an optimal device layout for packaging.
Our standard package offers multiple single fibre Input/outputs, or a multi-channel fibre array, DC electrical and RF electrical connections in a ground-signal-ground configuration, and integrated thermal management via. an integrated thermoelectric cooler and thermistor.
In addition to this standard package platform, our broad range of assembly and design knowledge can be leveraged to provide a customised solution as needed.
ALTER has developed a range of fibre coupling processes for coupling light into and out of Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) devices including the following:
- Fibre array alignment for multiple channel alignment
- Free-space micro-optic alignment
- Edge-coupled and grating coupled fibre align techniques
- Laser weld or Epoxy attachment of fibres
- Precision alignment and attachment of laser or photodiode chips to PIC devices
For electrical interconnection of PIC devices, ALTER has experience with Au ball wire bonding, Al and Au Wedge and Ribbon bonding for RF devices.
Download QPICPAC datasheet
The QPICPAC Multi-fibre PIC Module is a standardised, hermetic, short leadtime, cost effective, packaging solution with up to 16 fibres used for early PIC industrial trial and evaluation testing, full system testing and also production volumes.
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