A light coupling element including a groove and a light redirecting member is described. The groove is for receiving and aligning an optical waveguide and incudes an open front end and a back end. The light redirecting member includes an input side for receiving light from an optical waveguide received and supported in the groove and a light redirecting side for changing a direction of light received from the input side. The groove may include a bottom surface extending between the front and back ends of the groove and including a raised bottom surface portion raised upwardly relative to an unraised bottom surface portion. The unraised bottom surface portion of the bottom surface may be disposed between the raised bottom surface portion of the bottom surface and the input side of the light redirecting member. Optical coupling assemblies including the light coupling element and an optical waveguide are described.

Embodiments of alignment structures are disclosed that enable the alignment of a fiber attach unit (FAU) and the optical fibers contained therein to optical components on optical interposers or substrates on which photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are formed. Alignment of the optical fibers is enabled without the requirement for powering of the active optoelectrical devices in the PIC, but rather use an external testing apparatus to provide one or more optical signals to facilitate alignment. Methods for alignment using embodiments of the alignment structure is also disclosed.

In one embodiment, photonics die includes one or more opto-electronic elements to receive optical signals and generate electrical signals based on the optical signals and a plurality of v-grooves in a surface of the photonics die and at an edge of the die. Each v-groove is to interface with a fiber optic cable and align the fiber optic cable with an optical interconnect to optically couple the fiber optic cable with the opto-electronic elements. The photonics die also includes a plurality of bonding pads on the surface of the photonics die and electrically connected to the one or more opto-electronic elements, and a plurality of metal bumps coupled to respective bonding pads. The photonics die further includes a barrier formation between the metal bumps and the plurality of v-grooves, e.g., to prevent the overflow of underfill into the v-groove region of the photonics die.

A photonic interface for an electronic circuit is disclosed. The photonic interface includes a photonic integrated circuit having a modulator and a photodetector, and an optical fiber or fibers for optical communication with another optical circuit. A modulator driver chip may be mounted directly on the photonic integrated circuit. The optical fibers may be placed in v-grooves of a fiber support, which may include at least one lithographically defined alignment feature for optical alignment to the silicon photonic circuit.

A line illuminating device includes: a light emitting unit that emits light; a light guide rod that is formed into a rod shape, transmits therethrough the light emitted by the light emitting unit, and guides the light in a longitudinal direction; a case that is formed into a rod shape, has a part open when viewed from the longitudinal direction, and houses the light guide rod therein; ribs provided so as to protrude from the light guide rod on both ends of the light guide rod in the longitudinal direction; and rib guide portions which are provided on both ends of the case in the longitudinal direction, guide the ribs when the light guide rod is housed in the case, and restricts rotation of the light guide rod with respect to the case.

The disclosure describes a method for assembling an optical coupler, the method may include (a) inserting optical fibers of an array of optical fibers through an array of openings of a mount of the optical coupler so that tips of the optical fibers pass through the array of openings of the mount and reach an adaptor; wherein the array of openings of the mount exhibit a first positioning accuracy; (b) using the adaptor to position the tips of the optical fibers at predefined locations, at a second positioning accuracy that is higher than the first positioning accuracy; (c) fixing the tips of the optical fibers to the mount while maintaining the tips of the optical fibers at the predefined locations; and (d) detaching the mount from the adaptor.

A composite structure includes a base and an auxiliary portion of dissimilar materials. The auxiliary portion is shaped by stamping. As the auxiliary portion is stamped, it interlocks with the base, and at the same time forming a desired structured feature on the auxiliary portion, such as a structured reflective surface, an alignment feature, etc. With this approach, relatively less critical structured features can be shaped on the bulk of the base with less effort to maintain a relatively larger tolerance, while the relatively more critical structured features on the auxiliary portion are more precisely shaped with further considerations to define dimensions, geometries and/or finishes at relatively smaller tolerances. The auxiliary portion may include a composite structure of two dissimilar materials associated with different properties for stamping different structured features.

A connection structure including an optical module and an optical fiber array. The optical module includes a base and converters. The base has a first face with a recess. The recess extends in first and second directions and opens to at least one side in the first direction. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. Each being an optical-electrical or electrical-optical converter, the converters are arranged at the base in parallel with each other along the second direction. The optical fiber array includes a plastic part, and optical fibers each having a first end portion. The first end portions of the optical fibers are arranged in parallel with each other along the second direction and coated with the plastic part. The first end portions as coated with the plastic part are fixedly positioned in the recess of the base and optically connected to the corresponding converters.

A recessed portion in a semiconductor substrate and a method of forming the same are provided. The method comprises: forming a mask on the semiconductor substrate; forming a protection layer on a top surface of the mask and on at least one sidewall of the mask, and on at least one surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the mask; performing a first etching process to remove the protection layer on the top surface of the mask and on a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the mask; and performing a second etching process to remove the remaining protection layer and to etch the semiconductor substrate to form the recessed portion. In this way, a recessed portion with relatively smooth and vertical sidewalls can be realized.

A light pipe for transmitting lights includes a light incident wall, a light radiation wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall, the light incident wall opposite the light radiation wall, the first side wall opposite the second side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall are connected between the light incident wall and the light radiation wall, respectively. the first side wall and the second side wall are parabolic and having focal points between the first side wall and the second side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall are parabolic making the lights passing through the light radiation wall be uniformly distributed.