Hermetic Optical Component Package Having Organic Portion and Inorganic Portion

Abstract

A hermetic package includes a base body, wherein dielectric material of a bottom of the base body is made of an organic material, an optical component mounted on the base body, and inorganic material hermetically enclosing the optical component along all surrounding sides.

Claims

1. A hermetic package, comprising: a base body, wherein dielectric material of a bottom of the base body is made of an organic material; an optical component mounted on the base body; and inorganic material hermetically enclosing the optical component along all surrounding sides.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the optical component is accommodated in a hollow cavity, in particular delimited partially or entirely by the inorganic material and/or delimited partially or entirely by the organic material.

3. The package according to claims 1, wherein the inorganic material is composed of at least one metal, glass and/or ceramic.

4. The package according to claim 1, wherein the organic material comprises resin, in particular epoxy resin, more particularly prepreg resin.

5. The package according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following features: wherein the organic material surrounds the optical component at least partially along at least five sides; wherein the optical component comprises at least one of the group consisting of an optical-light emitter and an optical-light detector; wherein the inorganic material completely delimits a cavity and is at least partially surrounded by the organic material.

6. The package according to claim 1, comprising an optically-transparent member, in particular forming part of the inorganic material, through which light can propagate between the optical component and an environment of the hermetic package.

7. The package according to claim 6, comprising at least one of the following features: wherein the optically-transparent member comprises a lens; wherein the optically-transparent member is at least partially embedded in organic material; wherein at least part of a surface of the optically-transparent member is coated with a protection varnish, in particular a protection varnish configured for inhibiting deposition of metallic material, more particularly copper, thereon; wherein at least part of a surface of the optically-transparent member is transparent for ultraviolet light; wherein at least part of a surface, in particular at least part of an inner surface and/or of an outer surface, of the optically-transparent member is coated with a reflective coating.

8. The package according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one electrically-conductive vertical through-connection extending through the base body, in particular through both organic material and inorganic material of the base body, and configured for electrically coupling the optical component with an environment of the hermetic package, wherein in particular the at least one vertical through-connection is formed by an insulated-metal substrate.

9. The package according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following features: at least one further component, in particular a driver for driving the optical component, embedded in the hermetic package, in particular embedded in at least one of the organic material and the inorganic material; wherein the optical component is at least partially surrounded by or covered with a thermally highly-conductive coating, in particular aluminum nitride; wherein the optical component is mounted slanted, in particular 90 rotated, on the base body so that a light-emitting direction of the optical component is oriented upwardly; wherein at least a portion of a surrounding of the optical component consists of bulk metal, in particular bulk copper; a cap body connected with the base body so that the optical component is enclosed between the cap body and the base body.

10. The package according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of the following features: wherein each of the base body and the cap body comprises part of said inorganic material, in particular at least partially delimiting a cavity formed in the base body and/or the cap body; wherein each of the base body and the cap body comprises part of said organic material, in particular comprises or is based on a respective component carrier.

11. The package according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following features: wherein hermetically enclosing the optical component along all surrounding sides is accomplished by providing a continuous uninterrupted cage of said inorganic material between the optical component and a surrounding of the package; wherein the inorganic material hermetically enclosing the optical component along all surrounding sides comprises an electrically-conductive sidewall coating coating at least part of vertical sidewalls of organic material delimiting a cavity accommodating the optical component; wherein the inorganic material hermetically enclosing the optical component along all surrounding sides comprises electrically-conductive material circumferentially filling a circumferential hole extending at least partially through said organic material; wherein the inorganic material, in particular glass, is connected with electrically-conductive material, in particular copper, through a seed layer, in particular one of copper oxide and titanium.

12. The package according to claim 1, wherein the organic material forms part of a component carrier comprising a stack formed of at least one electrically-conductive layer structure and/or at least one electrically-insulating layer structure.

13. The package according to claim 12, further comprising at least one of the following features: wherein at least one of the at least one electrically-conductive layer structure comprises at least one of the group consisting of copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold, palladium, and tungsten, any of the mentioned materials being optionally coated with supra-conductive material such as graphene; wherein at least one of the at least one electrically-insulating layer structure comprises at least one of the group consisting of resin, in particular reinforced or non-reinforced resin, for instance epoxy resin or Bismaleimide-Triazine resin, FR-4, FR-5, cyanate ester, polyphenylene derivate, glass, prepreg material, polyimide, polyamide, liquid-crystal polymer, epoxy-based build-up material, polytetrafluoroethylene, a ceramic, and a metal oxide; wherein the component carrier is shaped as a plate; wherein the component carrier is configured as one of the group consisting of a printed-circuit board, and a substrate, or a preform thereof; wherein the component carrier is configured as a laminate-type component carrier.

14. A method of manufacturing a hermetic package, the method comprising: providing a base body with a bottom having dielectric material being made of organic material; mounting an optical component on the base body; hermetically surrounding the optical component with inorganic material around all sides.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising at least one of the following steps: connecting a cap body with the base body so that the optical component is enclosed in between hermetically sealed, wherein in particular connecting for hermetically sealing comprises at least one of the group consisting of sintering, soldering, welding, thermal-compression bonding, and glass sealing, in particular by low-melting glass paste; accommodating the optical component in a hollow cavity, wherein in particular the hollow cavity is evacuated and/or filled with an inert gas; forming electrically conductive material, in particular copper, on the inorganic material, in particular glass, by a chemical deposition; forming nickel on copper, in particular by a chemical deposition, and thereafter connecting the inorganic material, in particular glass, with the nickel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 8 to FIG. 9 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package with an embedded-optical component, shown in FIG. 9, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0062] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package with an embedded-optical component, shown in FIG. 11, according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0063] FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a hermetic package with an embedded-optical component according to still another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0064] FIG. 13, FIG. 14, FIG. 15 to FIG. 16 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package with an embedded-optical component, shown in FIG. 16, according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0065] FIG. 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, FIG. 20, FIG. 21, FIG. 22, FIG. 23, FIG. 24, FIG. 25 to FIG. 26 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package with an embedded-optical component, shown in FIG. 26, according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0066] FIG. 27 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a hermetic package with an embedded optical-component according to still another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0067] The illustrations in the drawings are schematically presented. In different drawings, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

[0068] Before referring to the drawings, exemplary embodiments will be described in further detail, some basic considerations will be summarized based on which exemplary embodiments of the invention have been developed.

[0069] According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a hermetic package is provided which hermetically encloses one or more optical components by using a combination of organic and inorganic material to form the hermetic surrounding. Advantageously, building a heterogeneous system may be accomplished by using assemblable materials, which allow a simplification of the production compared to a homogeneous system with inorganic materials. For instance, the hermetically-sealed optical component may comprise a UV laser diode, an optical sensor, a MEMS (microelectromechanical system) package, an LED (light-emitting diode) package or array, and/or a smart glasses image projector. In particular with the help of organic FR4 material that takes over a carrier function during production, glass-metal constructions may be produced as inorganic constituents of the hermetic package. Thus, a combination of organic and inorganic materials may be used for manufacturing a hermetic package accommodating an optical component. Building a heterogeneous system by using assemblable materials may allow a simplification of the production compared to a homogeneous system with inorganic materials only.

[0070] In an embodiment, such a hermetic package may be composed of two parts, in addition to the optical component:

[0071] An upper part (such as a cap body) may be made of two cores with inserted glass window in the upper of the two cores. The upper core and the lower core may be laminated together. A lower cavity may be formed by laser cutting (for instance by implementing a non-adhesive release layer embedded in the core, and by cutting out, by laser cutting, a piece of the core delimited at the bottom side by the release layer so that the piece can be simply taken out so that the cavity remains). Thereafter, plating of the cavity and execution of a photo process may be carried out. The upper cavity may also be formed by laser cutting (for instance by implementing a non-adhesive release layer embedded in the core, and by cutting out, by laser cutting, a piece of the core delimited at the bottom side by the release layer so that the piece can be simply taken out so that the cavity remains).

[0072] Furthermore, the lower part (for instance base body) may be formed in the same way as the core with the glass window.

[0073] Thereafter, the upper part and the lower part of the package may be hermetically sealed, for instance by sintering, diffusion soldering, and/or glass sealing by low melting glass paste.

[0074] What concerns the production of the upper part or lid for the hermetic package, a release layer may be applied on both sides of the glass element, which ensures consequently that the overlying organic elements can be removed. This glass element has metal structures (single-sided or double-sided) that allow a galvanic connection of a later-built cavity. This glass element may be inserted into a PCB or IC substrate.

[0075] FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package 100 with an embedded optical component 106, shown in FIG. 9, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 1, a preform of a base body 102 is shown which is obtained by processing or correspondingly configuring a plate-shaped laminate-type component carrier 130. The component carrier 130 may be configured as a laminated stack of electrically conductive layer structures (for instance continuous and/or patterned metal layers such as copper foils, and/or metallic vertical-interconnect structures such as copper filled laser vias) and electrically-insulating layer structures (for instance comprising resin, in particular epoxy resin, optionally comprising reinforcing particles such as glass fibers or glass spheres; for instance, the electrically-insulating material may be prepreg or FR4). More specifically, the electrically-conductive layer structures comprise vertical through connections 118 and horizontal planar portions forming pads 160.

[0077] The preform of base body 102 is used as a basis for creating a first part of the hermetic package 100. The preform of base body 102 has a bottom 104 having dielectric material being made of organic material 108, for instance epoxy resin of the lower one of said electrically-insulating layer structures. Vertical through-connections 118 are formed extending vertically through said dielectric material for establishing an electrically-conductive connection extending vertically through the preform of base body 102. For instance, the vertical through connections 118 may be copper filled vias, which may be formed for instance by laser drilling or mechanical drilling.

[0078] As further shown in FIG. 1, an inorganic inlay 158, for instance a glass plate or a ceramic plate, may be embedded in preform of base body 102. For instance, the preform of base body 102 may be configured as a printed-circuit board with embedded glass plate. Inorganic inlay 158 may later ensure that an optical component 106 to be hermetically sealed within hermetic package 100 is completely hermetically surrounded by inorganic material 110 (compare FIG. 9). In the shown embodiment, an inorganic material (for example made of glass, ceramics, etc.) in form of inorganic inlay 158 may be inserted into the core or PCB (printed-circuit board) type component carrier 130. Subsequently, the vertical interconnect structures 118, embodied as vias, may be formed (by the formation of holes in component carrier 130 and the subsequent formation of a metallization).

[0079] Referring to FIG. 2, part of an upper-main surface of the structure shown in FIG. 1 may be provided with a release layer 162. The release layer 162 may be made of a non-adhesive material (such as a waxy material or Teflon) and may later serve as a basis for the formation of a cavity 112 (see FIG. 6), as described below. Thus, by applying the release layer 162, the cavity 112 can be produced later.

[0080] Furthermore, an electrically-conductive layer 166 may be optionally attached to a lower-main surface of the preform of base body 102.

[0081] Moreover, an at least partially-uncured dielectric layer 164 (for instance made of prepreg) and a further PCB-type component carrier 130 are shown. Said further component carrier 130 may be a core which may comprise an organic material 108 as further electrically-insulating layer structure (which is here embodied as a fully-cured electrically-insulating layer structure such as an FR4 layer), and an electrically-conductive layer 166 (such as a copper foil).

[0082] Referring to FIG. 3, the illustrated structure is obtained by laminating together the constituents shown in FIG. 2. Lamination may be accomplished by the application of heat and/or pressure. Hence, the prepreg layer 164 may be laminated with further component carrier 130 (or a copper foil or a core) on top and the structure with the applied release layer 162 on bottom to continue formation of base body 102. During lamination, material of the uncured-layer structure 164 may be cured, thereby connecting the various constituents together.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4, a circumferential hole 168 may be formed in a lower portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3, for instance by laser processing from a bottom side (for example using an ultraviolet laser or a carbon-dioxide laser). By creating the circumferential hole 168 (which may be a circumferential slot) in the lower portion of the shown layer stack, the hermetic inorganic cage of package 100 to be manufactured is further designed. More specifically, the described formation of circumferential hole 168 prepares a subsequent copper metallization around a hermetic cavity 112 shown in FIG. 6. Upper electrically-conductive layer 166 may remain continuous (i.e. may not be patterned by the laser processing) and may serve for holding together the various constituents of the structure shown in FIG. 4.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 5, the previously formed circumferential hole 168 may be filled with electrically-conductive material 170, for instance copper. For example, this may be done by galvanic plating. Thus, subsequent to the formation of the circumferential hole 168, the filling of the slot with copper takes place. By taking this measure, a circumferentially closed portion of the inorganic-hermetic sealing is created.

[0085] Moreover, the electrically-conductive layers 166 on the top side and on the bottom side of the structure shown in FIG. 4 are patterned. Hence, structuring of the respective electrically-conductive layer 166 on both opposing main surfaces of the structure according to FIG. 4 takes place.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 6, cavity 112 is formed to thereby complete formation of base body 102 by cutting out a central piece of the structure shown in FIG. 5 after formation of a further inner circumferential cutting slot (for instance by a circumferential laser cut). Said cutting slot may extend from an upper main surface of the structure shown in FIG. 5 up to the release layer 162. In view of the non-adhesive property of the material of the release layer 162, the cut-out piece may be simply taken out and removed from the remaining base body 102, so that the cavity 112 remains. After that, the release layer 162 may also be removed. Hence, FR4 material of the uppermost layer structures of FIG. 5 may be cut. This forms the cavity 112 by means of laser processing. Subsequently, the material inside of the cavity 112 can be removed. Optionally, the cavity 112 can be cleaned, and a surface finish can be carried out.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 7, an inlay-type optical component 106 is shown during insertion into cavity 112. For example, the optical component 106 may be a light emitter and/or a light detector. For instance, the optical component 106 may be configured as a semiconductor chip. In one embodiment, the optical component 106 may be active in the infrared range, for instance for a LIDAR application. Additionally or alternatively, the optical component 106 may be active in the visible range of wavelengths, for instance for a RADAR application. Also, ultraviolet applications are possible with optical component 106.

[0088] In addition, a cap body 124 is shown which comprises an optically transparent member 114 such as a glass body. The transparent member 114 is configured so that light can propagate between the optical component 106 and an environment of the readily manufactured hermetic package 100. For instance, the optically-transparent member 114 may comprise a lens. This can be accomplished by rendering one or both opposing main surfaces of the optically-transparent member 114 curved (for instance with a convex or concave curvature). Alternatively, optically-transparent number 114 may be a planar plate.

[0089] A connection medium 152, such as sinter paste, solder paste or glass paste, may be formed on a bottom side of the cap body 124 (or alternatively on the top side of the lower part formed based on the base body 102). Later on, cap body 124 and base body 102 may be connected by the connection medium 152, for instance by sintering or soldering.

[0090] A component-connection medium 156 may be applied to pads 160 of the optical component 106 (or alternatively to electrically conductive pads 160 or lands exposed on the bottom of cavity 112 and thus on a mounting surface of base body 102). For instance, the component-connection medium 156 may be solder material for diffusion soldering or sinter material for sintering.

[0091] In the shown embodiment, each of the base body 102 and the cap body 124 comprises part of said inorganic material 110 used for hermetically sealing of the optical component 106 (see FIG. 9). Only the base body 102 comprises organic material 108 in the shown embodiment.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 8, pads 160 of the optical component 106 may be interconnected with pads 160 of base body 102 at the bottom of the cavity 112, for instance by the formation of a solder connection using connection medium 156. Hence, FIG. 8 shows assembly of the optical component 106 on the base body 102.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 9, the cap body 124 is connected with the base body 102 (with optical component 106 mounted thereon) by means of connection medium 152 (in particular by soldering). As a result, the optical component 106 is accommodated in cavity 112 and is enclosed in between base body 102 and cap body 124. More specifically, the optical component 106 is accommodated within a cage defined exclusively by inorganic material 110 at all sides. Thus, the described manufacturing architecture three-dimensionally hermetically surrounds the optical component 106 with inorganic material 110 around all sides. According to FIG. 9, this purely inorganic cage of inorganic material 110 is formed by the optically-transparent member 114, the inorganic inlay 158, the circumferentially-closed electrically-conductive material 170, pads 160 and connection medium 152.

[0094] Optionally, the hollow cavity 112 may be evacuated and/or filled with an inert gas, depending on a specific application.

[0095] Concluding, the obtained and illustrated hermetic package 100 comprises at its bottom side the base body 102, wherein dielectric material at a bottom 104 of the base body 102 is made of organic material 108 in form of epoxy resin. The optical component 106 is mounted on the base body 102 and within the cavity 112. Inorganic material 110, composed of inorganic inlay 158 at a bottom side, optically-transparent member 114 at a top side and metallic material of hollow-cylindrical structure 170, pads 160 and connection medium 152 (which may be a metallic compound) in circumferential directions hermetically enclose the optical component 106 along all surrounding sides (i.e. top, bottom, and along a horizontal circumference). Furthermore, the optical component 106 is accommodated in the hollow cavity 112 which is delimited partially by the inorganic material 110 and partially by organic material 108.

[0096] As shown, the hermetic package 100 is formed based on component carriers 130 comprising organic-dielectric material (see reference numeral 108), so that the efficient manufacturing processes related to component carrier (in particular PCB) technology may be advantageously used. However, the hermetic package 100 hermetically enclosing optical component 106 synergistically combines this organic-packaging concept with the use of inorganic material 110 for accomplishing any desired degree of hermetically sealing (i.e. sealing against air, humidity, dust or dirt).

[0097] Hermetically sealing the cavity 112 with cap body 124 or lid (for instance comprising or consisting of glass or a core with inserted glass element(s)) may hence be accomplished. Space around the optical component 106 may be evacuated and/or filled with inert gas and then hermetically sealed.

[0098] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package 100 with an embedded optical component 106, shown in FIG. 11, according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 10, a cap body 124 is provided in which the optically-transparent member 114 (such as a glass plate, for instance made of a UV-transparent glass) is embedded in organic material 108. Said organic material 108 may for instance be epoxy resin, optionally comprising reinforcing particles such as glass cloth.

[0100] An optional recess 154 in cap body 124 of FIG. 10 may be formed by inserting a release layer (not shown, compare reference numeral 162 in FIG. 2) inside recess 154, and subsequently removing material using said release layer. Only a small remainder of the material of release layer 162 is shown in FIG. 10, which may remain in the readily manufactured hermetic package 100 due to alignment reasons. It is also possible to fill at least part of the recess 154 (or provide a recess-free planar-exterior surface of the hermetic package 100) with a conversion structure (such as a layer) for converting light emitted by the optical component 106 into white light.

[0101] The base body 102 with assembled optical component 106 of FIG. 10 may be configured as in FIG. 8.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 11, a hermetic package 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown which is obtained by connecting the base body 102 with the cap body 124 shown in FIG. 10, for instance by soldering, sintering, etc. of (for instance metallic) connection medium 152.

[0103] The embodiment of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 is based on the use of component carriers 130 for forming both the base body 102 and the cap body 124.

[0104] Hermetic packages 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may be manufactured as a single hermetic package, or in a batch procedure. When the hermetic package 100 of FIG. 11 is formed in such a batch procedure or by a panel-level process, a common component-carrier structure comprising multiple preforms of hermetic packages 100 may be separated into individual hermetic packages 100, for instance by cutting along separation lines 172 as shown schematically in FIG. 11.

[0105] FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a hermetic package 100 with an embedded optical component 106 according to still another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0106] The embodiment of FIG. 12 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 9 in particular in that the slot-shaped hollow-cylindrical structure 168 filled with electrically-conductive material 170 of FIG. 9 is substituted by an electrically-conductive sidewall coating 174 coating sidewalls of organic material 108 of the base body 102, which sidewalls partially delimit cavity 112. The electrically-conductive sidewall coating 174 may be made of copper material, which may be formed for instance by plating. The electrically-conductive sidewall coating 174 (which may be substantially U-shaped on both sides of the cavity 112 in the shown cross-sectional view) contributes to the hermetic surrounding of optical component 106 by inorganic material 110.

[0107] Furthermore, additional connection medium 176 is provided for connecting different portions of the base body 102 and also contributes to hermetically sealing the optical component 106 mounted on the base body 102 by a cage or shell made exclusively of inorganic material 110. For instance, connection medium 176 may be metallic (for example may comprise or consist of silver), and connection medium 176 may be used for connecting substructures of the base body 102 by sintering.

[0108] In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the inorganic material 110 forms an uninterruptedly continuous inorganic-cage delimiting cavity 112 completely, and being surrounded with an organic surrounding, i.e. organic material 108 of the various substructures of base body 102.

[0109] According to FIG. 12, said inorganic material 110 hermetically enclosing optical component 106 is composed of inorganic inlay 158 at a bottom side, optically-transparent member 114 at a top side and metallic material of electrically-conductive sidewall coating 174, pads 160 and connection medium 152, 176 in circumferential directions.

[0110] FIG. 13 to FIG. 16 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package 100 with an embedded optical component 106, shown in FIG. 16, according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 13, three different cores 178, 180, 182 are used as a basis for manufacturing hermetic package 100 shown in FIG. 16.

[0112] In this embodiment, core 180 is provided with a cavity 112, which is subsequently metallized by copper to form sidewall coating 174 on sidewalls of the cavity 112 in the hermetic package 100.

[0113] Core 178 is configured as a fully-cured core (in particular a FR4 core) in which inorganic inlay 158 (for instance made of ceramic or glass) is embedded. Subsequently, vias are inserted and a metal pattern is applied. Said vias form the vertical through connections 118 for the optical component 106 that is accommodated in the hermetic package 100. Said metal pattern form pads 160. The optical component 106 can be, for example, a light source (for instance a laser diode, an LED), an optical sensor (for instance an image sensor), etc.

[0114] After interconnection by connection medium 176, cores 178, 180 form base body 102.

[0115] Core 182 (being the basis of cap body 124, cover or lid) is similar in construction to core 178 but without vias, and has organic material 108 above optically-transparent member 114. Organic material 108 above optically-transparent member 114 is partially removed (for instance using a release layer 162, only a rest of the latter is shown in FIG. 13) to provide transparent properties of an optical path between optical component 106 and an environment above the hermetic package 100. Alternatively, core 182 may be substituted by an optically-transparent member 114 (in particular a pure glass element) surrounded by a metal, for instance by bulk copper, but without organic material 108. The latter embodiment may be particularly advantageous in terms of removal of heat generated by the optical component 106 during operation of the hermetic package 100.

[0116] Further, any of cores 178, 118 may be provided with a connection medium 152, 156, 176 for forming a metallic bond (for instance by soldering, sintering, diffusion soldering, welding, etc.).

[0117] Referring to FIG. 14, the optical component 106 may be placed in the cavity 112 and may be connected with core 178 of base body 102 using connection medium 156 for interconnecting pads 160 of optical component 106 with pads 160 of the core 178. The only connection between the lower cores 178, 180 constituting base body 110 on the one hand and cap body 124 is accomplished by connection medium 152, such as sinter paste, solder paste or glass paste.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 15, core 182 is then placed on core 180, wherein the space around the optical component 106 may be optionally evacuated and/or filled with inert gas or any other appropriate gaseous atmosphere. Upon connection cores 180, 182 using connection medium 152, the optical component 106 is hermetically sealed within cavity 112.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 16, the illustrated hermetic package 100 can be obtained by singularizing the panel-level manufactured structure according to FIG. 15 by cutting along separation lines 172.

[0120] As in FIG. 12, inorganic material 110 forms, also in FIG. 16, an uninterruptedly continuous inorganic area or cage delimiting cavity 112 completely, and being surrounded with an organic surrounding. In core 180 according to FIG. 13, the sidewalls of the organic material 108 are metallized so that the entire inner surface of the material encapsulating optical component 106 is formed by inorganic material 110 rather than by organic material 108.

[0121] FIG. 17 to FIG. 26 illustrate cross-sectional views of structures obtained during carrying out a method of manufacturing a hermetic package 100 with an embedded-optical component 106, shown in FIG. 26, according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 17, a component carrier 130 is provided, in which optically transparent member 114 is embedded in an arrangement of electrically-conductive layer structures (compare reference numerals 160) and electrically-insulating layer structures (compare reference numerals 108, 164). Furthermore, a release layer 162 made of non-adhesive material is embedded in the component carrier 130, partially above and partially below optically-transparent member 114. The shown structure may be obtained by pressing together a PCB or IC substrate with another core and prepreg, and with optically-transparent member 114 and release layer 162 in between.

[0123] Referring to FIG. 18, the structure shown in FIG. 17 may be made subject to a laser-cutting procedure, during which a laser beam 184 cuts a circumferential hole into the structure shown in FIG. 17 from a top side and extending into the upper portion of the release layer 162.

[0124] The structure shown in FIG. 19 may be obtained by removing a piece of the structure of FIG. 18 delimited laterally by laser beam 184 and at a bottom side by the upper portion of the release layer 162. After cutting the cavity 112 by laser cutting, the cut-out piece may hence be removed, and then the upper portion of the release layer 162 may be stripped above optically-transparent member 114.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 20, it is then possible to apply a protective varnish 116, for instance made of Teflon or being Teflon-based, to a surface portion in the glass area of exposed optically-transparent member 114. Varnish supply may be accomplished for example by means of inkjet printing. A function of this protective varnish 116 is the prevention of undesired deposition of opaque material on the optically-transparent member 114, for instance during a chemical-copper process.

[0126] Referring to FIG. 21, electrically-conductive material such as copper may then be deposited on both horizontal surfaces and vertical surfaces of the structure shown in FIG. 20, with an exception of the protective varnish 116 (which may be made of a material disabling such a deposition). This may be done by a chemical-copper plating process. Inter alia, the deposition of the electrically-conductive material forms the electrically-conductive sidewall coating 174 on sidewalls delimiting cavity 112.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 22, deposited electrically-conductive material is removed from part of the horizontal surfaces of the structure shown in FIG. 21. This may be accomplished, for instance, by a photo process.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 23, organic material 108 may be removed from a bottom side of the structure shown in FIG. 22 for exposing also part of the lower-main surface of optically-transparent member 114. In other words, the glass element constituting optically-transparent member 114 may be freed from the organic material 108 thereon on a back side. The result is the shown cap body 124 or cap element.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 24, the cap body 124 shown in FIG. 23 may then be turned upside down or by 180 . An optical component 106, having its pads 160 face down, may then be placed between the cap body 124 on the top side and a base body 102 (which may be similar or identical to the one shown in FIG. 1) on the bottom side.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 25, assembly of the optical component 106 on a mounting surface of the base body 102 may then be carried out by connection medium 156, for instance by soldering or sintering.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 26, hermetic sealing of the package 100 may then be obtained by connecting the lid or cap body 124 to the base body 102 with the mounted-optical component 106 in between by connection medium 152, for instance by soldering or sintering.

[0132] According to FIG. 26, said inorganic material 110 hermetically enclosing optical component 106 is composed of inorganic inlay 158 at a bottom side, optically-transparent member 114 at a top side and metallic material of electrically-conductive sidewall coating 174, pads 160 and connection medium 152 in circumferential directions.

[0133] FIG. 27 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a hermetic package 100 with an embedded-optical component 106 according to still another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0134] Hermetic package 100 according to FIG. 27 additionally comprises a further component 120 which is electrically connected with optical component 106. The further component 120 may be a semiconductor chip, for instance a controller or a driver for controlling or driving the optical component 106. As shown, further component 120 may be embedded in the hermetic package 100, in particular in the base body 102. Alternatively, further component 120 may be mounted on the base body 102, for instance side by side with optical component 106. Further alternatively, further component 120 may be embedded in cap body 124. In yet another alternative further component 120 may be surface mounted on cap body 124, either inside or outside of cavity 112.

[0135] Moreover, a sidewall of the optical component 106 is covered with a thermally-highly conductive coating 122, such as aluminum nitride, in the embodiment of FIG. 27. This further improves heat removal during operation of hermetic package 100.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 27, the optical component 106 is mounted 90 rotated on the base body 102. Consequently, pads 160 of optical component 106 are arranged on a vertical surface of optical component 106, vertically displaced from each other as well as displaced from a mounting surface of base body 102. Bond wires 190 are provided for connecting the pads 160 of optical component 106 with a mounting surface of base body 102. The bond wires 190 thus connect the optical component 106, via vertical through connections 118 extending through base body 102, with further component 120. The optical component 106 shown in FIG. 27 is of the type emitting light through a sidewall (rather than through a top wall), if the main surface corresponding to pads 160 is considered as a bottom main surface of optical component 106. Due to the 90 turning of the optical component 106, it may be ensured that a light-emitting direction (see reference numeral 192) of the optical component 106 is oriented upwardly. In other embodiments, a reflection surface (for instance a reflective mirror, not shown) may be implemented in order to redirect light emitted by optical component 106 or detected by optical component 106 appropriately.

[0137] Beyond this, a portion 194 of a surrounding of the optical component 106, more precisely the part of cap body 124 being different from optically-transparent member 114, may consist of bulk copper, for instance having a thickness d of at least 100 m. By taking this measure, heat removal during operation of the hermetic package 100 may be further improved.

[0138] It should be noted that the term comprising does not exclude other elements or steps and the article a or an does not exclude a plurality. Also, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.

[0139] Implementation of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments shown in the figures and described above. Instead, a multiplicity of variants is possible which use the solutions shown and the principle according to the invention even in the case of fundamentally different embodiments.