3D laser direct writing for advanced photonic integration

The persistent drive for increased bandwidth while simultaneously reducing cost in short range optical communications systems is placing substantial pressure on component manufacturers to increase the level of integration and adopt lower cost assembly processes. Moving to well established processes used widely in the electronics industry such as wafer scale test and assembly, and high speed vision-based alignment is a key step to satisfying this demand. Ultrafast lasers offer a unique tool for the integration of photonic components. This paper shows how they can be used for manufacturing glass-based interconnect components, which are applied to both fiber-fiber and fiber-transceiver applications. The paper shows how these components can be used as optical interfaces or further combined with conventional lithographic processes to help solve challenges in the packaging of photonic components. In addition to this, the paper will also show how these components can be used as an integration platform for optical sub-assemblies and photonic-electronic interposers.