A Photonic Chip Package with Edge Fiber Connections
This patent describes a compact package for a photonic chip that integrates electrical components and short optical fibers, allowing direct connection to external optical cables from the side.
Original patent title: “Photonic die fan out package with edge fiber coupling interface and related methods”
This patent describes a compact package for a photonic chip that integrates electrical components and short optical fibers, allowing direct connection to external optical cables from the side. Granted to GlobalFoundries in 2020 with 22 claims and 8 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2038.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a special package for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), which is a chip that uses light. The package includes an `overmold body` that protects the main `PIC die` and other `ancillary devices` like amplifiers. Inside, short `optical fiber stubs` are connected to the PIC die's `optical waveguide system` (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). These stubs extend to the side of the package, forming an `edge fiber coupling interface` (Claim 1). This interface allows external optical fibers to connect using a `connector`, either by having the stubs `protrude` (Claim 2) or be `flush` (Claim 4) with the package's side. Electrical connections for the PIC die and ancillary devices are handled by a `redistribution wiring layer (RDL) interposer` and a `ball grid array (BGA)` for attaching to a circuit board (Claim 1). For example, this package could allow a high-speed data center switch to easily plug into fiber optic cables directly from the side of its chip module.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover packages where optical fibers connect from the top or bottom surfaces, only the 'lateral side' (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover packages without an 'overmold body' protecting the components (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover packages that lack both a 'redistribution wiring layer (RDL) interposer' and a 'ball grid array (BGA)' for electrical connections (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover packages where the optical fiber stubs are not 'operatively coupled to the optical waveguide system' of the PIC die (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover packages that do not include an 'ancillary device' alongside the PIC die (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in integrating the optical fiber stubs, the photonic chip, electrical ancillary devices, and electrical connections (RDL and BGA) into a single overmolded package with a specific `edge fiber coupling interface`. This design allows for direct, robust, and compact optical connections from the side of the package, simplifying manufacturing and system integration.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Optical transceivers for data centers
High-speed network interface cards
Fiber-optic communication modules
Photonic sensor packages
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This packaging method is important for making photonic chips more practical and easier to integrate into electronic systems. By combining optical and electrical components in one compact package with a standardized edge connection, it simplifies assembly and improves reliability for high-speed data transfer. This approach helps reduce the physical size and cost of optical transceivers, which are critical for modern data centers and telecommunications networks.
Filed
March 14, 2018
Granted
March 24, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
GlobalFoundries, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a major semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced chips, including photonic integrated circuits. Other companies involved in high-speed optical transceivers and integrated photonics, such as Intel, Broadcom, and Cisco, are actively developing and manufacturing similar packaging solutions for data center and telecom applications.
Market impact
This type of packaging innovation has enabled the development of more compact and power-efficient optical transceivers, which are crucial for the exponential growth of data traffic in cloud computing and 5G networks. It helps reduce manufacturing complexity and cost, making high-speed optical interconnects more accessible and widespread, thereby accelerating the transition from electrical to optical data transmission in various applications.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a special package for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), which is a chip that uses light. The package includes an `overmold body` that protects the main `PIC die` and other `ancillary devices` like amplifiers. Inside, short `optical fiber stubs` are connected to the PIC die's `optical waveguide system` (Claim 1). These stubs extend to the side of the package, forming an `edge fiber coupling interface` (Claim 1). This interface allows external optical fibers to connect using a `connector`, either by having the stubs `protrude` (Claim 2) or be `flush` (Claim 4) with the package's side. Electrical connections for the PIC die and ancillary devices are handled by a `redistribution wiring layer (RDL) interposer` and a `ball grid array (BGA)` for attaching to a circuit board (Claim 1). For example, this package could allow a high-speed data center switch to easily plug into fiber optic cables directly from the side of its chip module.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in integrating the optical fiber stubs, the photonic chip, electrical ancillary devices, and electrical connections (RDL and BGA) into a single overmolded package with a specific `edge fiber coupling interface`. This design allows for direct, robust, and compact optical connections from the side of the package, simplifying manufacturing and system integration.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover packages where optical fibers connect from the top or bottom surfaces, only the 'lateral side' (Claim 1).
- Does not cover packages without an 'overmold body' protecting the components (Claim 1).
- Does not cover packages that lack both a 'redistribution wiring layer (RDL) interposer' and a 'ball grid array (BGA)' for electrical connections (Claim 1).
- Does not cover packages where the optical fiber stubs are not 'operatively coupled to the optical waveguide system' of the PIC die (Claim 1).
- Does not cover packages that do not include an 'ancillary device' alongside the PIC die (Claim 1).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
19/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$117K – $374K
Midpoint $234K · 11.4 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Blackshear, E. D., Ramachandran, K., & Fasano, B. V. (2020). A Photonic Chip Package with Edge Fiber Connections (U.S. Patent No. 10,598,860). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10598860/photonic-die-fan-out-package-with-edge-fiber-coupling-interface-and-related-meth
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does A Photonic Chip Package with Edge Fiber Connections cover?
This patent describes a compact package for a photonic chip that integrates electrical components and short optical fibers, allowing direct connection to external optical cables from the side.
Who owns patent US 10598860?
GlobalFoundries owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 14, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10598860 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 8 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This packaging method is important for making photonic chips more practical and easier to integrate into electronic systems. By combining optical and electrical components in one compact package with a standardized edge connection, it simplifies assembly and improves reliability for high-speed data transfer. This approach helps reduce the physical size and cost of optical transceivers, which are critical for modern data centers and telecommunications networks.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover packages where optical fibers connect from the top or bottom surfaces, only the 'lateral side' (Claim 1).
Patent monitoring