{
  "patent_number": "US 10598860",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "A Photonic Chip Package with Edge Fiber Connections",
  "original_title": "Photonic die fan out package with edge fiber coupling interface and related methods",
  "summary": "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.",
  "what_it_does": "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.",
  "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)."
  ],
  "filed": "2018-03-14",
  "granted": "2020-03-24",
  "expires": "2038-03-14",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "GlobalFoundries",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/globalfoundries",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Edmund D. Blackshear",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/edmund-d-blackshear"
    },
    {
      "name": "Koushik Ramachandran",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/koushik-ramachandran"
    },
    {
      "name": "Benjamin V. Fasano",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/benjamin-v-fasano"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 8,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "semiconductors"
  ],
  "abstract": "A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) fan-out package and related methods of forming same are disclosed. The PIC fan-out package includes: an overmold body; a PIC die in the overmold body, the PIC die including electro-optic circuitry; a plurality of optical fiber stubs operatively coupled to the electro-optic circuitry; an edge fiber coupling interface in a lateral side of the overmold body for coupling the plurality of optical fiber stubs to external optical fibers using a connector; an ancillary device in the overmold body; a redistribution wiring layer (RDL) interposer adjacent the overmold body and electrically connected to the PIC die and the ancillary device; and a ball grid array (BGA) electrically coupled to the PIC die and the ancillary device by the RDL interposer, the BGA configured to electrically couple the PIC die and the ancillary device to a printed circuit board (PCB).",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10598860/photonic-die-fan-out-package-with-edge-fiber-coupling-interface-and-related-meth",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10598860/photonic-die-fan-out-package-with-edge-fiber-coupling-interface-and-related-meth/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10598860",
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}