14 - Requirements for process automation of optical interconnect technologies

Abstract

It is the opinion of the authors that not much has happened in the development of PIC packaging in the intervening years from the previous “photonics bubble” that burst in 2003 and the return of photonics in 2013, though a lot of progress has occurred at wafer level, from optical design tools to the exploitation of existing semiconductor foundry production processes. Yet packaging/micro-assembly accounts for a substantial part of the final cost of a complete device with a staggering figure of up to 80%, which compares unfavorably with the packaging cost of conventional semiconductor chips, where this figure is as low as 10–12%. The reason is clearly related to the inherent complexity of the process, which requires an array of well integrated technologies. This chapter attempts to give a short overview on how the packaging process can be automated, leading to a substantial cost reduction, as well as an increase of overall yield. Automated testing is also addressed.