Fiber-alignment shifts in butterfly laser packaging by laser-welding technique: Measurement and finite-element method analysis

Abstract

The post-weld shift (PWS)-induced fiber-alignment shifts of fiber-ferrule clip (FFC) joints in butterfly laser packaging by using laser-welding techniques and a high-magnification, video-probe camera system were studied experimentally and numerically. The measured results show that the fiber shifts of FFC joints with a 5-μm gap between the clip and ferrule exhibited shifts less than that without a gap. This suggests that the 5-μm gap design may be more suitable for FFC joints in laser packaging. The experimental measurements of fiber shifts in FFC joints were in reasonable agreement with the numerical calculations of the finite-element method (FEM) analysis. The major fiber-shift formation mechanisms of FFC joints in the laser-welding process may come from the mismatch of the thermal expansion coefficient, the solidification shrinkage, and the residual stresses within the FFC joint, but solidification shrinkage is the dominant cause. This study demonstrates that the FEM is an effective method for predicting PWS-induced fiber-alignment shifts in laser-module packaging.