Multilayer ceramic laser package

Claim 2

A package for semiconductor optical communication devices comprising an electrically nonconductive housing having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave transmission line for providing a connection between a high bit rate input signal source and said semiconductor optical communication devices.

Claim 3

A package for optical devices as defined in claim 1 wherein the multilayer microwave transmission line is a microstrip transmission line.

Claim 4

A package as defined in claim 1 wherein the housing further includes a plurality of electrical conductors for providing means of connecting external components to the optical devices and additional monitoring devices located within said package.

Claim 5

A package as defined in claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein said package further comprises a bottom support plate disposed in contact with the bottom of the housing, said bottom plate being of a material with a relatively low thermal impedance to provide a heat sink for said package; and a top sealing plate disposed in contact with the top of said housing, said top plate being of conductive material and connected to said bottom support plate through said housing to provide an electrical ground for said package.

Claim 6

A package as defined in claim 2 wherein the electrically nonconductive housing includes a plurality of separate layers of nonconductive material, each layer being defined as having a top and a bottom major surface, the microstrip input connection being formed by a specific layer from said plurality of layers which comprises a predetermined thickness d and is metallized along a predetermined portion of its bottom major surface to form a ground plane and includes a metal deposit of a predetermined width w on its top major surface to form a conductor.

Claim 7

A package as defined in claim 5 wherein the plurality of separate layers comprises a first electrically nonconductive layer (16) of a predetermined thickness (H) and having a central cavity region; a second electrically nonconductive layer (18) disposed on top of said first layer and having a central cavity region, said second layer including a sidewall opening of a predetermined width; a third electrically nonconductive layer (20) disposed on top of said second layer, said third layer having a central cavity region and including a sidewall opening of said predetermined width, said sidewall opening coinciding with the sidewall opening in said second layer, said third layer being of a predetermined thickness (d) required for providing the microstrip transmission line connection of a predetermined characteristics impedance, the third layer being defined as the specific layer which includes the bottom ground plane and top metal conductor, the width w of said metal conductor being of a value to provide said predetermined characteristic impedance; a fourth electrically nonconductive layer (22) disposed on top of said third layer and having a central cavity region, said fourth layer including a sidewall opening of said predetermined width aligned with said sidewall openings in said second and third layers, said fourth layer comprising a predetermined height (S) such that the combined heights of said second, third, and fourth layers are equal to a predetermined height D required for the optical communication fiber opening; and a fifth electrically nonconductive layer (24) disposed on top of said fourth layer and having a central cavity region, said fifth layer comprising a sufficient height so that said housing comprises a predetermined height.

Claim 8

A package for optical devices as defined in claim 6 wherein the second electrically nonconductive layer is metallized along a portion of the top surface thereof so as to contact the bottom ground plane of the third layer when said third layer is disposed in contact with said second layer.

Claim 9

A package for optical devices as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrically nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 10

A package for optical devices as defined in claim 8, wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 11

A hermetic package for semiconductor optical communication devices comprising an electrically nonconductive housing having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave transmission line for providing a connection between a high bit rate input signal source and said semiconductor optical communication devices, wherein the material forming said electrically nonconductive housing is capable of providing a hermetic seal when sintered at an elevated temperature.

Claim 12

A hermetic package for semiconductor optical communication devices comprising an electrically nonconductive housing having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave transmission line for providing a connection between a high bit rate input signal source and said semiconductor optical communication devices, wherein the material forming said electrically nonconductive housing is capable of providing a hermetic seal when sintered at an elevated temperature.

Claim 13

A hermetic package for optical devices as defined in claim 10 wherein the multilayer microwave transmission line is a microstrip transmission line.

Claim 14

A hermetic package for optical devices as defined in claim 10 wherein the package further comprises a plurality of electrical conductors for providing means of connecting external components to the optical devices and additional monitoring devices located within said package.

Claim 15

A hermetic package for optical devices as defined in claims 10, 11 or 12 wherein the package further comprises a bottom support plate disposed in contact with the bottom of the housing, said bottom support plate being of a material with a relatively low thermal impedance to provide a heat sink for said hermetic package; and a top sealing plate disposed in contact with the top of said housing, said top plate being of conductive material and connected through said housing to provide an electrical ground for said package, said bottom support plate and said top sealing plate comprising materials which when brazed are capable of forming a hermetic seal with said housing.

Claim 16

A hermetic package as defined in claim 13 wherein the bottom support layer comprises beryllia and the top sealing layer comprises a combination of iron, nickel and cobalt.

Claim 17

A hermetic package as defined in claim 13 wherein the bottom support layer comprises a combination of tungsten and copper and the top sealing layer comprises a combination of iron, nickel and cobalt.

Claim 18

A hermetic package as defined in claim 13 wherein the housing comprises a ceramic material.

Claim 19

A hermetic package as defined in claim 16 wherein the ceramic material is aluminum oxide.

Claim 20

A multilayer package for semiconductor optical communication devices comprising a plurality of separate layers of ceramic material disposed in a stacked configuration to define a multilayer ceramic housing having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including an internal cavity region for mounting the semiconductor optical communication devices; a bottom thermally conductive layer disposed underneath and in contact with said multilayer ceramic housing; a top ground plane layer disposed on top of and in contact with said multilayer ceramic housing; and a multilayer microwave transmission path disposed through a portion of said multilayer ceramic housing with a first terminal connection external said housing and a second terminal connection in the internal cavity region of said housing, said first terminal for connection to an external power supply and said second terminal for connection to a semiconductor optical communication device mounted in said internal cavity, wherein said multilayer microwave transmission path provides a microwave transmission connection between said external power supply and said optical device.

Claim 21

A multilayer package for semiconductor optical communication devices comprising a plurality of separate layers of ceramic material disposed in a stacked configuration to define a multilayer ceramic housing having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including an internal cavity region for mounting the semiconductor optical communication devices; a bottom thermally conductive layer disposed underneath and in contact with said multilayer ceramic housing; a top ground plane layer disposed on top of and in contact with said multilayer ceramic housing; and a multilayer microwave transmission path disposed through a portion of said multilayer ceramic housing with a first terminal connection external said housing and a second terminal connection in the internal cavity region of said housing, said first terminal for connection to an external power supply and said second terminal for connection to a semiconductor optical communication device mounted in said internal cavity, wherein said multilayer microwave transmission path provides a microwave transmission connection between said external power supply and said optical device.

Claim 22

A multilayer package as defined in claim 18 wherein the multilayer microwave transmission path comprises a microstrip transmission path.

Claim 23

A multilayer package as defined in claim 19 wherein the microstrip transmission path comprises a first ceramic layer of the plurality of ceramic layers defining the multilayer ceramic housing, said first ceramic layer having a predetermined permittivity ε r and a predetermined permeability μ r and comprised to have a predetermined thickness d a ground plane metal layer formed on a portion of a bottom major surface of said first ceramic layer; and a top metal conductor formed on a portion of the top major surface of said first ceramic layer so as to be longitudinally coextensive with a portion of said ground plane metal layer, said top metal conductor comprising a predetermined width w, wherein the impedance of the microstrip transmission path is approximately equal to the quantity (μ/ε) 1/2 (d/w).

Claim 24

An optical transmitter including a semiconductor optical transmitting device and means for driving said semiconductor optical transmitting device, both said semiconductor optical transmitting device and said driving means being housed in an electrically nonconductive package having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave connection between said driving means and said semiconductor optical transmitting device.

Claim 25

An optical transmitter including a semiconductor optical transmitting device and means for driving said semiconductor optical transmitting device, both said semiconductor optical transmitting device and said driving means being housed in an electrically nonconductive package having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave connection between said driving means and said semiconductor optical transmitting device.

Claim 26

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 21 wherein the electrically nonconductive package comprises a ceramic.

Claim 27

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 22 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 28

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 21 wherein the multilayer microwave connection comprises a microstrip connected between the driving means and the optical transmitting device.

Claim 29

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 24 wherein the microstrip comprises a layer of nonconductive material of a predetermined thickness d and having a relative permittivity ε r and a relative permeability μ r ; a first metal layer disposed underneath said nonconductive layer to form the ground plane for said microstrip; and a second metal layer of a predetermined width w disposed on top of said nonconductive layer, wherein the impedance of said microstrip is approximately equal to the quantity (μ r /ε r ) 1/2 (d/w).

Claim 30

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 25 wherein the electrically nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 31

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 26 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 32

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 25 wherein the layer of nonconductive material comprises an indented portion of one layer of the multilayer package.

Claim 33

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 28 wherein the nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 34

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 29 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 35

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 25 wherein the layer of nonconductive material comprises a separate piece of nonconductive material which is affixed to an internal region of the electrically nonconductive package.

Claim 36

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 31 wherein the nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 37

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 32 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 38

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 21 wherein the multilayer microwave connection further includes impedance matching means.

Claim 39

An optical transmitter including a semiconductor optical transmitting device and means for driving said semiconductor optical transmitting device, both said semiconductor optical transmitting device and said driving means being housed in an electrically nonconductive hermetic package having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave connection between said semiconductor optical transmitting device and said driving means, wherein the material forming the electrically nonconductive package is capable of providing a hermetic seal when sintered at an elevated temperature.

Claim 40

An optical transmitter including a semiconductor optical transmitting device and means for driving said semiconductor optical transmitting device, both said semiconductor optical transmitting device and said driving means being housed in an electrically nonconductive hermetic package having an opening for allowing insertion of an optical transmission fiber and including a multilayer microwave connection between said semiconductor optical transmitting device and said driving means, wherein the material forming the electrically nonconductive package is capable of providing a hermetic seal when sintered at an elevated temperature.

Claim 41

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 35 wherein the electrically nonconductive package comprises a ceramic.

Claim 42

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 36 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 43

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 35 wherein the multilayer microwave connection comprises a microstrip connected between the driving means and the optical transmitting device.

Claim 44

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 38 wherein the microstrip signal path comprises a layer of nonconductive material of a predetermined thickness d and having a relative permittivity ε r and a relative permeability μ r ; a first metal layer disposed underneath said nonconductive layer to form the ground plane for said microstrip; and a second metal layer of a predetermined width w disposed on top of said nonconductive layer, wherein the impedance of said microstrip is approximately equal to the quantity (μ r /ε r ) 1/2 (d/w).

Claim 45

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 39 wherein the electrically nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 46

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 40 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 47

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 39 wherein the layer of nonconductive material comprises an idented portion of one layer of the multilayer package.

Claim 48

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 42 wherein the nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 49

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 43 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 50

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 39 wherein the layer of nonconductive material comprises a separate piece of nonconductive material which is affixed to an internal region of the electrically nonconductive package.

Claim 51

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 45 wherein the nonconductive material is a ceramic.

Claim 52

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 46 wherein the ceramic is aluminum oxide.

Claim 53

An optical transmitter as defined in claim 35 wherein the multilayer microwave connection further includes impedance matching means.