Optical transceiver and optical lens thereof

An optical transceiver includes a substrate, a transceiver module, an optical lens and an adhesive. The transceiver module is disposed on an outer surface of the substrate. The optical lens is disposed on the outer surface for guiding light to the transceiver module. The optical lens defines a contact surface and at least one hole. The contact surface faces the outer surface, and an opening of the hole is located on the contact surface. The adhesive is accommodated into the hole from the opening, and the contact surface of the optical lens is adhered to the outer surface of the substrate by an adhesive.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an optical transceiver, more particularly to an optical transceiver including an optical lens.

BACKGROUND

Optical transceivers are generally installed in electronic communication facilities in modern high-speed communication networks. In order to make flexible the design of an electronic communication facility and less burdensome the maintenance of the same, an optical transceiver is inserted into a corresponding cage that is disposed in the communication facility in a pluggable manner. In order to define the electrical-to-mechanical interface of the optical transceiver and the corresponding cage, different specifications have been provided such as XFP (10 Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable) used in 10 GB/s communication rate and QSFP (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable).

In the optical transceiver, an optical lens is configured for guiding light to active components such as photodiodes. Generally, the optical lens is attached to a substrate where the active components are mounted.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an optical transceiver includes a substrate, a transceiver module, and an optical lens. The transceiver module is disposed on an outer surface of the substrate. The optical lens is disposed on the outer surface for guiding light to the transceiver module. The optical lens has a contact surface facing the outer surface and arranges a hole with an opening of the hole connecting to the contact surface. An adhesive fully or partially fills in the hole to allow for the contact surface of the optical lens to be adhered to the outer surface of the substrate by the adhesive.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an optical lens of an optical transceiver, adhered to a substrate of the optical transceiver by an adhesive for guiding light to a transceiver module of the optical transceiver, includes a contact surface adhered to the substrate and a hole for the adhesive to be fully or partially filled, with an opening of the hole connecting to the contact surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer toFIG. 1AthroughFIG. 1E.FIG. 1Ais a perspective view of an optical transceiver according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 1Bis an exploded view of the optical transceiver inFIG. 1Awithout adhesive.FIG. 1Cis a top view of the optical transceiver inFIG. 1Awithout adhesive.FIG. 1Dis a cross-sectional view of the optical transceiver inFIG. 1Cwith adhesive.FIG. 1Eis a side view of the optical transceiver inFIG. 1D. In this embodiment, an optical transceiver1is disclosed, and the optical transceiver1includes a case10, a substrate20, a transceiver module30, an optical lens40and an adhesive50.

The case10, for example, is made of metal. There is an optical connector disposed on an end of the case10for coupling optical fibers (not shown) to the optical transceiver1. For the purpose of illustration, the case10is omitted inFIG. 1BthroughFIG. 1E.

The substrate20, for example, is a circuit board or a package substrate disposed within the case10. The transceiver module30is disposed on an outer surface211of the substrate20. In this embodiment, the transceiver module30includes multiple electronic components and multiple active components which are physically separated from each other. Each electronic component, for example, could be an IC (integrated circuit) chip. For a pair of two electronic components, one of the two electronic components is a driver IC chip, and the other electronic component is an amplifier IC chip. It is worth noting that the number of the electronic components in the present disclosure is not limited by the above. Each active component, for example, could be a laser diode, a light emitting diode, a P-I-N photodiode or an avalanche photodiode. For a pair of two active components, one of the two active components is a laser diode coupled to the driver IC chip, and the other active component is a P-I-N photodiode coupled to the amplifier IC chip. As with the number of the electronic components, the number of the active components is not limited in view of this paragraph.

The optical lens40is disposed on the outer surface211for guiding light to the active components of the transceiver module30. In detail, the optical lens40includes a reflecting portion410, a covering portion420and two contacting portions430. The reflecting portion410is disposed on the covering portion420. One or more materials of high reflectivity, such as silver or gold, may be coated on a reflecting surface411of the reflecting portion410. When the light traveling in the optical transceiver1is incident on the reflecting surface411, the light is reflected by the reflecting surface411and directed to the transceiver module30(e.g., the P-I-N photodiode). Also, when another light is emitted from the transceiver module30(e.g., the laser diode), such light is reflected by the reflecting surface411and guided to the optical fibers.

The covering portion420defines a bottom surface421and a lateral surface422. The bottom surface421faces the outer surface211of the substrate20, and the bottom surface421is spaced apart from the outer surface211. A gap space G may exist between the bottom surface421and the outer surface211. The transceiver module30is disposed in the gap space G, so that the transceiver module30could be underlying the covering portion420. Furthermore, the covering portion420further defines a groove423located on the lateral surface422, and a ferrule2may be accommodated within the groove423so as to couple the optical fibers, such as a fiber pigtail, to the transceiver module30.

The two contacting portions430are disposed on the covering portion420. The covering portion420and the contacting portions430are integral with each other in this embodiment, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In detail, each of the two contacting portions430protrudes from the lateral surface422along an extending direction A1or A2. In this embodiment, both the extending directions A1and A2is orthogonal to the normal direction N of the outer surface211of the substrate20. Each contacting portion430may define a top surface431, a contact surface432and a plurality of holes433. The contact surface432faces the outer surface211of the substrate20. Each hole433may extend through the contacting portion430of the optical lens40, and two ends of the hole433are respectively located on the top surface431and the contact surface432. The hole433may have an opening4331connecting to the contact surface432.

The adhesive50, for example, is epoxy resin, UV glue or instant glue. The adhesive50may be flown into each hole433from the opening4331, so that the contact surface432of the optical lens40could be adhered to the outer surface211of the substrate20. In this embodiment, a method for attaching the optical lens40to the substrate20includes two steps. The adhesive50is firstly spread on the outer surface211of the substrate20. Then, the optical lens40is attached to the outer surface211with the contact surface432at a region where the adhesive50is located. Due to capillary action, some adhesive50flows into the holes433through the openings4331. The surface tension between the adhesive50and the inner wall of each hole433may serve to maintain the adhesive50in the holes433.

In order to enhance the capability of shear strength for the optical lens40, increasing the number of the holes433may be one feasible option. According to the present disclosure, when extra holes433on the contacting portion430of the optical lens40are placed, the adhesive50in sufficient amount of volume could partially or fully fills into some or even all of the holes433, which may result in enhanced contact between the optical lens40and the substrate20.

In this embodiment, each hole433extends through the contacting portion430of the optical lens40, and two ends of the hole433respectively connect to the top surface431and the contact surface432. Therefore, when the adhesive50flows into the holes433, the air in the hole433may be evacuated through the end of the hole433on the top surface431, allowing for the adhesive50to reach to certain height or even occupy the entire opening4331of the hole433.

Size of the hole433may help enhancing the contact between the optical lens40and the substrate20. As shown inFIG. 1D, the diameter D of each hole433may range from 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 2.0 mm. The diameter D is 1.2 mm in this embodiment. When the diameter D is less than 0.5 mm, the adhesive50, with higher viscosity, is difficult to flow into the hole433. When the diameter D is greater than 2.0 mm, the capillary action is overly weak such that the adhesive50may not reach to the certain height of the opening4331.

Moreover, as shown inFIG. 1C, in this embodiment, there is a distance S between the contacting portion430of the optical lens40and an edge212of the substrate20. Therefore, a region on the substrate20for placement of electronic components and printed circuits may be provided.

Further, in this embodiment, both the covering portion420and the contacting portion430of the optical lens40are made of light penetrable material. In some embodiments, the optical lens40is made of light penetrable material.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of an optical transceiver according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

In this embodiment, an optical transceiver1ais disclosed, and the optical transceiver1aincludes an optical lens40a. The optical lens40aincludes only one contacting portion430, and the contacting portion430protrudes from the lateral surface422of the covering portion420along the extending direction A. Other configuration of the optical transceiver1amay be similar to its counterpart inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3is a perspective view of an optical transceiver according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

In this embodiment, an optical transceiver1bis disclosed, and the optical transceiver1bincludes an optical lens40b. Each contacting portion430of the optical lens40bmay include a plurality of holes433a. The holes433amay not necessarily extend through the contacting portion430. In other words, an opening end of each hole433amay connect to the contact surface432, without any opening formed on the top surface431. That is, the depth of each hole433ais smaller than the thickness of the contacting portion430from the top surface431to the contact surface432.

The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present disclosure and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present disclosure and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use being contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the following claims and their equivalents.