1. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components comprising a step of producing an active layer on a substrate base, particularly by epitaxy, and a step of individualizing said components by forming trenches, particularly by etching, in the active layer, said individualization step leading to reveal at least the substrate base, further comprising the steps of:
depositing a layer of finctional material on the active layer;
depositing a resin photosensitive to a preset radiation on the layer of functional material in such a way as to fill said trenches and to form a thin film on the upper face of the electronic components;
at least partially exposing the resin to said radiation while underexposing the portion of resin filling the trenches;
developing the resin in such a way as to remove the properly exposed portion thereof;
removing the functional material layer portion that shows through following the development step; and
removing the portion of residual resin.
2. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 1, wherein the functional material is resilient andor conductive andor opaque.
3. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exposure step comprises a step of applying a photolithography mask to the surface of the resin.
4. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 3, wherein the photolithography mask comprises portions covering the trenches.
5. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exposure step comprises a step of selecting a depth of field of the preset radiation, smaller than the depth of the trenches and larger than the thickness of the resin film covering the upper face of the electronic components.
6. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of producing the active layer is followed by a step of depositing andor implanting on the free surface of said active layer finctional elements characteristic of said components.
7. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of depositing andor implanting functional elements comprises a step of depositing andor implanting an electrode andor a metallization layer allowing each component to be hybridized.
8. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 6, wherein the active layer is a semi-conductor layer of a first type, and in that the step of depositing andor implanting functional elements comprises a step of forming a semi-conductor area of a second type for each component in the free surface of the active layer.
9. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of individualizing said components by forming trenches comprises, or is followed by, a step of forming a semi-conductor area of the second type in at least one lateral face of each component.
10. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of forming semi-conductor areas of the second type in said lateral edges is implemented by doping, particularly of the \u201cloophole\u201d type.
11. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 8 where the exposure step comprises a step of applying a photolithography mask to the surface of the resin, wherein the functional material is metal, and the photolithography mask is selected in such a way as to form a metal layer on the surface of the semi-conductor areas of the second type formed on the free surface of the active layer.
12. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 11, wherein it comprises a step of producing a conductive bump contact on the surface of each of said metal layers.
13. Method for producing a matrix of individual electronic components as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises, consequent upon the development step, a step of hybridizing the matrix on a substrate.
14. Matrix of at least two electronic components individualized in an active layer by means of through trenches formed therein, wherein it comprises, for each pair of adjacent electronic components, at least one element connected to said components, at least partially covering the trench separating said components, and comprising at least one point of contact with each of the lateral walls defining said trench.
15. Matrix as claimed in claim 14, wherein each component has the overall shape of a regular polygon, particularly a rectangle-based parallelepiped shape.
16. Matrix as claimed in claim 14, wherein said element is opaque.
17. Matrix as claimed in claim 14, wherein said element has sufficient resilience to maintain the integrity of the electrical connection with an adjacent component despite a relative displacement between components.
18. Matrix as claimed in claim 14, wherein said element is conductive.
19. Matrix as claimed in claim 18, wherein said element is filiform.
20. Matrix as claimed in claim 18, wherein said element is surface-based.
21. Matrix as claimed in claim 18, wherein said element is in contact with an electrical contact pickup.
22. Matrix as claimed in claim 21, wherein said contact pickup is formed on one of the lateral faces of the component under consideration.
23. Matrix as claimed in claim 21, wherein said contact pickup is formed on one of the transverse faces of the component under consideration.
24. Matrix as claimed in claim 17, wherein said element is constituted of several layers, including an electrical conduction layer and a cohesion layer intended to allow assembly on the contact pickup.
25. Matrix as claimed in claim 24, wherein the external layer is constituted of a material selected from the group comprising titanium (Ti), chrome (Cr) and an alloy (TiW) of titanium and tungsten, and in that the conduction layer is constituted of a material selected from the group comprising platinum, gold, aluminium, copper or an alloy of copper and beryllium.
26. Matrix as claimed in claim 18, wherein said element is common to all or part of said components and forms a continuous line or grid.
27. Matrix as claimed in claim 18, wherein each electronic component is a bipolar transistor, whereof at least one semi-conductor area is formed in one of the lateral faces thereof and is in contact with said element.
28. Method for producing an electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components added to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
producing an active layer by epitaxy on a sacrificial stratum;
depositing andor implanting on the free surface of said active layer functional elements characteristic of said components, such as an electrode, particularly an anode, andor a metallization layer allowing each component to be hybridized;
etching trenches in rows andor columns in said active layer at least until said stratum emerges, in such a way as to individualize said components within a matrix;
producing an electrically conductive bump contact on at least one of the free faces of each component so individualized, in such a way as to form contact pickups;
producing by deposition at least one electrically conductive film extending over said trenches in such a way as to connect at least in twos said contact pickups of adjacent components, said film being of a set thickness in order to give it sufficient resilience to maintain the electrical connection despite a relative displacement between components;
hybridizing the components on the substrate;
selectively thinning down the faces of each component located facing said substrate, in such a way as to leave all or part of said functional elements in projection;
removing said stratum by mechanical machining or chemical attack, in such a way as to reveal the electrically conductive film,
said steps of producing the active layer, etching trenches and depositing the at least one film being in accordance with claim 1.
29. Method for producing an electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components as claimed in claim 28, wherein the deposition step comprises:
depositing a layer of electrically insulating material covering the whole surface of said active layer, namely that of the trench and that of said components;
piercing said layer of electrically insulating material by photolithography followed by an etching operation performed at the bottom and over all or part of the edges of said trench;
depositing said electrically conductive film on all or part of the free surface of said components and said trenches;
locally removing said electrically conductive film by etching the surfaces of said components.
30. Method for producing an electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components as claimed in claim 28, wherein the conductor is constituted of several layers, including an electrical conduction layer and a cohesion layer intended to allow assembly on the contact pickup and in that the removal step is carried out using a plasma selected in such a way as to be inert at least as regards said conduction layer.
31. Electronic device comprising a plurality of electronic components added to a substrate, each component being mechanically connected to said substrate by means of a link element, wherein each component is additionally electrically connected to at least one adjacent component by means of a part forming a conductor, and wherein the components and associated conductors thereof form a matrix in accordance with claim 14.
32. Electronic device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said contact pickup is formed on the component face opposite the component face that is applied onto said substrate.
33. Electronic device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said contact pickup is formed on the component face that is applied onto said substrate.
34. Electronic device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the component is a transistor or a diode.
35. Detector of electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, infrared rays or visible light, wherein it comprises a device as claimed in claim 31, and wherein each component comprises a material able to interact with the radiation under consideration.
36. Emitter of electromagnetic radiation, such as laser beams, wherein it comprises a device as claimed in claim 31, and wherein each component is constituted by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser emitter (VCSEL) or a light-emitting diode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A bidirectional optical semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a substrate embedding an optical waveguide, through which output light and input light are propagated;
a semiconductor light-emitting device for emitting the output light toward one end of the optical waveguide;
an optical branching filter, provided in the optical waveguide, for transmitting at least part of the output light and guiding at least part of the input light to the outside of the optical waveguide;
a semiconductor light-receiving device, provided over the substrate, for receiving the input light guided by the optical branching filter to the outside of the optical waveguide; and
a light-blocking member, formed on the surface of the substrate, for blocking the light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light-blocking member is a plastic film, a metal layer or a thin-film dielectric filter.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of quartz glass, silicon crystals or polymers.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical branching filter is an optical element provided to intersect with the optical waveguide.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide is a core of an optical fiber embedded in a groove formed in the substrate.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the optical fiber is fixed by a fixing member to the substrate and embedded in the groove, and
wherein a refractive index of the fixing member is smaller than a refractive index of a cladding of the optical fiber.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is smaller than a refractive index of a clad-ding of the optical fiber.
8. A bidirectional optical semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a substrate embedding an optical waveguide, through which output light and input light are propagated;
a semiconductor light-emitting device for emitting the output light toward one end of the optical waveguide;
an optical branching filter, provided in the optical waveguide, for transmitting at least part of the output light and guiding at least part of the input light to the outside of the optical waveguide;
a semiconductor light-receiving device, provided over the substrate, for receiving the input light guided by the optical branching filter to the outside of the optical waveguide; and
a highly reflective layer, provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to the semiconductor light-receiving de-vice, for reflecting the light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device in a direction departing from the semi-conductor light-receiving device at a high reflectivity.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the substrate is made of quartz glass, silicon crystals or polymers.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical branching filter is an optical element provided to intersect with the optical waveguide.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical waveguide is a core of an optical fiber embedded in a groove formed in the substrate.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the optical fiber is fixed by a fixing member to the substrate and embedded in the groove, and
wherein a refractive index of the fixing member is smaller than a refractive index of a cladding of the optical fiber.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is smaller than a refractive index of a clad-ding of the optical fiber.
14. A bidirectional optical semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a substrate embedding an optical waveguide, through which output light and input light are propagated;
a semiconductor light-emitting device for emitting the output light toward one end of the optical waveguide;
an optical branching filter, provided in the optical waveguide, for transmitting at least part of the output light and guiding at least part of the input light to the outside of the optical waveguide;
a semiconductor light-receiving device, provided over the substrate, for receiving the input light guided by the optical branching filter to the outside of the optical waveguide; and
a light-absorbing member, provided over part of the substrate other than the optical waveguide, for absorbing the light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the substrate is made of quartz glass, silicon crystals or polymers.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical branching filter is an optical element provided to intersect with the optical waveguide.
17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical waveguide is a core of an optical fiber embedded in a groove formed in the substrate.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the optical fiber is fixed by a fixing member to the substrate and embedded in the groove, and
wherein a refractive index of the fixing member is smaller than a refractive index of a cladding of the optical fiber.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is smaller than a refractive index of a clad-ding of the optical fiber.
20. A bidirectional optical semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a substrate embedding an optical waveguide, through which output light and input light are propagated;
a semiconductor light-emitting device for emitting the output light toward one end of the optical waveguide;
an optical branching filter, provided in the optical waveguide, for transmitting at least part of the output light and guiding at least part of the input light to the outside of the optical waveguide;
a semiconductor light-receiving device, provided over the substrate, for receiving the input light guided by the optical branching filter to the outside of the optical waveguide; and
an optical element, provided over part of the substrate other than the optical waveguide, for absorbing the light, emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device and deviated from the optical waveguide, or for reflecting the light in a direction departing from the semiconductor light-receiving device.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the substrate is made of quartz glass, silicon crystals or polymers.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the optical branching filter is an optical element provided to intersect with the optical waveguide.
23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the optical waveguide is a core of an optical fiber embedded in a groove formed in the substrate.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the optical fiber is fixed by a fixing member to the substrate and embedded in the groove, and
wherein a refractive index of the fixing member is smaller than a refractive index of a cladding of the optical fiber.
25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is smaller than a refractive index of a clad-ding of the optical fiber.
26. A bidirectional optical semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a substrate embedding an optical waveguide, through which output light and input light are propagated;
a semiconductor light-emitting device for emitting the output light toward one end of the optical waveguide;
an optical branching filter, provided in the optical waveguide, for transmitting at least part of the output light and guiding at least part of the input light to the outside of the optical waveguide;
a semiconductor light-receiving device, provided over the substrate, for receiving the input light guided by the optical branching filter to the outside of the optical waveguide;
a package for housing the substrate, the semiconductor light-emitting device, the optical branching filter and the semiconductor light-receiving device; and
a light-absorbing film, formed on an inner wall surface of the package, for absorbing the light emitted from the semi-conductor light-emitting device.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the substrate is made of quartz glass, silicon crystals or polymers.
28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the optical branching filter is an optical element provided to intersect with the optical waveguide.
29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the optical waveguide is a core of an optical fiber embedded in a groove formed in the substrate.
30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the optical fiber is fixed by a fixing member to the substrate and embedded in the groove, and
wherein a refractive index of the fixing member is smaller than a refractive index of a cladding of the optical fiber.
31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein a refractive index of the substrate is smaller than a refractive index of a cladding of the optical fiber.