Low-cost, multi-GHz electrical packaging for serial optoelectronic links utilizing vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

Recent advances in semiconductor laser technology, specifically the emergence of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), have created room for substantial improvements in the performance of low-cost, fiber-optic links. However, traditional electronic packaging of the VCSELs and detectors severely limits the performance of these new devices. In two previous papers from this laboratory [1996, 1997], traditional laser packages were described, modeled, measured and evaluated. Further, a new improved conceptual package, referred to as the optical package for advanced lasers (OPAL), was presented, as were a set of design guidelines for a new generation of packages for VCSELs and detectors. This paper, describing a continuation of the previous work, discusses the design, modeling, fabrication, and demonstration of OPALs in a laboratory environment. Measured results recorded from VCSELs packaged in OPALs operating to 5 Gbit/s data rates are presented.