Apparatus and methods for packaging optical communication devices include optical bench structures, such as silicon-optical benches (SiOB). An optical communications apparatus includes an optical bench comprising a substrate having an electrical turning via formed therein. An optoelectronic (OE) chip and integrated circuit (IC) chip are mounted on the optical bench and electrically connected using the electrical turning via. The electrical turning via extends in directions both perpendicular and transverse to a surface of the substrate such that the OE chip and IC chip can be mounted on perpendicular surfaces of the optical bench in close proximity and electrically connected using the electrical turning via. More specifically, the OE chip and IC chip are mounted on the optical bench such that a light-emitting or light-detecting surface of the OE chip is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the IC chip having contacts, and such that optical transmission lines that are mounted parallel to the substrate surface can be directly coupled to the OE chip.

A new method to form a VLSI-photonic heterogeneous system device is achieved. The method comprises providing an optical substrate comprising at least one passive optical component formed therein. An electronic substrate is provided comprising at least one active electronic component formed therein. A plurality of metal pillars are formed through the optical substrate and protruding out a first surface of the optical substrate. A plurality of metal pads are formed on a first surface of the electronic substrate. The optical substrate and the electronic substrate are bonding together by a method further comprising aligning the first surfaces of the optical and electronic substrates such that the protruding metal pillars contact the metal pads. The optical and electronic substrates are then thermally treated such that the metal pillars bond to the metal pads.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical transceiver that installs an optical transmitting assembly and an optical receiving assembly both are compact, inexpensive, and capable of operating at a high speed. The optical transmitting assembly of the present invention provides the metal bottom that installs the thermoelectric cooler thereon and the semiconductor optical device is mounted, via the insulating substrates, on the thermoelectric cooler. The first and second multi-layered ceramic substrates are provided to surround the thermoelectric cooler. The DC signal or the low-frequency signal for the thermoelectric cooler and the semiconductor optical device is supplied through the first ceramic substrate, while the high frequency signal for the semiconductor device, with the complementary signal having the opposite phase to the high frequency signal, is provided to the semiconductor device through the inner layer of the second ceramic substrate and the insulating substrate. The semiconductor light-receiving device, which monitors light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device, is mounted on the top layer of the second ceramic substrate. Thus, the transmission path for the high frequency signal from the drive circuit installed outside of the transmitting assembly to the light-emitting device becomes substantially linear.