The fiber alignment shifts induced by the post-weld-shift (PWS) in laser-welded TO(Transistor outline)-Can type laser module packages is studied experimentally and numerically. The PWS induced fiber alignment shifts were quantitatively determined by four geometrical parameters: the lateral shift(r), the position angle(£\), the tilt angle(£Z), and the swing angle(£c). The measured coupling powers in laser module packages before welding, after welding, and after a compensation clearly confirmed with the measured fiber alignment shifts determined by the dominant parameters of the r and £\ that the fiber shifts due to the PWS could be realigned back closer to their original optimum position after applying a welding compensation, and hence the coupling powers loss due to the PWS could be regained. The measured coupling efficiency after laser welding was from 68% to 95%, and the overall coupling efficiency after the PWS compensation was from 77% to 97%. The increased coupling efficiency after this PWS compensation was from 2% to16%. A coupled thermal-elasto-plasticity model of finite-element method (FEM) analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of PWS on fiber alignment shifts in laser module packages. The measured fiber alignment shifts determined by the dominant parameters of the r and £\ were in good agreement with the numerical calculation of the FEM analysis. In this study, the combination of the experimental and numerical results have significantly provided a practical design guideline for fabricating reliable laser-welded TO-Can type laser module packages with a high yield and high performance for use in low-cost lightwave transmission systems. A novel measurement and compensation technique employing a high-magnification camera with image capturing system (HMCICS) to probe the post-weld-shift (PWS) induced fiber alignment shifts in high-performance butterfly-type laser module packages is investigated. The results show that the direction and magnitude of the fiber alignment shifts induced by the PWS in laser-welded butterfly-type laser module packaging can be quantitatively determined and then compensated. The measured coupling powers in laser module packages after welding and compensation clearly confirmed the measured fiber alignment shifts determined by the translational and rotational parameters that the fiber shifts due to the PWS could be realigned back closer to their original optimum position after applying a welding compensation, and hence the coupling powers loss due to the PWS could be regained. The measured coupling efficiency after laser welding was from 63% to 79%, and the overall coupling efficiency after the PWS compensation was from 69% to 89%. The increased coupling efficiency after this PWS compensation was from 3% to 10%. In comparison with previous studies of the PWS compensation by a qualitatively estimated technique in butterfly-type laser module packages, this novel HMCICS technique has significantly provided an important tool for quantitative measurement and compensation to the effect of the PWS on the fiber alignment shifts in laser module packages. Therefore, the reliable butterfly-type laser modules with a high yield and a high performance used in lightwave transmission systems can be developed and fabricated.

Aligning and fixing the fiber and laser device is an important work in butterfly laser module packaging. Assembling these two component by laser welding is to achieve reliable and stable weld joint. However, during the welding process, rapid solidification of the welded region and the associated material shrinkage causes the fiber position moved. The relative movement between fiber and laser is called post-weld-shift(PWS). A few micrometers PWS makes coupled power lost. Therefore, minimizing the PWS between fiber and laser is a key research topic in butterfly laser module packaging. We can correct the PWS minimal by fiber shift inspect. But it has a difficult of space limit in butterfly laser module packaging. In this study, a video camera with image acquisition system was used to measure the PWS. We also used a mirror image to solve the problem of space limited. The PWS inspection result has matched our simulation. This method can successfully inspect the PWS in butterfly laser module.