Hermetic package for optical devices using room temperature welding technology and transparent lid, for space applications

The objective of the study was to develop a hermetic package for optical devices, with a transparent lid. A novel room temperature glass welding technology was used for the construction of the packages. The design solution and technology must be robust enough for use in space flight applications. Environmental and hermeticity tests were performed to evaluate the package capability & quality. Whilst initially targeted on a specific requirement, there are several industrial sectors that require hermetic encapsulation including; space, military, biotechnology, and telecoms etc. It is common for the space industry for packages, assemblies or even space craft, to be stored before use, driving the stringent hermeticity requirements, to prevent degradation issues when ground testing, integrating or operating in a space environment.The design and technology of the glass package proved to be robust: environmental tests had no influence on the functionality or properties. Other benefits of the laser welded glass package were also discovered: hermeticity, easy failure analysis and inspection due to the lid and package transparency, and mountable design onto a PCB (printed circuit board). Welding technique offers a quick, one-step, room temperature process without any additive materials.