Optical bench, slim optical pickup employing the same and method of manufacturing the optical bench

Abstract

An optical bench is provided, as are a thin optical pickup that employs the optical bench, and a method of manufacturing the optical bench. The optical bench includes a light source for generating light for recording and reproducing information to and from an optical disc, a light source stand on which the light source is mounted, a mirror adjacent to the light source stand, and a bottom surface at a lower point than the light source stand and between the light source stand and the mirror surface. Sides of the light source stand besides the side facing the mirror are connected to the surface of the substrate by a flat sloped surface. Along the sloped surface, two electrodes for supplying power to the light source are connected to the light source stand. Since the metal wirings are formed along the sloped surface without trenches or windings between the light source stand and the silicon substrate, no disconnection of metal lines at a corner occurs.

1 . A method of forming an optical bench, comprising: 
 dry etching a region of a silicon substrate to a first depth to form a light source stand mounting a light source on a silicon substrate on which a photo detector is mounted; and    forming a mirror and a bottom surface in front of the light source stand by wet etching the dry etched silicon substrate using a wet etch mask having a compensation pattern,    wherein an upper surface of the substrate on which the photo detector is formed and the light source stand are connected by a first sloped surface, and the light source stand and the bottom surface are connected by a second sloped surface.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate is formed from a silicon wafer having an Si{100} crystal surface tilted at an angle of 9.74°.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mirror surface is formed of an Si{111} crystal surface tilted at an angle of 45°.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of bonding pads on the surface on which the photo detector is mounted to form external electrical connections.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising forming a plurality of metal lines along the first sloped surface electrically connecting an electrode of the light source and the bonding pads.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sides of the light source stand except a side facing the mirror are connected to a substrate surface on which the photo detector is formed via a flat sloped surface without windings.