In a hybrid integrated module, a semiconductor die is mechanically coupled face-to-face to an integrated device in which the substrate has been removed. For example, the integrated circuit may include an optical device fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer in which the backside silicon handler has been completely removed, thereby facilitating improved device performance and highly efficient thermal tuning of the operating wavelength of the optical device. Moreover, the semiconductor die may be a VLSI chip that provides power, and serves as a mechanical handler and/or an electrical driver. The thermal tuning efficiency of the substrateless optical device may be enhanced by over 100× relative to an optical device with an intact substrate, and by 5× relative to an optical device in which the substrate has only been removed in proximity to the optical device.