Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
Patent
1993-02-18
1994-12-06
Healy, Brian
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
385 14, 385 15, 385 33, 385 49, 385 52, 385 77, 385 88, 385 89, 385 90, 385130, 385132, 385139, G02B 626
Patent
active
053718208
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical interconnection system, and in particular to an interconnection system for hybrid optical motherboards.
2. Related Art
A hybrid optical motherboard is a motherboard including optical interconnections and other optical components, and is, therefore, the optical equivalent of a printed circuit board (pcb). Electrical interconnections for the optical components are also provided on the motherboard as appropriate. One simple example of the flexibility of hybrid optical motherboard technology is shown in FIG. 13.
Optical connectors are required to interconnect the optical interconnections of a hybrid optical motherboard and other optical components (which may form part of another hybrid optical motherboard). Such an optical connector must accurately align with optical interconnections on the motherboard, and must mate with a complementary connector region of the motherboard.
It is known to use micromachined silicon V-grooves for alignment purposes in such connector/connector region combinations. Thus, European patent specification 331334 describes a connector made from two identical silicon substrates which are held in precision alignment using two metal guiding rods which are pressed against bevelled edges of the substrates, the bevelled edges being formed by cleaving or sawing each of the substrates along the centers of the pair of micromachined V-grooves. The disadvantage of such an arrangement is that it is only possible to form a maximum of two connector regions on any one component, the connector regions being on opposite edges of the component and utilizing the same pairs of V-grooves to form the alignment means for each region.
By analogy with the electrical interconnection of pcbs, it is readily apparent that applications exist where it would be advantageous to form several optical connector regions on one optical component. A hybrid optical motherboard is one such example.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an optical system comprising a hybrid optical motherboard having a optical interconnections formed therein, and a connector, a connector region being formed in, but not extending completely along, an edge portion of the hybrid optical motherboard, the connector region containing a number of optical interconnections, and the connector containing an optical device, the connector being connectible to the connector region to align the optical device of the connector with the optical interconnections contained in the connector region, wherein the connector and the connector region each comprises first and second substrates made of crystalline material and containing intersecting planes which can be delineated by etching, each first substrate being formed with etched alignment groove means, and each second substrate being formed with etched alignment groove means which are complementary to the alignment groove means of the associated first substrate, whereby the alignment groove means of the first and second substrates of each of the connector and the connector region are accurately aligned and contiguous when the two substrates are placed in face-to-face engagement, and the aligned contiguous alignment groove means of the connector can be accurately aligned, and be contiguous, with the aligned, contiguous alignment groove means of the connector region, and wherein the connector is provided with alignment means for accurately positioning the associated optical device between its two substrates with respect to the contiguous aligned groove means thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, there are a plurality of connectors, and a plurality of connector regions, each connector region being formed in, but not extending completely along, a respective edge portion of the hybrid optical motherboard, each connector region containing a number of optical interconnections, and each connector containing an optical device, each of the connectors being connectible to one of the connector regions to align
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Gill Michael D.
Welbourn Anthony D.
British Telecommunications public limited company
Healy Brian
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