Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
Patent
1992-07-29
1994-11-15
Ullah, Akm E.
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber to a nonfiber optical device connector
385 35, 385 53, G02B 626, G02B 636
Patent
active
RE0347906
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a reissue of 07/465,112 filed on Feb. 23, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,518.
This invention relates to optical components for use with optical fibers and other optical waveguides, and to methods of manufacturing such components. In particular, though not exclusively, this invention relates to opto-electronic components for transmitting, receiving or otherwise processing optical signals, and their manufacture.
The dimensions of the active, or light emitting, area of light sources (such as semi-conductor lasers and light emitting diodes) used in optical fiber communications systems are typically of the order of a few .mu.m. In a single mode optical fiber suitable for use in the 1.3 .mu., and 1.5 .mu.m wavelength regions the core is about 5-10 .mu.m in diameter. Efficient optical coupling between the fiber and the light source requires that their alignment be accurate to within a few .mu.m (or less), both transversely and axially.
The dimensions of the active areas of photo-detectors are usually larger, of the order of 50-100 .mu.m and the alignment tolerances between the fiber and the detector are generally more relaxed. However, in the case of an optical travelling wave amplifier, for example, the light sensitive receiving area of the device is of the same dimensions as the active area of a laser.
The need for consistently high accuracy of optical alignments forms one of the major problems which needs to be overcome if optical devices are to be manufactured in large volumes. Large volume manufacture is, of course, essential to reducing the cost of optical fiber communications systems.
Permanently attaching a fiber "pigtail" to the device is one of the widely adopted solutions. Here, the critical alignment between the fiber and the device is made during manufacture. To connect the device to an optical fiber transmission line, a relatively easily aligned fiber-to-fiber splice is formed between the pigtail and the transmission fiber. Use of a spliced connection is readily acceptable only in applications where the connection between the optical device and the transmission fiber needs rarely if ever to be broken or re-made.
GB Patent 1558063 ("Improvements in or relating to dielectric optical waveguide couplings", The Post Office) discloses an opto-electronic component in which the opto-electronic device is housed in an optical fiber connector. The opto-electronic device may be located in either the male or the female part of the connector. This arrangement of an optical device mounted in an optical fiber connector is sometimes referred to as a "connectorised device".
Use of a connector-mounted device permits easy and repeated connection and disconnection between the fiber and the device and is potentially fairly cheap to manufacture. Ensuring adequate optical alignment between the fiber and the device does, however, present some difficulties.
The present invention aims to provide a method of manufacturing optical components, which will more reliably yield adequately accurate optical alignment. The present invention also aims to provide a connector-mounted optical component made by that method.
According to the present invention, a method of making an optical component comprises inserting a pre-assembled device carrier, comprising an optical component mounted on a support structure, into a mould, filling the mould with light and/or thermally curable material, optically aligning the device assembly and, on achieving alignment, at least partially curing the material to form an alignment shell about the device carrier.
Any partial curing of the material must be sufficient to ensure adequate rigidity to avoid relative movement of the parts until full curing has taken place.
Full curing preferably takes place at elevated temperature.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an optical component comprises a pre-assembled device carrier comprising a support structure and an optical component mounted thereon, and further comprises an alignment shell about the device carrier formed of light
REFERENCES:
patent: 4173389 (1979-11-01), Curtis
patent: 4639077 (1987-01-01), Dobler
patent: 4709979 (1987-12-01), Spodati et al.
patent: 4880290 (1989-11-01), Kumazawa et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 10, No. 198 (P-476)(2254), 11 Jul. 1986, & JP, A, 6141110.
BT&D Technologies Limited
Ullah Akm E.
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