WO1996002861B1

WO1996002861B1 - Face-lock interconnection means for optical fibers and other optical components, and manufacturing methods of the same

Info

Publication number: WO1996002861B1
Application number: PCT/US1995/009296
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1995-07-18
Publication date: 1996-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 1997-01-18

Abstract

A novel means for interconnecting optical fibers (1), (2) or waveguide channels is disclosed, in which two matching surface contours are fabricated, one contour (7), (8) on the plane containing the end face of the fiber or the waveguide channel, and the other contour (9), (10) on a surface to which the optical fiber or waveguide channel is to be mated. The matching surface contours are face-locked in a stable and unique position when the two surfaces are brought to each other, thereby positioning the end of the optical fiber or waveguide channel on a pre-determined location on the mating surface. The matched surface contours may be created on the end facet of the optical fiber (1), (2) itself, or on the outwardly-extended surface of the end facet. The same interconnection means may be applied for connecting other optical components such as lenses and light sources. Modular approach is feasible in which a combination of face-lock embodiments are stacked together to align these optical components.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 12 February 1996 (12.02.96); original claims 1-45 replaced by amended claims 1-28 (5 pages)]

1. An optical interconnection means comprising;

a first optical component;

a first face-locking surface;

a second optical component;

10 and a second face-locking surface;

wherein the first face-locking surface and the second face- locking surface are substantially planar, and the first optical

! 5 component is located on the first face-locking surface, and the first face-locking surface has a first type of surface feature, and the first type of surface feature has an unique positional relationship with respect to the first optical component; and the second optical component is located on the second face-locking 0 surface, and the second face-locking surface has the second type of surface feature that matches to the first type of feature so as to be locked in position to the first type of surface feature when pressed against the first face-locking surface in a face-to-face fashion, and the second type of surface feature has the same 5 unique positional relationship with respect to the second optical component; whereas precise optical alignment between the first optical component and the second optical component is achieved through flie face-locking of the two surface features and their unique positional relationship with respect to the first and the 0 second optical components.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the axis of light is substantially perpendicular to the first face-locking surface.

5 3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first optical component is a lens. 40

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first optical component is a light source.

5. The invention according to claim 4 wherein the light source is a surface-emitting laser diode.

6. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first optical component is a light detector.

7. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first optical component is an optical fiber.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first optical component comprises an array of optical fibers.

9. The invention according to claim 7 wherein the first face- locking surface contains through-hole for the optical fiber, and the optical fibers are positioned in the through-hole in an orientation largely perpendicular to the first face-locking surface.

10. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first and the second face-locking surface features are registered by a lithographic procedure.

11. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the first face- locking surface is made of a semiconductor wafer.

12. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the semiconductor wafer is made of silicon.

13. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the semiconductor wafer contains light sources in the same plane where the surface feature resides. 41

14. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the semiconductor wafer contains light detectors in the same plane where the surface feature resides.

15. The invention according to claim 1 1 wherein the wafer is (100) type so that micromachined V-grooves and V-ridges constitute the face-locking surface features.

16. The invention according to claim 15 wherein the dimension of the V-grooves are chosen in such a way that a cylindrical object may be laid along the V-groove to aid the face-locking.

17. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the wafer is (100) type so that micromachined V-squares form the face- locking surface feature.

18. The invention according to claim 7 wherein the first face- locking surface contains a plurality of through-holes for the optical fiber, and the through-holes have slightly varying sizes to choose from for tight fitting with the optical fiber.

19. The invention according to claim 9 wherein the optical fiber is tapered in its diameter so that the optical fiber makes a tight fit with the through-hole at a certain position on the tapered section.

20. The invention as claimed in 1 wherein the face-locking surface features of the first face-locking surface and the second- face-locking surface have mutually-matched periodic patterns so that the first face-locking surface and the second-face-locking surface can be face-locked at many different positions, thus realizing an optical switching capability.

21. The invention as claimed in 20 wherein the matched periodic patterns comprise a set of V-grooves.

22. The invention as claimed in 20 wherein the matched periodic patterns comprise a set of V-squares.

23. The invention as claimed in 20 wherein the matched periodic patterns form an one-dimensional array.

24. The invention as claimed in 20 wherein the matched periodic patterns form a two-dimensional array.

25. The invention as claimed in 20 wherein there is a through- hole for an optical fiber in each period of the matched periodic patterns, so as to realize optical fiber switching capability.

26. The invention as claimed in 20 wherein the switching from one mating position to another is performed on command by a mechanized means so as to realize a mechanical optical switch.

27. The invention as claimed in 1 wherein the face-locking surface features are created by a molding technique.

28. An arrayed optical interconnection means comprising;

an array of a first optical component;

a first face-locking surface;

an array of a second optical component;

and a second face-locking surface;

wherein the first face-locking surface and the second face- locking surface are substantially planar, the array of the first optical component is located on the first face-locking surface, and the first face-locking surface has a first type of surface feature, and the first type of surface feature has an unique positional relationship with respect to the array of the first optical 43 component; and the array of the second optical component is located on the second face-locking surface, and the second face- locking surface has the second type of surface feature that matches to the first type of feature so as to be locked in position to the first type of surface feature when pressed against the first face-locking surface in a face-to-face fashion, and the second type of surface feature has the same unique positional relationship with respect to the array of the second optical component; whereas precise optical alignment between the array of the first optical component and the array of the second optical component is achieved through the face-locking of the two surface features and their unique positional relationship with respect to the array of the first and the second optical components.

44

STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19

This STATEMENT is accompanying the enclosed amendment to explain the amendments and indicating any impact that such amendments might have on the description and the drawings. The purpose of this amendment is make this international application substantially similar to the most updated version of the corresponding U.S.A. national application (in U.S.A.). In the original U.S. national application (Serial No. 08/276,829; Filing date 07/18/1994), the examiner pointed out that the application lacked UNITY OF INVENTION, and asked to choose only one invention in the application. Accordingly, the U.S.A. national application was re-applied as a CIP (Continuation-In-Part) application (Serial No. 08/397,939; Filing date 03/03/1995). In the CIP process, we deleted a substantial material.

The amended claims 1 - 28 as specified in the accompanying amendment request are same as the claims in the U.S.A. CIP application (Serial No. 08/397,939; Filing date 03/03/1995).

As a result of the PCT claim amendments as specified in the accompanying amendment request, a large portion of the description and drawings become irrelevant and unnecessary in this PCT application, as indicated below. These irrelevant portion will be deleted when the opportunity is given to amend the application during the International Preliminary Examination (to be requested by February 18, 1996):

TO BE DELETED DURING THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION:

(i) On page 4, delete lines 14 - 20.

(ii) On page 4, delete line 24 - 35.

(iii) Delete the entire pages of page 5, page 6, and page 7.

(iv) On page 8, delete lines 1 - 18.

(v) On page 10, delete lines 28 - 35.

(vi) Delete the entire pages of page 11. 45

(v) On page 13, delete lines 1 - 6.

(vi) On page 14, delete lines 3 - 35.

(vii) Delete entire pages of page 15, page 16, page 17, page 18, page 19, page 20, page 21, page 22, page 23, and page 24.

(viii) On page 25, delete lines 1 - 6.

(ix) Delete drawings 1 - 3.

(x) Delete drawings 5 - 58.