EP1004046A1 - Connecteur pour dispositif optique plan et procede de fabrication - Google Patents

Connecteur pour dispositif optique plan et procede de fabrication

Info

Publication number
EP1004046A1
EP1004046A1 EP98935492A EP98935492A EP1004046A1 EP 1004046 A1 EP1004046 A1 EP 1004046A1 EP 98935492 A EP98935492 A EP 98935492A EP 98935492 A EP98935492 A EP 98935492A EP 1004046 A1 EP1004046 A1 EP 1004046A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
optical device
planar optical
datums
connector
annulus
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP98935492A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1004046A4 (fr
Inventor
Alain M. Beguin
Heather D. Boek
Elizabeth A. Boylan
Peter J. Majestic
Richard O. Maschmeyer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Corning Inc
Original Assignee
Corning Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Corning Inc filed Critical Corning Inc
Publication of EP1004046A1 publication Critical patent/EP1004046A1/fr
Publication of EP1004046A4 publication Critical patent/EP1004046A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/30—Optical coupling means for use between fibre and thin-film device
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/3873—Connectors using guide surfaces for aligning ferrule ends, e.g. tubes, sleeves, V-grooves, rods, pins, balls
    • G02B6/3885—Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/3833—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture
    • G02B6/3865—Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture fabricated by using moulding techniques

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to optical components. More particularly, the present invention relates zo planar optical device connectors.
  • Planar optical devices such as planar waveguides, lightwave optical circuits, and optical devices on planar glass and semiconductor substrates are becoming increasingly important in multi -wavelength transmissions systems, fiber-to-the-home, and personal handy set systems .
  • a light guiding region in the planar optical devices must be interconnected or pigtailed with a light guiding region in an optical fiber or another planar optical device.
  • the interconnection requires low loss, typically less than 0.2 db per connection, environmental reliability against heat and humidity, and cost effectiveness. Achieving a low loss connection requires extremely high precision alignment of the light guiding regions .
  • One way to align the waveguide region in planar optical devices with the light guiding regions in another planar optical device or optical fiber is by active alignment, wherein the waveguide regions are butted together, the alignment is monitored with an optical monitoring tool, and the abutting waveguide regions are then secured together.
  • the optical monitoring tool can be a photodetector device to measure the amount of optical radiation lost at the interconnection.
  • a planar optical device may be aligned with an array of fibers or another planar device by using a pair of MT type connector devices, fabricated by forming V- grooves on a silicon wafer which support a planar waveguide surrounded by a plastic molded MT type connector plug.
  • the V-grooves are precisely located on the wafer, and the V-grooves support guide pins.
  • the guide pins are positioned to be received by guide holes on an oppositely disposed MT-type connector plug which contains an array of optical fibers. Connection of the two plug ends passively aligns the planar waveguide and the array of fibers .
  • An example of a device utilizing a MT connector and V-grooves is described in IEEE Photonics Letters, Volume 7, No. 12, December 1995, which is relied upon and incorporated by reference .
  • the present invention generally provides a planar optical device connector comprising a body having an annulus and datums.
  • a planar optical device is actively aligned to the datums and located within the annulus, and preferably secured to the annulus with an adhesive.
  • the body of the device is molded, more preferably, plastic molded, and the datums are either guide pins or bores for receiving guide pins.
  • Another aspect of the invention includes a method of fabricating a planar optical device connector by providing a body having an annulus therein adapted to receive a planar optical device and datums.
  • the planar optical device is actively aligned to the datums, and the planar optical device is secured in the annulus.
  • the datums can be guide pins or guide pin bores, and the guide pins may be integrally molded with the body of the connector, or separately made and inserted into body of the connector.
  • Another advantage of the present invention is that low connection loss can be achieved without having to actively align abutting waveguide regions of optical devices. Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by the device and method particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings . It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a planar optical device connector in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is an end view of a planar optical device connector in accordance with the present invention. nFTATT.F. ⁇ D .qr ⁇ TP TON
  • planar optical device connector 10 includes an a body 12, having an annulus 14 therein adapted to receive a planar optical device 16.
  • Planar optical device 16 contains waveguide regions 17 for receiving and transmitting optical signals.
  • waveguide region 17 means the region in an optical waveguide device that transmits an optical signal.
  • Waveguide region 17 is preferably silica or doped silica, but it can be other materials such as silicon, lithium niobate, etc.
  • Body 12 is similar in shape to typical MT type connectors and is fabricated by any suitable well known methods such as injection molding.
  • Datums 18 are aligned with the annulus during manufacture of body 12. As used in this invention, a datum is a point with reference to which positions can be measured. Datums 18 may be guide pins as shown in Fig. 1, or they may be bores for receiving guide pins (not shown) .
  • the datums 18 are guide pins, they may be made of metal, stainless steel, ceramic or plastic.
  • the guide pins can be fixed permanently into the guide pin bores with an adhesive such as epoxy, or they can be removable from guide pin bores to facilitate disconnection and reconnection .
  • the guide pins may be separately fabricated or made integral with the body of the connector device of the present invention. It is understood that while the cross sectional area of datums 18 are shown in the drawings as generally cylindrical, datums 18 can have other cross sectional areas, for example, square or rectangular .
  • Fig. 2 is an end view of a planar optical device connector according to the present invention, waveguide regions 17 of the planar optical device 14 are actively aligned to the centerline of datums 18. As shown in Fig.
  • annulus 14 is slightly larger than planar optical device 16 inserted therein.
  • Annulus 14 will generally be rectangularly shaped to accommodate a similarly shaped planar optical device and is fabricated to only moderate dimensional tolerances of about ⁇ 10 microns.
  • Another embodiment of the invention includes a method of fabricating a planar optical device connector 10 including a step of providing a body 12 having an annulus 14 adapted to receive a planar optical device 16 and datums 18.
  • annulus 14 is of only moderate dimensional precision (about ⁇ 10 microns) , and is sized slightly larger than the cross sectional area of the planar optical device 16 to be inserted therein.
  • This embodiment further includes a step of actively aligning planar optical device 16 to the datums after the planar optical device has been inserted into annulus 14.
  • Active alignment of the datums 18 and the planar optical device 16 may be achieved by using a suitable well known method.
  • a power peaking method may be utilized in which an MT type connector containing light waveguides may be plugged into the body 12 , and the interconnect between the MT type connector and the planar optical device 16 may be optically monitored by a photodetector to determine optimal alignment of the waveguide regions 17 in the planar optical device 16 and the waveguide regions in the MT type connector (not shown) .
  • Active alignment may also include other methods such as an image analysis technique wherein an image of the datums 18 and the planar optical device 16 are utilized to actively align the planar optical device 6 to the datums 18 either manually or automatically.
  • This embodiment finally includes a step of securing the planar optical device 16 in the annulus 14 by a suitable method.
  • a suitable method for example, an adhesive or epoxy may be used to secure the actively aligned planar optical device 16 in the annulus 14. After the planar optical device 16 has been aligned to the datums 18, the adhesive or epoxy is cured to secure the actively aligned planar optical device. Curing of the adhesive may occur, for example by using heat or light radiation, such as ultraviolet light.
  • the planar optical device connector of the present invention can be connected to an MT type connector containing waveguide regions without having to actively align the abutting waveguide regions . Since the waveguide regions on a planar optical device are typically formed by a high precision process such as photolithography, the alignment of the waveguide regions is inherent.
  • the datums are located near the external lateral edge along the face of the connector, with the planar optical device located in between.
  • the arrangement is logical, but exemplary only, and other configurations are within the scope of this invention.
  • the invention has been described in terms of a device for connecting a planar optical device to an MT type connector.
  • the planar optical device may include a planar waveguide having an array of waveguide regions, or an optical integrated circuit having an array of waveguides.
  • the optical integrated circuit may be associated with a modulator, switch, amplifier, multiplexer, etc.
  • the MT connector which is interconnected to the device of the present invention may contain an array of fibers or a planar optical device containing an array of waveguide regions in an optical integrated circuit. Accordingly, it is within the scope of this invention to use the device of the present invention to interconnect a variety of planar optical devices to a variety of devices capable of transmitting optical signals.
  • guide pins used to interconnect the device of the present invention to an MT connector plug are part of the final interconnection when the two parts are connected together, and pins are not necessarily associated with one part or the other.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Optical Couplings Of Light Guides (AREA)
  • Mechanical Coupling Of Light Guides (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention a trait à un connecteur pour dispositif optique plan (10) et au procédé de fabrication. Le corps (12) du connecteur comporte un espace annulaire (14) destiné à recevoir un dispositif optique plan (16) et des fiches de référence (18) sur lesquelles on aligne activement ledit dispositif (16). Une fois aligné sur les fiches de référence (18), le dispositif optique plan (16) est fixé dans l'espace annulaire (14).
EP98935492A 1997-07-28 1998-06-24 Connecteur pour dispositif optique plan et procede de fabrication Withdrawn EP1004046A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US5397297P 1997-07-28 1997-07-28
US53972P 1997-07-28
PCT/US1998/013400 WO1999005552A1 (fr) 1997-07-28 1998-06-24 Connecteur pour dispositif optique plan et procede de fabrication

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1004046A1 true EP1004046A1 (fr) 2000-05-31
EP1004046A4 EP1004046A4 (fr) 2001-01-24

Family

ID=21987835

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP98935492A Withdrawn EP1004046A4 (fr) 1997-07-28 1998-06-24 Connecteur pour dispositif optique plan et procede de fabrication

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1004046A4 (fr)
JP (1) JP2001511540A (fr)
KR (1) KR20010022335A (fr)
CN (1) CN1265200A (fr)
CA (1) CA2296471A1 (fr)
TW (1) TW430749B (fr)
WO (1) WO1999005552A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2000008504A1 (fr) * 1998-08-07 2000-02-17 Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Ferrule pour connecteur optique, moule pour ferrule, procede de fabrication de ferrule pour connecteur optique et procede d'essai de ferrule pour connecteur optique
JP4830614B2 (ja) * 2006-04-28 2011-12-07 住友電気工業株式会社 光導波路用コネクタの製造方法
WO2012015734A1 (fr) * 2010-07-30 2012-02-02 Corning Cable Systems Llc Viroles à géométrie d'accouplement complémentaire et connecteurs de fibre optique associés
US9529159B2 (en) 2010-07-30 2016-12-27 Corning Optical Communications LLC Ferrules with complementary mating geometry and related fiber optic connectors
US10401572B2 (en) 2010-07-30 2019-09-03 Corning Optical Communications, Llc Fiber optic connectors including ferrules with complementary mating geometry and related fiber optic connectors
JP6131544B2 (ja) * 2012-07-31 2017-05-24 住友ベークライト株式会社 光配線部品の製造方法
JP6015210B2 (ja) * 2012-07-31 2016-10-26 住友ベークライト株式会社 光導波路の位置合わせ方法および光配線部品の製造方法
CN104422995A (zh) * 2013-08-20 2015-03-18 鸿富锦精密工业（深圳）有限公司 光耦合透镜及光电转换模块
WO2018164954A1 (fr) 2017-03-07 2018-09-13 Corning Optical Communications LLC Ferrules de fibre optique incorporant une plaque frontale de verre et leurs procédés de fabrication

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5414786A (en) * 1992-10-09 1995-05-09 The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. Optical waveguide component with a molded resin portion having accurately aligned guide pin holes therein
DE69430876T2 (de) * 1993-03-31 2002-12-19 Sumitomo Electric Industries Optisches Faserarray und Methode zu seiner Herstellung

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
No further relevant documents disclosed *
See also references of WO9905552A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TW430749B (en) 2001-04-21
AU8472998A (en) 1999-02-16
CN1265200A (zh) 2000-08-30
KR20010022335A (ko) 2001-03-15
WO1999005552A1 (fr) 1999-02-04
EP1004046A4 (fr) 2001-01-24
JP2001511540A (ja) 2001-08-14
AU729723B2 (en) 2001-02-08
CA2296471A1 (fr) 1999-02-04

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