Direct-Connect Optical Splitter Module
First Claim
1. A direct-connect splitter module for providing optical communication with at least one external output device via a module output end, comprising:
- a ferrule having a central axis, adjacent input-end and output-end sections that include respective input and output ends and that respectively include connecting input and output channels that run along the central axis and that have respective open ends at the respective input and output ends;
a splitter chip that includes input and output ends and a branching waveguide network that includes at least one input waveguide at its input end and at least two output waveguides each having an output end at the splitter chip output end, wherein the splitter chip is fixed in the output channel of the ferrule with its output end at the output channel open end;
at least one input ferrule connected to the input end of the splitter chip and that resides in the input-end channel;
at least one input optical fiber having an output end and an input end that is optically coupled to the at least one input waveguide of the splitter chip via the at least one input ferrule;
a thermosetting resin that substantially fills the input channel so as to fix the at least one input ferrule and the at least one input optical fiber in position within the input-end channel; and
a housing generally surrounding at least a portion of the ferrule so as to cover the input end of the input-end channel and to provide conformity with a connector associated with the at least one external output device and to contain the thermosetting resin in the input end,wherein the splitter module provides for direct connection to the at least one external output device.
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Abstract
A compact optical splitter module is disclosed. One type of compact optical splitter module is a planar attenuated splitter module that includes a branching waveguide network having j≧1 50:50 splitters that form up to n≦2j output waveguides having associated n output ports, wherein only m<n output ports are suitable for transmitting light to the at least one external output device. This provides a 1×m splitter module wherein each output port has the attenuation of a 1×n splitter module, thereby obviating the need for external attenuation. Another type of compact optical splitter module is a direct-connect splitter module that eliminates the need for an optical fiber array when coupling to external optical fibers. Another type of compact optical splitter module is a microsplitter module that serves as device and module at the same time and that eliminates the differentiation between device and module. The integration of device and module also makes manufacturing the microsplitter module cost-effect. Embodiments of microsplitter modules that account for differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the materials making up the microsplitter are also disclosed.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A direct-connect splitter module for providing optical communication with at least one external output device via a module output end, comprising:
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a ferrule having a central axis, adjacent input-end and output-end sections that include respective input and output ends and that respectively include connecting input and output channels that run along the central axis and that have respective open ends at the respective input and output ends; a splitter chip that includes input and output ends and a branching waveguide network that includes at least one input waveguide at its input end and at least two output waveguides each having an output end at the splitter chip output end, wherein the splitter chip is fixed in the output channel of the ferrule with its output end at the output channel open end; at least one input ferrule connected to the input end of the splitter chip and that resides in the input-end channel; at least one input optical fiber having an output end and an input end that is optically coupled to the at least one input waveguide of the splitter chip via the at least one input ferrule; a thermosetting resin that substantially fills the input channel so as to fix the at least one input ferrule and the at least one input optical fiber in position within the input-end channel; and a housing generally surrounding at least a portion of the ferrule so as to cover the input end of the input-end channel and to provide conformity with a connector associated with the at least one external output device and to contain the thermosetting resin in the input end, wherein the splitter module provides for direct connection to the at least one external output device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A direct-connect splitter module for providing optical communication with at least one external output device via a module output end, comprising:
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a ferrule having a central axis, adjacent input-end and output-end sections that include respective input and output ends and that respectively include connecting input and output channels that run along the central axis and that have respective open ends at the respective input and output ends; a splitter chip that includes input and output ends and a branching waveguide network that includes at least one input waveguide at its input end and at least two output waveguides each having an output end at the splitter chip output end, wherein the splitter chip is fixed in the output channel of the ferrule with its output end at the output channel open end; at least one input ferrule connected to the input end of the splitter chip and that resides in the input-end channel; at least one input optical fiber having an output end and an input end that is optically coupled to the at least one input waveguide of the splitter chip via the at least one input ferrule; and a housing and generally surrounding at least a portion of the ferrule so as to cover the input end of the input-end channel and wherein the housing has a section at the output end of the splitter module to provide conformity with a connector associated with the at least one external output device, wherein the splitter module provides for direct connection to the at least one external output device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A splitter module, comprising;
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a splitter chip assembly having a body wherein the body comprises a planar splitter chip and a planar glass cover; an input ferrule attached to an input end of the planar splitter chip; a branching waveguide network having an input waveguide and output waveguides, wherein the input ferrule provides optical coupling between an input optical fiber and the input waveguide; a connector sleeve having an open end that opens to an interior of the splitter module and that covers the input ferrule, wherein the connector sleeve is adapted to facilitate optically connecting input optical fiber to an external optical fiber cable; and a multi-fiber ferrule having a body that supports a plurality of output optical fibers, each of the plurality of output optical fibers comprising an output optical fiber input end and an output optical fiber output end, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are disposed in holes in the multi-fiber ferrule, and wherein the holes are formed to have a same pitch as the output waveguides such that the output optical fiber output ends have the same pitch as the output waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification