Placement and bonding technique for optical elements
First Claim
1. A method for bonding a curved optical element to slanted opposing sidewalls of a substrate comprising the steps of:
- providing a retracting element holder surrounding a bonding tool;
providing a vacuum channel communicating with the holder;
contacting the holder to the element and applying a vacuum to the vacuum channel to cause the element to adhere to the holder;
moving the element to a location above the slanted opposing sidewalls of the substrate;
releasing the vacuum, thereby to allow the element to nest between opposing sidewalls;
causing the holder to retract vertically upwardly so as to expose a bonding surface of the bonding tool;
and lowering the bonding tool to contact the element and force it against the opposing sidewalls.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus (11) is robotically operated to pick up an optical element such as a ball lens (12) or an optical fiber, place it in a groove or depression (13) of a substrate (14), and apply pressure to it so that it is bonded to the substrate. The tool comprises a retracting element holder (17) surrounding a bonding tool (16). A vacuum channel (18) communicates with the element holder so that, by the application of a vacuum, it can pick up an optical element. The tool then moves the element to place it, for example, in a depression (13) of a substrate, whereupon the vacuum is released, thereby to allow the element to nest between opposing sidewalls of the depression. The retracting holder element is simultaneously retracted vertically upwardly so as to expose a bonding surface of the bonding tool. After the element has nested in the groove, the bonding tool contacts the element and forces it against opposite sidewalls to effect a thermo-compression bond of the optical element with the sidewalls.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for bonding a curved optical element to slanted opposing sidewalls of a substrate comprising the steps of:
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providing a retracting element holder surrounding a bonding tool; providing a vacuum channel communicating with the holder; contacting the holder to the element and applying a vacuum to the vacuum channel to cause the element to adhere to the holder; moving the element to a location above the slanted opposing sidewalls of the substrate; releasing the vacuum, thereby to allow the element to nest between opposing sidewalls; causing the holder to retract vertically upwardly so as to expose a bonding surface of the bonding tool; and lowering the bonding tool to contact the element and force it against the opposing sidewalls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification