Fiber optic connector having a microelectromechanical positioning apparatus and an associated fabrication method

• US 6,124,663 A
• Filed: 08/25/1999
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lehigh University, MCNC, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MCNC, Inc., The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Wood, Robert L., Haake, John M., Dhuler, Vijayakumar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/382,790
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 310/306, 310/307
• US Class Current: 310/307
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3508 Lateral or transverse displacement of the whole waveguides, e.g. by varying the distance between opposed waveguide ends, or by mutual lateral displacement of opposed waveguide ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3544 2D constellations, i.e. with switching elements and switched beams located in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3576 Temperature or heat actuation thermal forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0866; thermo-optic devices G02F1/0147
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3584 constructional details of an associated actuator having a MEMS construction, i.e. constructed using semiconductor technology such as etching MEMS per se B81B, B81C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3596 With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4226 Positioning means for moving the elements into alignment, e.g. alignment screws, deformation of the mount

Abstract

A fiber optic connector is provided that is capable of precisely aligning an optical fiber with another optical element by using a MEMS positioning apparatus subsystem capable of being manufactured in an affordable, repeatable and reliable manner which can precisely microposition an optical fiber relative to another optical element in each of the X, Y and Z directions.

Claims

1. A fiber optic connector, comprising:

a first optical element;

a support disposed in a fixed position relative to a reference surface;

a stage defining an XY plane and suspended adjacent said support and over at least a portion of the reference surface;

a second optical element disposed in a fixed relation to said stage; and

a first microelectromechanical actuator comprising;

spaced apart anchors disposed in a fixed position relative to said support;

an arched beam extending between said spaced apart anchors; and

an actuator member operably coupled to said arched beam and extending outwardly therefrom for moving said stage in the XY plane upon actuation of said first microelectromechanical actuator for aligning the second optical element with the first optical element.

2. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein the first optical element is selected from the group consisting of an optoelectronic device and an optical fiber.

3. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein the first optical element is selected from the group consisting of a laser diode, a light emitting diode, and a photodiode.

4. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein the second optical element comprises an optical fiber.

5. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector comprises a waveguide switch.

6. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector comprises a single mode fiber optic switch.

7. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic connector comprises a multimode fiber optic switch.

8. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein said first micromechanical actuator further comprises means for heating said arched beam to cause further arching of said beam such that said actuator member controllably positions said stage in the XY-plane.

9. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, further comprising a second micromechanical actuator for positioning said stage in the XY-plane in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement created by said first micromechanical actuator.

10. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein said stage comprises a contact member disposed in a fixed position upon said stage and positioned such an end of said actuator member contacts said anchor member upon actuation of said first microelectromechanical actuator.

11. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein said stage has first and second major surfaces and is suspended such that the first major surface faces the reference surface, wherein the first major surface of said stage includes a recessed portion, and wherein the microelectromechanical positioning apparatus further comprises an actuator disposed on said stage and at least partially overlying the recessed portion of said stage such that actuation of said actuator bends said stage toward the underlying reference surface to thereby move said stage in a Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane.

12. The fiber optic connector according to claim 11, wherein said actuator disposed on said stage comprises a thermal bimorph structure comprised of first and second layers, and wherein said first layer has a larger coefficient of expansion than the second layer.

13. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, further comprising a backstop structure provided on said support at a location behind an end of said actuator member opposite from said stage.

14. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, further comprising at least one spring extending between said support and said stage for suspending said stage above said support.

15. The fiber optic connector according to claim 1, wherein second optical element is held in a fixed relation on said stage by an optical fiber holding means selected from the group consisting of a groove and a LIGA channel.

16. A fiber optic connector including an optoelectronic device housed inside an optoelectronic package, comprising:

an enclosure having sidewalls and a substrate;

a microelectromechanical positioning apparatus mounted on said substrate, said micromechanical positioning apparatus comprising;

a support disposed in a fixed position relative to a reference surface;

a stage defining an XY plane and suspended adjacent said support and over at least a portion of the reference surface;

a first microelectromechanical actuator comprising;

spaced apart anchors disposed in a fixed position relative to said support,

an arched beam extending between said spaced apart anchors, and

an actuator member operably coupled to said arched beam and extending outwardly therefrom for moving said stage in the XY plane upon actuation of said first microelectromechanical actuator for aligning the second optical element with the first optical element;

an optoelectronic device housed inside the enclosure;

an optical fiber fed into the enclosure via an aperture in a sidewall of the enclosure and mounted on the stage of the microelectromechanical positioning apparatus;

wherein the microelectromechanical positioning apparatus is capable of moving the optical fiber into optical alignment with the optoelectronic device inside the enclosure.

17. The fiber optic connector according to claim 16, wherein the optoelectronic device is selected from the group consisting of a laser diode, a light emitting diode, a photodiode, and an optical fiber.

18. The fiber optic connector according to claim 16, wherein said stage has first and second major surfaces and is suspended such that the first major surface faces the reference surface, wherein the first major surface of said stage includes a recessed portion, and wherein the microelectromechanical positioning apparatus further comprises an actuator disposed on said stage and at least partially overlying the recessed portion of said stage such that actuation of said actuator bends said stage toward the underlying reference surface to thereby move said stage in a Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane, and wherein said actuator disposed on said stage comprises a thermal bimorph structure comprised of first and second layers, where said first layer has a larger coefficient of expansion than the second layer.

19. The fiber optic connector according to claim 16, further comprising a second micromechanical actuator for positioning said stage in the XY-plane in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement created by said first micromechanical actuator;

and

a backstop structure provided on said support at a location behind an end of an actuator member opposite from said stage for at least one of said first and second micromechanical actuators.

20. A method of fabricating a fiber optic connector comprising an optoelectronic device housed inside an optoelectronic package, comprising the steps of:

providing an optoelectronic package including;

an enclosure having sidewalls and a substrate;

a microelectromechanical positioning apparatus mounted on said substrate, said micromechanical positioning apparatus comprising;

a support disposed in a fixed position relative to a reference surface;

a stage defining an XY plane and suspended adjacent said support and over at least a portion of the reference surface;

a first microelectromechanical actuator comprising;

spaced apart anchors disposed in a fixed position relative to said support,

an arched beam extending between said spaced apart anchors, and

an actuator member operably coupled to said arched beam and extending outwardly therefrom for moving said stage in the XY plane upon actuation of said first microelectromechanical actuator;

an optoelectronic device housed inside the enclosure;

feeding an optical fiber fed into the enclosure via an aperture in a sidewall of the enclosure;

holding the optical fiber on the stage of the microelectromechanical positioning apparatus; and

controllably positioning the stage relative to the support by actuating the microelectromechanical positioning apparatus, and precisely aligning the optical fiber with the optoelectronic device.