Device for chemically etching a fiber probe

• US 6,203,660 B1
• Filed: 08/16/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Unger, Marc A., Kossakovski, Dmitri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Shamim
• Application Number:
  US09/375,245
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 216/97
• US Class Current: 156/345.11
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 35/00 Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/68 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/22 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/241 Light guide terminations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/245 Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/881 Microscopy or spectroscopy, e.g. sem, tem
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/889 by laser ablation

Abstract

A two-phase etching system having an etchant solution and an overlayer of a protective solvent. The physical properties of the etchant solution and the protective solvent are matched to form a flat meniscus on the top surface of the etchant solution around a fiber immersed in the protective solvent and the etchant solution. Convective flows within the etchant solution are maintained in order to form a smooth and sharp fiber probe with a small tip apex.

Claims

1. A fiber etching device, comprising:

a container;

an etchant solution filled in a bottom portion of said container and chemically reactive to an optical fiber material; and

a protective solvent chemically inert to the fiber material and having a density smaller than said etchant solution, said protective solvent formed a protective layer on top of said etchant solution,

wherein said etchant solution and said protective solvent have predetermined densities and viscosity coefficients to form a substantially flat meniscus on the interface between said etchant solution and protective solvent around the fiber material which has a portion immersed in said etchant solution and said protective solvent, and said container is configured to have a dimension sufficiently greater than a dimension of the immersed portion of the fiber material to maintain convective flows surrounding the immersed portion within said etchant solution.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said etchant solution includes a mixture of an oxidizing acid and a hydrogen peroxide.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein said protective solvent is a solution having tetramethylpentadecane (TMPD), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or CCl₄. which are operable to etch chalcogenide fibers.