High uniformity lens arrays having lens correction and methods for fabricating the same

• US 6,449,098 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Calient Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Calient Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: MacDonald, Noel, Helkey, Roger Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'NEILL, GARY WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/572,922
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 359/619, 359/621, 359/622, 359/625, 359/626
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between

Abstract

Uniformity errors for a lens array are corrected using corrective measures. The lens array includes a substrate. A plurality of primary lenses are formed from the substrate. A corrective measure is formed for each primary lens having a uniformity error such that the corrective measure corrects the uniformity error. Furthermore, a plurality of primary lenses are formed from a first side of a substrate. A uniformity of the plurality of primary lenses are measured. A corrective measure is formed for each primary lens having a uniformity error based on the measured uniformity such that the corrective measure corrects the uniformity error.

Claims

1. A lens array, comprising:

a plurality of primary lenses, each formed from a single substrate, at least some lenses of the plurality of primary lenses having a uniformity error; and

a corrective measure for each primary lens having a uniformity error, the corrective measure correcting the uniformity error.

2. The lens array of claim 1, wherein the substrate is one of a silicon, glass, gallium arsenide and indium phosphide substrate.

3. The lens array of claim 1, wherein the uniformity error comprises at least one of a focus angle error and a focus position error.

4. The lens array of claim 1, wherein the corrective measure includes a corrective lens for each primary lens having a uniformity error such that the corrective lens corrects the uniformity error.

5. The lens array of claim 4, wherein the corrective lenses are formed on an opposite side of the substrate of the primary lenses.

6. The lens array of claim 4, wherein the corrective lenses are formed from a separate substrate from the primary lenses.

7. The lens array of claim 1, wherein the corrective measure includes a correction material formed on each primary lens having a uniformity error such that the correction material corrects the uniformity error.

8. The lens array of claim 7, wherein the correction material includes silicon, silicon dioxide, or silicon nitride.

9. The lens array of claim 1, wherein the corrective measure comprises an alteration to the shape of a primary lens having a uniformity error such that the alteration corrects the uniformity error.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein forming corrective measures includes removing portions of the each primary lens having a uniformity error to correct for the uniformity error.

10. A method of fabricating a lens array, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of primary lenses from a first side of a substrate;

measuring the uniformity of the plurality of primary lenses; and

forming corrective measures for each primary lens having a uniformity error based on the measured uniformity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein forming a plurality of primary lenses includes forming a plurality of primary lenses from a first side of at least one of a silicon, glass, gallium arsenide, and indium phosphide substrate.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein measuring the uniformity includes measuring focal position and focal length for each primary lens.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein forming corrective measures includes forming a corrective lens for each primary lens having a uniformity error on a second side of the substrate such that the corrective lens corrects the uniformity error.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein forming corrective measures includes forming the corrective measures from a different substrate from the primary lenses.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein forming a corrective lens includes forming a corrective lens for each primary lens having at least one of a focal position and focal distance uniformity error on a second side of the substrate.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein forming corrective measures includes forming a correction layer on each primary lens having a uniformity error.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming a correction layer includes forming a correction layer on each primary lens having at least one of a focal position and a focal distance uniformity error.

19. A method of altering a shape of a lens, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of primary lenses for collimating light beams;

measuring a uniformity of the plurality of the primary lenses; and

removing portions of each primary lens having a uniformity error based on the measured uniformity such that the reshaped primary lens corrects for the uniformity error.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein removing portions includes removing portion of the primary lens using an ion milling process.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein Gallium ions are used in the ion milling process.

22. An apparatus comprising:

one or more input fiber arrays for outputting light beams;

one or more output fiber arrays for receiving outputted light beams from the one or more input fiber arrays;

one or more primary input lens arrays having lenses for collimating the light beams from the one or more input fiber arrays, at least some lenses of the one or more primary input lens arrays having a uniformity error;

one or more primary output lens arrays having lenses for collimating the light beams from the one or more primary input lens arrays, at least some lenses of the one or more plurality of primary lenses having a uniformity error;

movable mirrors for directing light from the one or more primary input lens arrays to the one or more primary output lens arrays; and

correction measures for correcting uniformity errors for the at least a portion of the lenses having a uniformity error of one or more primary input and output lens arrays.

23. A fiber optic switching system, comprising:

an input fiber array for outputting light beams from each of a plurality of fibers of the array;

an output fiber array for receiving outputted light beams at each of a plurality of fibers of the output fiber array from the fibers of the input fiber array;

a primary input lens array having a plurality of lenses, one for each input fiber, for collimating the light beams from the respective input fibers, at least some lenses of the primary input lens array having a uniformity error;

a primary output lens arrays having a plurality of lenses, one for each output fiber, for collimating the light beams from the primary input lens array into the respective output fiber, at least some lenses of the primary output lens array having a uniformity error;

movable mirrors for directing light from primary input lens array to the primary output lens array to effect switching of the light to different output fibers; and

a corrective measure for at least a portion of the lenses having a uniformity error, the corrective measure correcting the uniformity error.

24. The lens array of claim 23, wherein the uniformity error comprises at least one of a focus angle error and a focus position error.

25. The lens array of claim 23, wherein the corrective measure includes a corrective lens for each primary lens having a uniformity error such that the corrective lens corrects the uniformity error.

26. The lens array of claim 25, wherein the lens arrays are formed on one side of a substrate and wherein the corrective lenses are formed on an opposite side of the substrate.

27. The lens array of claim 25, wherein the lens arrays are formed on one side of a substrate and wherein the corrective lenses are formed from a second substrate.

28. The lens array of claim 23, wherein the corrective measure includes a correction material formed on each lens having a uniformity error such that the correction material corrects the uniformity error.

29. The lens array of claim 23, wherein the corrective measure comprises an alteration to the shape of a lens having a uniformity error such that the alteration corrects the uniformity error.