Stabilized and integrated fiber devices

• US 6,549,713 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oluma, Inc. (Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pi, Bo, Zhao, Shulai
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanghavi, Hemang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knauss, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US09/894,971
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 385/50-52, 385/14, 385/15, 385/137, 385/134, 385/147, 385/65, 385/83
• US Class Current: 385/137
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3636 the mechanical coupling means being grooves G02B6/3652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3652 the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3692 with surface micromachining involving etching, e.g. wet or dry etching steps surface micromachining involving subtractive techniques B81C1/00055
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3855 characterised by the method of anchoring or fixing the fibre within the ferrule G02B6/3854 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques for forming fiber devices that engage fibers to a substrate with similar material properties. A semiconductor template may be used to define positions and orientations of the fibers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising;

placing fibers in grooves of an alignment substrate that define relative positions and orientations of said fibers;

placing a substrate over said fibers and said alignment substrate, said substrate formed of a material that is similar to a material of said fibers;

bonding said fibers to said substrate;

bonding said fibers to said alignment substrate prior to bonding said fibers to said substrate; and

removing said alignment substrate to leave said fibers bonded to said substrate.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said bonding includes using an adhesive to engage each fiber to said substrate.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein said bonding includes using CO₂-assisted welding to engage each fiber to said substrate.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein said bonding includes:

applying a liquid material between said fibers and said substrate; and

heating up said liquid material to a solidified state to bond said fibers to said substrate.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein said removing includes a chemical etching process.

6. The method as in claim 5, further comprising:

prior to placing said fibers in said grooves of said alignment substrate, forming an etching protection layer between said fibers and said alignment substrate to shield said fibers from said chemical etching process.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein said etching protection layer is formed on each fiber as an external coating.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein said etching protection layer is formed to cover said grooves and a respective surface of said alignment template on which said grooves are located.

9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

prior to placing said substrate over said fibers and said alignment substrate, removing a portion of fiber cladding from each fiber to form a flat contact surface,

wherein said substrate is placed on flat surfaces of said fibers.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein said bonding of said fibers to said substrate includes a direct diffusion bonding process where a surface of said substrate and said flat surfaces are polished and brought into contact with each other to form a direct diffusion bond.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein said fibers are formed of a fused silica glass material.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein said fiber and said substrate have a substantially similar coefficient of thermal expansion.

13. A device, comprising:

a substrate formed of a fused silica glass having a flat surface; and

a fiber bonded to said flat surface;

a plurality of additional fibers bonded to said flat surface and arranged parallel to said fiber to form a fiber array;

a second substrate formed of a fused silica glass having first and second flat surfaces opposing each other, and bonded to said fiber array on said substrate by bonding said first flat surfaces to said additional fibers and said fiber; and

a second fiber array of fibers bonded to said second flat surface.

14. The device as in claim 13, wherein said fiber has a side which has a portion of fiber cladding removed to form a flat contact surface, wherein said flat contact surface is bonded to said flat surface of said substrate.

15. The device as in claim 14, wherein said flat surface of said substrate is polished, and wherein said fiber is bonded to said flat surface by a direct diffusion bond.

16. The device as in claim 13, wherein said fiber is bonded to said flat surface by an adhesive.

17. The device as in claim 13, wherein said fiber is bonded to said flat surface by CO₂-assisted welding.

18. The device as in claim 13, wherein end facets of said fiber and said additional fibers are polished to form optical surfaces.

19. A method, comprising:

processing a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of grooves at selected positions and orientations over a semiconductor substrate surface;

placing fibers in said grooves;

placing a substrate formed of a material similar to said fibers over said fibers;

bonding said fibers to said substrate; and

removing said semiconductor substrate to leave said fibers bonded on said substrate by a chemical etching process.

20. The method as in claim 19, further comprising:

removing a portion of fiber cladding of said fibers to form flat contact surfaces in a plane prior to placing said substrate; and

contacting said flat contact surfaces of said fibers to said substrate,

wherein said flat contact surfaces are bonded to said substrate.

21. The method as in claim 19, further comprising polishing end facts of said fibers to form optical surfaces for optical coupling.

22. The method as in claim 19, further comprising selecting said substrate to have a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to a coefficient of thermal expansion of said fibers.

23. The method as in claim 19, wherein said fibers and said substrate are formed of fused silica glass materials.

24. The method as in claim 19, further comprising:

prior to placing said fibers in said grooves, forming an etching protection layer between said fibers and said semiconductor substrate to protect said fibers from said chemical etching process.

25. A method, comprising:

processing a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of grooves at selected positions and orientations over a semiconductor substrate surface;

placing fibers in said grooves;

placing a substrate formed of a material similar to said fibers over said fibers;

bonding said fibers to said substrate; and

removing said semiconductor substrate to leave said fibers bonded on said substrate, wherein said removing of said semiconductor substrate includes polishing of said semiconductor substrate.

26. A method, comprising:

processing a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of grooves at selected positions and orientations over a semiconductor substrate surface;

placing fibers in said grooves;

placing a substrate formed of a material similar to said fibers over said fibers;

bonding said fibers to said substrate;

removing said semiconductor substrate to leave said fibers bonded on said substrate;

placing a second substrate formed of a material similar to said fibers by contacting a first flat surface of said second substrate with said fibers, wherein said second substrate has a second flat surface opposing said first flat surface and has a fiber array bonded to said second flat surface; and

bonding said first flat surface and said fibers together.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein said removing of said semiconductor substrate includes a chemical etching process.

28. The method as in claim 26, further comprising:

prior to placing said fibers in said grooves, forming an etching protection layer between said fibers and said semiconductor substrate to protect said fibers from said chemical etching process.

29. The method as in claim 26, wherein said removing of said semiconductor substrate includes polishing of said semiconductor substrate.