Optical and optoelectronic articles

• US 7,106,939 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: David, Moses M., Miller, Michael N., Nelson, Brian K., Gates, Brian J., Brennan, James F. III, LaBrake, Dwayne L., Cronk, Bryon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pak, Sung
• Application Number:
  US10/245,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20030053784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 385/141, 385/123, 385126-128, 385144-145, 428/408, 428/416, 427/402, 427/577
• US Class Current: 385/141
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/545 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02395 Glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited directly on a silica cladding surface during fibre manufacture G02B6/02052, G02B6/02057, G02B6/024, G02B6/032, G02B6/105, G02B6/14 take precedence; coating on fibre gratings G02B6/02104; multilayer core or cladding G02B6/036; reinforcing splice joints G02B6/2558; optical cables, i.e. comprising protective structures external to the protective coating such as a jacket or plural coated optical fibres G02B6/44; coating of glass to obtain optical fibres C03C25/104
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4248 Feed-through connections for the hermetical passage of fibres through a package wall see provisionally also G02B6/4428
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

Optical and optoelectronic articles incorporating an amorphous diamond-like film are disclosed. Specifically, the invention includes optical or optoelectronic articles containing an amorphous diamond-like film overlying two or more proximate substrates, and to methods of making optical and optoelectronic articles. In certain implementations, the film comprises at least about 30 atomic percent carbon, from about 0 to about 50 atomic percent silicon, and from about 0 to about 50 atomic percent oxygen on a hydrogen-free basis. Another embodiment includes optical or optoelectronic articles containing an amorphous diamond-like film that is further coated with a metallic or polymeric material for attachment to a device package.

Claims

1. An optical or optoelectronic article comprising:

an optical glass substrate;

a polymeric substrate proximate the optical glass substrate and covering a first portion of the optical glass substrate;

an amorphous diamond-like film deposited on at least a second portion of the glass substrate and at least a portion of the polymeric substrate, wherein the amorphous diamond-like film covers both the second portion of the glass substrate and the portion of the polymeric substrate; and

at least one coating on only a portion of the diamond-like film that is deposited on the second portion of the glass substrate.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein an outermost coating of the at least one coating is one of glass solder, metal, or a polymeric composition.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the metal comprises a first layer of nickel and a second layer of gold.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like film is selected from the group consisting of diamond-like carbon, diamond-like glass, diamond-like network, interpenetrating diamond-like nanocomposites, and combinations thereof.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like film comprises at least about 25 atomic percent carbon, from about 0 to about 50 atomic percent silicon, and from about 0 to about 50 atomic percent oxygen on a hydrogen-free basis.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like film comprises from about 30 to about 70 atomic percent carbon, from about 20 to about 40 atomic percent silicon, and from about 20 to about 40 atomic percent oxygen on a hydrogen-free basis.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like film has an average thickness from about 0.01 to about 100 microns.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate is a waveguide.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the waveguide is an optical fiber.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like film provides a hermetic seal to protect at least the second portion of the glass substrate and all of the polymeric substrate from environmental reactive species.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like film is stable at temperatures above 300°

C.

12. The article of claim 1, further comprising at least one coating on the diamond-like film.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein the outermost coating is glass solder, metal, or a polymeric composition.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the metal comprises a first layer of nickel and a second layer of gold.

15. The article of claim 1, wherein the polymeric substrate is selected from the group comprising epoxy, silicone, polyimide, acrylate, fluorinated polymer, and combinations thereof.

16. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is selected from the group comprising a laser module, an optical amplifier module, a fiber optic pigtail, a thermal package, an optical amplifier module, a optical switch module, a dispersion compensation device, an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer unit, or an optical receiver.

17. The article of claim 1, further comprising:

a coating deposited on at least a portion of the amorphous diamond-like film; and

a package enclosing at least a portion of the amorphous diamond-like film.

18. The optical article of claim 17, further comprising a material to adhere the package to the amorphous diamond-like film.

19. The optical article of claim 17, where the coating is metallic or polymeric.

20. The optical article of claim 18, wherein the attaching means is solder, glass frit, or a laser weld.

21. The article of claim 1, wherein flue amorphous diamond-like film covers a transition zone defining a portion of the glass stibstrate where the polymeric substrate ends.