Method of Weldbonding and a Device Comprising Weldbonded Components

• US 20100129647A1
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Bhagavatula, Venkata Adiseshaiah, Bourcier, Roy Joseph, Chaparala, Satish Chandra, Himmelreich, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,790,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/339
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1406 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1616 Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1619 Mid infrared radiation [MIR], e.g. by CO or CO2 lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/484 Moisture curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4845 Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/72 by combined operations or combined techniques, e.g. welding and stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3452 Making complete joints by combining partial joints
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2551 using thermal methods, e.g. fusion welding by arc discharge, laser beam, plasma torch
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3801 Permanent connections, i.e. wherein fibres are kept aligned by mechanical means splices by bonding G02B6/255; fusion splices G02B6/2551
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4237 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4239 Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31551 Of polyamidoester [polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polycarbamate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31721 : Of polyimide

Abstract

A method of assembling optoelectronic and/or photonic components, said method comprising: (i) providing at least two optoelectronic and/or photonic components; (ii) aligning and situating these components relative to one another and in close proximity with one another so as to: (a) provide optical coupling between these components; and (b) maintain the distance d between the adjacent parts of these components, where d is 0 to 100 μm; (iii) adhering these components to one another with while maintaining optical coupling therebetween; and (iv) laser welding these components together while maintaining optical coupling therebetween.

Claims

1. A method of assembling optoelectronic and/or photonic components, said method comprising:

(i) providing at least two optoelectronic and/or photonic components;

(ii) aligning and situating said optoelectronic and/or photonic components relative to one another and in close proximity with one another so as to;

(a) provide optical coupling between said components; and

(b) maintain the distance d between the adjacent parts of said components, where 0 μ

m≦

d≦

100 μ

m;

(iii) adhering said components to one another with adhesive by (a ) situating said adhesive at a boundary between said components, and (b) curing or solidifying said adhesive while maintaining optical coupling therebetween; and

(iv) laser welding said components together while maintaining optical coupling therebetween.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said laser welding step produces less than 1μ

shift in position of either one of adjacent components and said optical coupling during laser welding is maintained, at least in part, through structural rigidity of said cured or solidified adhesive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adhesive is an epoxy, and said step of adhering said components includes a step of changing rigidity of said epoxy to create a permanent bond between said components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said adhesive is a UV curable epoxy, and said step of adhering said components includes a step of UV curing said adhesive to create a permanent bond between said components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied along the outer periphery of the boundary between said components.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the said adhesive is characterized by modulus of rigidity of 5 GPa to 100 GPa, cure time of 1 sec to 90 sec, and contraction C of less than 1 μ

m during curing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the said adhesive is selected from a group consisting of:

uv curable epoxy, heat curable epoxy, a thermoplastic adhesive, a thermosetting adhesive, a cyanoacrylate, a polyurethane, a silicone, or a polyimide.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of laser welding creates at least one welding spot of 50 μ

m to 1 mm in diameter.

9. The method of claim 1, further including steps of (i) measuring optical output power or optical coupling efficiency between said components prior to joining them one to another with said epoxy;

and (ii) measuring optical output power or optical coupling efficiency between said components while adhering them one to another with said epoxy.

10. The method of claim 1, further including steps of (i) measuring optical output power P₁, or optical coupling efficiency E₁ between said components prior to joining them one to another with said epoxy;

and ii) maintaining, while laser welding said components to each other, (a) optical output power such that the output power after welding is P₂≧

0.9P₁, or (b) optical coupling efficiency between said components, such that the optical coupling efficiency E₂ after welding is E₂≧

0.9E₁.

11. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

(i) measuring optical output power P₁, or opticalcoupling efficiency El between said components prior to joining them one to another with said adhesive;

(ii) measuring optical output power Pa, or optical coupling efficiency Ea between said components while adjoining them one to another with said adhesive;

(iii) measuring optical output power Pc, or optical coupling efficiency Ec between said components while curing or solidifying said adhesive;

(iv) measuring optical output power P_w, or optical coupling efficiency E_w coupling efficiency between said components while laser welding them one to another.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said welding is performed with a pulsed Nd:

Yag laser.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said welding is performed by welding with Nd:

Yag laser operated at 0.5 J to 2.5 J per weld spot, using laser pulse width of 1 to 5 milliseconds with a laser spot diameter of 250 μ

m to 1 mm.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said welding is by welding with Nd:

Yag laser operated at 0.5 J to 2.5 J per weld spot, using laser pulse width of 1 to 5 milliseconds with a laser spot diameter of 250 μ

m to 1 mm.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein each welding spot diameter is 200 μ

m-600 μ

m.

16. The method of assembling optoelectronic and/or photonic components, said method comprising:

(i) providing at least two optoelectronic and/or photonic components;

(ii) aligning and situating said optoelectronic and/or photonic components relative to one another and in close proximity with one another so as to;

(a) provide optical coupling between said components; and

(b) maintain the distance d between the adjacent parts of said components, where d is 0 to 1000 μ

m;

(iii) adhering said components to one another with adhesive by situating adhesive at a boundary between said components while maintaining said optical coupling; and

(iv) laser welding said components together at the boundary between said components.

17. A device comprising:

(i) at least two components situated proximate to one another, each of said two components including at least one optical element;

(ii) said at least one optical element of at least one of said at least two components being optically coupled to at least one optical element of another one of said at least two components;

(iii) at least one welding spot, and at least one spot of adhesive being situated at a periphery of the boundary formed between the two components.

18. The device according to claim 17 wherein said adhesive is a UV or heat curable adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, a thermosetting adhesive, a cyanoacrylate, a polyurethane, a silicone, or a polyimide.

19. The device according to claim 17 wherein said at least one welding spot has a cross-section of 250 μ

m to 1 mm.

20. The device according to claim 17 wherein said at least two components are connected to one another by at multiple adhesive spots and said adhesive spots are situated symmetrically with respect to one another.