Open face optical fiber array for coupling to integrated optic waveguides and optoelectronic submounts
View Patent ↗An optical fiber array having a V-groove chip with a front portion and a rear portion. The optical fibers are disposed in the V-grooves. The optical fibers are bnonded (e.g. glued) to the V-groove chip in the rear portion of the chip. The optical fibers are not bonded to the front portion of the chip. Preferably, the optical fibers have endfaces that are flush with a front face of the chip. The optical fibers extend from the rear portion. In use, the optical fiber array is pressed against V-grooves of an integrated optics chip or optoelectronic submount. Since the optical fibers are not bonded to the front portion, they can move slightly to fit precisely into V-grooves of the IO chip or submount. Hence, optical fiber alignment is improved. Also, there is no danger of residual adhesive preventing close contact between the optical fibers and IO chip.
1. An optical fiber array apparatus for providing optical connections to an integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device, comprising:
a) a V-groove chip having a V-groove, a rear portion, a front portion, and a front face, and
b) an optical fiber disposed in the V-groove, wherein:
1) the optical fiber is bonded to the rear portion of the V-groove chip,
2) the optical fiber is not bonded to the front portion of the V-groove chip, which is in proximity to the integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device, and
3) wherein the optical fiber extends from the rear portion.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber has an endface located within 1 millimeter of the front face.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the V-groove chip has a wick stop trench between the rear portion and the front portion.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a lid disposed on top of the optical fibers in the rear portion.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber has an endface that is flush with the front face.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the front portion is 1-10 millimeters long.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rear portion is 0.2-5 millimeters long.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the front portion has pits for receiving alignment spheres.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the front face is angled nonperpendicularly with respect to the optical fiber.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the front face is angled forward.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the V-grooves is large in the front portion so that a location of an optical fiber is not fully determined by the V-groove in the front portion.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the V-groove in the front portion has a flat bottom surface.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device is mounted on a substrate, which is a submount chip or substrate chip.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the substrate cooperates with the front portion of the V-groove chip to hold the optical fiber.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the substrate comprises a V-groove, the optical fiber being held between the V-groove of the V-groove chip and the V-groove of the substrate.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the substrate comprises a V-groove, the optical fiber being held between the V-groove of the front portion of the V-groove chip and the substrate.
17. An optical fiber array apparatus for providing optical connections to an integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device, comprising:
a) a V-groove chip having a V-groove, a rear portion, a middle portion, a bonded front portion, and a front face, and
b) an optical fiber disposed in the V-groove, wherein:
1) the optical fiber is bonded to the rear portion of the V-groove chip,
2) the optical fiber is not bonded to the middle portion of the V-groove chip,
3) the optical fiber is bonded to the bonded front portion of the V-groove chip, which is in proximity to the integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device, and
4) wherein the optical fiber extends from the rear portion.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical fiber has an endface located within 1 millimeter of the front face.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the V-groove chip has a wick stop trench between the rear portion and the bonded front portion.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the V-groove chip has a wick stop trench between the middle portion and the bonded front portion.
21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a lid disposed on top of the optical fibers in the rear portion.
22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the optical fiber has an endface that is flush with the front face.
23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the bonded front portion is 0.2-2 millimeters long.
24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the rear portion is 0.2-5 millimeters long.
25. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the front portion has pits for receiving alignment spheres.
26. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the front face is angled nonperpendicularly with respect to the optical fiber.
27. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device is mounted on a substrate, which is a submount chip or substrate chip.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the substrate cooperates with the front portion of the V-groove chip to hold the optical fiber.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the substrate cooperates with the front portion and middle portion of the V-groove chip to hold the optical fiber.
30. A method for coupling an optical fiber to an integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device disposed on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
a) bonding the optical fiber to only a rear portion of a V-groove chip having the rear portion and a front portion;
b) bonding the optical fiber and front portion of the V-groove chip to the substrate so that the optical fiber is aligned with the integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device.
31. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of disposing the optical fiber in a V-groove in the substrate, wherein the substrate V-groove is aligned with the integrated optics chip or optoelectronic device.