Assemblies, optical connectors and methods of bonding optical fibers to substrates
Assemblies, optical connectors, and methods for bonding optical fibers to a substrate using a laser beam are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of bonding an optical fiber to a substrate includes directing a laser beam into the optical fiber disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein the optical fiber has a curved surface and the curved surface of the optical fiber focuses the laser beam to a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the laser beam as it enters the optical fiber. The method further includes melting, using the laser beam, a material of the substrate at a bond area between the optical fiber and the surface of the substrate such that the optical fiber is bonded to the surface of the substrate.
1. An assembly for use in an optical fiber connector, comprising:
a substrate comprising a surface;
an optical fiber bonded to the surface of the substrate;
a film disposed on the surface of the substrate; and
a bond area between the optical fiber and the surface of the substrate, wherein the bond area comprises laser-melted material of the substrate that bonds the optical fiber to the substrate;
wherein the film is capable of absorbing a wavelength of a laser beam to melt the material of the substrate at the bond area.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the film is selected from the group consisting of metal, glass, ZnO, TiO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , an electromagnetic-absorbing oxide material, and an electromagnetic-absorbing nitride material.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the film is stainless steel.
4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the film has a thickness of less than or equal to about 1.5 μm.
5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises glass.
6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon.
7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional bond areas positioned along the length of the optical fiber, wherein the one or more additional bond area comprises laser-melted material of the substrate that bonds the optical fiber to the substrate.
8. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional optical fibers bonded to the surface of the substrate.
9. An optical fiber connector comprising:
a housing;
a substrate in the housing, the substrate comprising a surface;
an optical fiber bonded to the surface of the substrate;
a film disposed on the surface of the substrate; and
a bond area between the optical fiber and the surface of the substrate, wherein the bond area comprises laser-melted material of the substrate that bonds the optical fiber to the substrate;
wherein the film is capable of absorbing a wavelength of a laser beam to melt the material of the substrate at the bond area.
10. The optical fiber connector of claim 9 , wherein the film is selected from the group consisting of metal, glass, ZnO, TiO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , an electromagnetic-absorbing oxide material, and an electromagnetic-absorbing nitride material.
11. The optical fiber connector of claim 9 , wherein the film is stainless steel.
12. The optical fiber connector of claim 9 , wherein the film has a thickness of less than or equal to about 1.5 μm.
13. The optical connector of claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises glass.
14. The optical connector of claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon.
15. The optical connector of claim 9 , further comprising one or more additional bond areas positioned along the length of the optical fiber, wherein the one or more additional bond area comprises laser-melted material of the substrate that bonds the optical fiber to the substrate.
16. The optical connector of claim 9 , further comprising one or more additional optical fibers bonded to the surface of the substrate.