Fiber array and methods for fabricating the fiber array
A collimator array, a fiber array and a method for fabricating the fiber array are described herein. In one embodiment, that fiber array includes a plurality of optical fibers and a glass plate with a plurality of holes in each of which there is secured one of the optical fibers, wherein the holes were formed by etching away a plurality of opal regions within an exposed and heated photosensitive glass which after the etching became the glass plate. In another embodiment, the fiber array includes a plurality of optical fibers and a glass plate with a plurality of holes in each of which there is secured one of the optical fibers, wherein the holes were formed by etching away a plurality of opal regions within an exposed and heated photosensitive glass which after the etching became the glass plate that included a plurality of oversized holes which were filled with a moldable material that was then drilled to form the holes.
1. A fiber array, comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers; and
a glass plate including a plurality of holes in each of which there is secured one of the optical fibers, wherein said plurality of holes are formed by:
placing a photomask over a photosensitive glass plate;
exposing said photomask and selected regions in said photosensitive glass plate to an ultraviolet light;
heating said exposed photosensitive glass plate to form therein a plurality of opal regions and a plurality of glass regions;
etching said heated photosensitive glass plate until said plurality of opal regions are etched away to form oversized holes in said etched photosensitive glass;
filling the oversized holes with a moldable material; and drilling the moldable material in the oversized holes to form the holes in which there is secured one of the optical fibers.
2. The fiber array of claim 1 , wherein said glass plate including the secured optical fibers is mechanically set and aligned to a microlens array to form a collimator array.
3. The fiber array of claim 2 , wherein said glass plate and said microlens array have matching coefficients of thermal expansion.
4. A fiber array comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers; and
a glass plate including a plurality of holes in each of which there is secured one of the optical fibers, wherein the holes were formed by etching away a plurality of opal regions within an exposed and heated photosensitive glass which after the etching became said glass plate that included a plurality of oversized holes which were filled with a moldable material that was then drilled to form the holes.
5. The fiber array of claim 4 , wherein said glass plate including the secured optical fibers is mechanically set and aligned to a microlens array to form a collimator array.
6. The fiber army of claim 5 , wherein said glass plate and said microlens array have matching coefficients of thermal expansion.
7. The fiber array of claim 4 , wherein said moldable material and said glass plate have matching coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of ±0.5×10 −7 .
8. The fiber army of claim 4 , wherein said moldable material is a polymer or a graphite.
9. A method for fabricating a fiber array, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a plurality of holes in a photosensitive glass plate, said forming step of forming further includes the steps of:
placing a photomask over a non-exposed photosensitive glass plate;
exposing said photomask and selected regions in said non-exposed photosensitive glass plate to an ultraviolet light;
heating said exposed photosensitive glass plate to form therein a plurality of opal regions and a plurality of glass regions;
etching said heated photosensitive glass plate until said plurality of opal regions are etched away to form oversized holes;
filling the oversized holes with a moldable material; and
drilling the moldable material in the oversized holes to form the holes; and
securing an optical fiber in each hole of the drilled photosensitive glass plate which after the etching step became a glass plate that resembles said fiber array.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of mechanically setting and aligning said fiber array to a microlens array to form a collimator array.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said fiber array and said microlens array have matching coefficients of thermal expansion over the −40° C. to 100° C. range.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said moldable material and said glass plate have matching coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of ±0.5×10 −7 .
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein said moldable material is a polymer or a graphite.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein said moldable material is soft enough to drill without sticking to a precision drill and without causing excessive wear and tear to the precision drill.
15. A collimator array, comprising:
a lens array; and
a fiber array including a plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of holes in each of which there is secured one of the optical fibers, wherein said plurality of holes are formed by:
placing a photomask over a photosensitive glass plate;
exposing said photomask and selected regions in said photosensitive glass plate to an ultraviolet light;
heating said exposed photosensitive glass plate to form therein a plurality of opal regions and a plurality of glass regions;
etching said heated photosensitive glass plate until said plurality of opal regions are etched away to form oversized holes in said etched photosensitive glass;
filling the oversized holes with a moldable material; and
drilling the moldable material in the oversized holes to form the holes.
16. The collimator array of claim 15 , wherein said lens array and said fiber array have matching coefficients of thermal expansion.