Optical connector assembly

1. A method for manufacuturing an optical connectot assembly, comprising:

proving a substrate;

embedding at least one optical fiber in the substrate;

covering the substrate with a sacrificial cover plate to seal the at least one optical fiber between the substrate and the sacrificial cover plant and to provide an intial assembly;

polishing a first end of said intial assembly at a predetermined angle to enable an optical coupling between said at least one optical fiber and at least one optical device using an optical reflection through a planar coupling surface located on said intial assembly; and

at least partially removing said sacrificial cover plate to expose at least a portion of said planar coupling surface of said intial assembly which allows said coupling.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said comprises:

providing the substrate with at least one V-groove;

inserting an optical fiber in each of the at least one V-groove;

and wherein the covering comprises: providing an epoxy coating substance over at least one part of said substrate, in the vicinity of the at least one V-groove; and sealing the optical fiber in each of the at least one V-groove provided in the substrate using the epoxy coating substance, and the sacrificial cover plate provided over said coupling surface and over the at least one V-groove, to ensure each said optical fiber is correctly placed and bonded within said at least one V-groove to create said initial assembly; and wherein said polishing of said first end of said initial assembly at a predetermined angle provides a bevelled surface on said initial assembly and thereby also provides a bevelled surface on each said optical fiber at the first end of said assembly.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least partially removing said sacrificial cover plate comprises completely removing said sacrificial cover plate from said initial assembly.

4. The method as claim in claim 1 , wherein said cover plate is a transparent sheet of material.

5. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising placing said planar coupling surface on said optical device with said planar coupling surface abutting a planar window of said optical coupling.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising using references on said optical device and said intial assembly to adjust a position of said intial assembly over said planar window to achieve said optical coupling.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the epoxy coating substance is light activated, further comprising the step of light activating the epoxy coating substance until is has solidified.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the transparent sheet of material provides for said coupling surface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said at least one V-groove comprises a plurality of fibers inserted in a plurality of parallel V-grooves.

10. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one V-groove is etched in silicon.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein least one of the references is a fudicial mark is a fiducial mark or an etching on at least one of said intial assembly and said intial assembly and said optical device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the sacrificial cover plate is a transparent sheet of material and wherein the step of placing said planar coupling surface of said initial assembly on said optical device with said planar coupling surface abutting a planar window of said optical device comprises the using at least a part of the transparent sheet of material between said planar coupling surface and said planar window of said optical device as a coupling surface.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the optical device comprises a VCSEL.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the optical device comprises a microlens provided at a distance from the initial assembly that enables a capture of all light originating from a corresponding optical fiber and collimates all the light into the optical device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one optical fiber comprises a plurality of fibers arranged as a ribbon cable.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least partially removing said sacrificial cover plate comprises buffing said planar coupling surface of said initial assembly.

17. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least partially removing comprises chemically treating said sacrificial cover plate.

18. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least partially removing comprises at least one of lapping and polishing said sacrificial cover date.