Claims
- 1. An optical device, comprising:
a substrate having a first registration feature and a second registration feature;
a first optical module comprising:
an optical component; a relative reference mount including a registration feature configured to align with the first registration feature of the substrate, the optical component held at a prealigned spacial orientation relative to the registration feature; and a second optical module, comprising:
an optical component; and a relative reference mount including a registration feature configured to align with the second registration feature of the substrate, the optical component held at a prealigned spacial orientation relative to the registration feature.
- 2. An optical device of claim 1 including optical component mounts configured to fixedly couple to the optical components.
- 3. The optical device of claim 1 including a bonding material configured to fixedly couple the optical relative to the relative reference mounts.
- 4. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the first and second optical modules are bonded to the substrate by a bonding material.
- 5. The optical device of claim 4 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.
- 6. The optical device of claim 4 wherein the bonding material is heat activated.
- 7. The optical device of claim 4 wherein the substrate includes a heater element configured to heat the bonding material.
- 8. The optical device of claim 7 wherein the heater element comprises a resistive element.
- 9. The optical device of claim 7 including contact pads on the substrate electrically connected to the heater element.
- 10. The optical device of claim 4 wherein the bonding material is activated by radiation.
- 11. The optical device of claim 1 wherein at least one optical element has an optical characteristic which varies relative to at least one dimension and wherein the optical characteristic is aligned with a reference defined relative to a registration feature of the respective relative reference mount.
- 12. The optical device of claim 11 wherein the optical components of the optical modules are aligned with each other.
- 13. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the substrate registration features are positioned to provide alignment between the first and second optical modules.
- 14. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the registration features of the relative reference mounts comprise protrusions.
- 15. The optical device of claim 14 wherein the first and second registration features of the substrate comprise recesses configured to mate with the protrusions.
- 16. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the registration features provide a substantially kinematic mount.
- 17. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises silicon.
- 18. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the relative reference mounts comprise silicon.
- 19. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor.
- 20. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic.
- 21. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the optical device comprises a fiber to fiber coupler.
- 22. The optical device of claim 3 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.
- 23. The optical device of claim 3 wherein the bonding material maintains a fixed spacial orientation between the optical component mounts and the respective relative reference mounts.
- 24. The optical device of claim 3 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which a position of an optical component can be adjusted and a second state in which the position is fixed.
- 25. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the relative reference mounts are substantially planar.
- 26. The optical device of claim 4 including a bonding pad between the relative reference mounts and the substrate configured to adhere to the bonding material.
- 27. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the optical component mounts include registration features configured to register the respective optical components.
- 28. The optical device of claim 2 wherein the optical component mounts include a interface surfaces and the optical components are flush with the respective interface surfaces.
- 29. The optical device of claim 1 including at least one additional optical module.
- 30. An optical device, comprising:
a substrate having first and second registration features; a first optical module comprising:
an optical component; a relative reference mount having a registration feature configured to align with the first registration feature of the substrate; a fixed relative spacial orientation between the optical component and the registration feature of the relative reference mount; a second optical module comprising:
an optical component; a relative reference mount configured to align with the second registration feature of the substrate; and a fixed relative spacial orientation between the optical component and the registration feature of the relative reference mount.
- 31. An optical device of claim 30 including optical component mounts configured to fixedly couple to the optical components.
- 32. The optical device of claim 31 including a bonding material configured to fixedly couple the optical component mounts to the relative reference mounts.
- 33. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the first and second optical modules are bonded to the substrate by a bonding material.
- 34. The optical device of claim 33 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.
- 35. The optical device of claim 33 wherein the bonding material is heat activated.
- 36. The optical device of claim 33 wherein the substrate includes a heater element configured to heat the bonding material.
- 37. The optical device of claim 36 wherein the heater element comprises a resistive element.
- 38. The optical device of claim 36 including contact pads on the substrate electrically connected to the heater element.
- 39. The optical device of claim 33 wherein the bonding material is activated by radiation.
- 40. The optical device of claim 30 wherein at least one optical element has an optical characteristic which varies relative to at least one dimension and wherein the optical characteristic is aligned with a reference defined relative to a registration feature of the respective relative reference mount.
- 41. The optical device of claim 40 wherein the optical components of the optical modules are aligned with each other.
- 42. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the registration features of the relative reference mounts comprise protrusions.
- 43. The optical device of claim 42 wherein the first and second registration features of the substrate comprise recesses configured to mate with the protrusions.
- 44. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the registration features provide a substantially kinematic mount.
- 45. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the substrate comprises silicon.
- 46. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the relative reference mounts comprise silicon.
- 47. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor.
- 48. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic.
- 49. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the optical device comprises a fiber to fiber coupler.
- 50. The optical device of claim 32 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.
- 51. The optical device of claim 32 wherein the bonding material provides gaps between the optical component mounts and the respective relative reference mounts.
- 52. The optical device of claim 32 wherein the bonding material has a first state in which a position of an optical component can be adjusted and a second state in which the position is fixed.
- 53. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the relative reference mounts are substantially planar.
- 54. The optical device of claim 32 including a bonding pad between the relative reference mounts and the substrate configured to adhere to the bonding material.
- 55. The optical device of claim 31 wherein the optical component mounts include registration features configured to register the respective optical components.
- 56. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the optical component mounts include interface surfaces and the optical components are flush with the respective interface surfaces.
- 57. The optical device of claim 30 wherein the substrate registration features are positioned to provide alignment between the first and second optical modules.
- 58. The optical device of claim 30 including at least one additional optical module.
- 59. An optical device, comprising:
a substrate having a first registration feature and a second registration feature;
a first optical module comprising:
an optical component; a relative reference mount including a registration feature configured to align with the first registration feature of the substrate, the registration features providing a substantially kinematic mount; and a second optical module, comprising:
an optical component; and a relative reference mount including a registration feature configured to align with the second registration feature of the substrate, the registration features providing a substantially kinematic mount.
- 60. An optical device of claim 59 including optical component mounts configured to fixedly couple to the optical components.
- 61. The optical device of claim 60 including a bonding material configured to fixedly couple the optical component mounts to the relative reference mounts.
- 62. The optical device of claim 59 wherein the first and second optical modules are bonded to the substrate by a bonding material.
- 63. The optical device of claim 62 wherein the bonding material comprises solder.
- 64. The optical device of claim 62 wherein the bonding material is heat activated.
- 65. The optical device of claim 62 wherein the substrate includes a heater element configured to heat the bonding material.
- 66. The optical device of claim 65 wherein the heater element comprises a resistive element.
- 67. The optical device of claim 65 including contact pads on the substrate electrically connected to the heater element.
- 68. The optical device of claim 59 wherein the optical components of the optical modules are aligned with each other.
- 69. The optical device of claim 59 wherein the registration features of the relative reference mounts comprise protrusions.
- 70. The optical device of claim 69 wherein the first and second registration features of the substrate comprise recesses configured to mate with the protrusions.
- 71. The optical device of claim 59 including at least one additional optical module.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is related to co-pending application Serial No.______, filed on even date herewith and entitled “OPTICAL MODULE”; application Serial No.______, filed on even date herewith and entitled “OPTICAL MODULE WITH SOLDER BOND”; and application Serial No.______, filed on even date herewith and entitled “OPTICAL ALIGNMENT SYSTEM”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09789124 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Child |
10352795 |
Jan 2003 |
US |