EP0358592A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Metallic bond for mounting of optical fibers to integrated optical chips
Assignee: Honeywell Inc
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Filing: 1989-09-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-09-08
Abstract
Abstract A method for pigtailing an optical fiber (18) to a lithium niobate integrated optical device (I/O chip) (12) is shown and described wherein the bonding between the I/O chip and the optical fiber is a metallic bond. The lithium niobate may be attached to a metallic substrate (14) which is welded to a metallic fiber optic carrier (16) which is in turn welded to a metallized optical fiber. The fiber optic carrier may also be made of non-metallic materials which are given a metallic coating prior to attachment to the I/O chip by means of a metallic bond such as welding.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel P. Courtney
- 👤 Timothy J. Bailey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:25
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/30; G02B6/36; G02B6/3628; G02B6/3632; G02B6/3636; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4202; G02B6/4219; G02B6/4236; G02B6/4237; G02B6/3648; G02B6/3652; G02B6/3684; G02B6/3692; G02B6/422; G02B6/4225
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of interfacing an optical fiber to a light port in an integrated optical device (I/O chip), comprising the steps of: selecting a material for a fiber carrier which has thermal expansion characteristics which are substantially the same as those of the I/O chip; depositing a metallic layer upon the I/O chip and upon said fiber carrier; bonding the optical fiber to said fiber carrier; placing said fiber carrier next to said I/O chip in a position where the light port is in alignment with the optical fiber; and bonding said fiber carrier to the I/O chip at said metallic layers.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of interfacing an optical fiber to a light port in an integrated optical device (I/O chip), comprising the steps of: selecting a material for a fiber carrier which has thermal expansion characteristics which are substantially the same as those of the I/O chip; depositing a metallic layer upon the I/O chip and upon said fiber carrier; bonding the optical fiber to said fiber carrier; placing said fiber carrier next to said I/O chip in a position where the light port is in alignment with the optical fiber; and bonding said fiber carrier to the I/O chip at said metallic layers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of: depositing said metallic layer by metallizing surfaces of said I/O chip and said fiber carrier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of: placing a metallic layer upon the optical fiber; and welding the optical fiber to said fiber carrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of: welding with a laser welder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of: welding with a diffusion welding technique.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of: metallizing with a metal vapor deposit technique.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of: cutting a notch along one surface of said fiber optic carrier, wherein said notch will lie in a plane which is parallel to the light transmitting axis of the I/O chip.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the I/O chip and said fiber optic carrier are constructed of the same material and are placed together in a position where the crystal axes thereof are parallel to each other whereby any anisotropic thermal expansion property axes of each are parallel to one another.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of attaching an optical fiber to a light port in an integrated optical device (I/O chip), comprising in the steps of: selecting a metallic material for a fiber carrier; bonding the optical fiber to said metallic fiber carrier; mounting the I/O chip on a metallic substrate which is made of a metal which has thermal expansion characteristics similar to those of said metallic fiber carrier; placing said fiber carrier next to said I/O chip in a position where the light port is in alignment with the optical fiber, and next to said metallic substrate; and bonding said fiber carrier to said metallic substrate where said metallic carrier is next to said metallic substrate.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of attaching an optical fiber to a light port in an integrated optical device (I/O chip), comprising in the steps of: selecting a metallic material for a fiber carrier; bonding the optical fiber to said metallic fiber carrier; mounting the I/O chip on a metallic substrate which is made of a metal which has thermal expansion characteristics similar to those of said metallic fiber carrier; placing said fiber carrier next to said I/O chip in a position where the light port is in alignment with the optical fiber, and next to said metallic substrate; and bonding said fiber carrier to said metallic substrate where said metallic carrier is next to said metallic substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said step of mounting comprises the step of mounting said I/O chip upside down on said substrate whereby the light conducting surface of the I/O chip lies adjacent to said substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the steps of: placing a metallic layer upon the optical fiber; and welding the optical fiber to said metallic fiber carrier.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the step of: soldering said metallic fiber carrier to said metallic substrate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said step of bonding further comprises the step of: bonding with a laser welder.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said step of bonding further comprises the step of: bonding with a diffusion welding technique.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the step of: cutting a notch along one surface of said fiber optic carrier, wherein said notch will lie in a plane which is parallel to the light transmitting axis of said I/O chip.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the optical fiber is aligned with the I/O chip's light port by: placing the optical fiber next to the light port; and aligning the optical fiber with the optical port by passing light through the fiber and port and adjusting their positions until the maximum light passes though them.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the optical fiber is aligned with the I/O chip's light port by: placing the optical fiber next to the optical port; and rotating said fiber optic carrier and light conductor with respect to the optical port until alignment of the respective optical axes is detected.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the optical fiber is a single mode fiber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method in accordance with claim 18 where the fiber core has a diameter which is less than 5 microns.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said bonding is by electrostatic bonding.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
A pigtailed integrated optical (I/O) chip comprising in combination: an I/O chip; a metallic substrate for holding said I/O chip; an optical fiber; a metallic fiber optic carrier, to which said optical fiber is attached; and a metallic bond between said metallic substrate and said metallic fiber optic carrier.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
49 words
A pigtailed integrated optical (I/O) chip comprising in combination: an I/O chip; a metallic substrate for holding said I/O chip; an optical fiber; a metallic fiber optic carrier, to which said optical fiber is attached; and a metallic bond between said metallic substrate and said metallic fiber optic carrier.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The pigtailed integrated optical chip of claim 21 wherein said metallic fiber optic carrier is made of the same metal as said metallic substrate for holding said I/O chip.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pigtailed integrated optical chip of claim 21 wherein said metallic bond is selected from the group of soldering, electric welding, laser welding, flame welding and diffusion welding.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
34 words
The pigtailed integrated optical chip of claim 21 wherein said I/O chip is mounted upside down on said metallic substrate whereby a light conducting surface of said I/O chip is adjacent said metallic substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
75 words
A pigtailed integrated optical (I/O) chip comprising in combination: an I/O chip having a light port and at least one surface a portion of which is metallized; a fiber optic carrier having at least one surface a portion of which is metallized; an optical fiber which is aligned with said light port and attached to said fiber optic carrier; and a metallic bond between said metallized I/O chip surface and said metallized fiber optic carrier.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
75 words
A pigtailed integrated optical (I/O) chip comprising in combination: an I/O chip having a light port and at least one surface a portion of which is metallized; a fiber optic carrier having at least one surface a portion of which is metallized; an optical fiber which is aligned with said light port and attached to said fiber optic carrier; and a metallic bond between said metallized I/O chip surface and said metallized fiber optic carrier.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pigtailed integrated optical chip of claim 25 wherein said metallic bond is selected from the group of soldering, electric welding, laser welding, flame welding and diffusion welding.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The pigtailed integrated optical chip of claim 25 wherein said optical fiber is metallized and is attached to said fiber optic carrier by a metallic bond.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
The pigtailed integrated optical chip of claim 25 wherein said metallized substrate is a solid metal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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