Methods of forming a fiber coupling device and fiber coupling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012806-B2
Application number	US-201615242946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

The application provides methods of forming a fiber coupling device comprising a substrate, the substrate having a substrate surface and at least one optoelectronic and/or photonic element, and further comprising at least one fiber coupling alignment structure that is optically transmissive. One method comprises a) applying a polymerizable material to the substrate surface, b) selectively polymerizing, using a method of 3D lithography, a region of the polymerizable material so as to convert the region of the polymerizable material into a polymer material, thereby forming at least one fiber coupling alignment structure, and c) cleaning the substrate and the polymer material from remaining non-polymerized polymerizable material, thereby exposing the at least one fiber coupling alignment structure of the fiber coupling device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a fiber coupling device, the fiber coupling device comprising a substrate, the substrate having a substrate surface and at least one optoelectronic and/or photonic element, and further comprising at least one fiber coupling alignment structure that is optically transmissive, wherein the method at least comprises:
a) applying a polymerizable material to the substrate surface and/or to the at least one optoelectronic and/or photonic element,
b) selectively polymerizing, using a method of 3D lithography, a region of the polymerizable material by visually monitoring the position and/or shape of the regions to be polymerized by means of a visual system enabling real-time correction during execution of 3D lithography so as to convert the region of the polymerizable material into a polymer material, thereby forming at least one fiber coupling alignment structure which comprises at least one of:
a support interface surface at which the polymer material is in direct contact with the substrate surface and/or with the at least one optoelectronic and/or photonic element,
a fiber support region adapted to support at least one optical fiber in an aligned position for optical coupling to the substrate and/or to the at least one optoelectronic and/or photonic element, and/or
at least one reflection surface for reflecting light propagating between at least one optical fiber and the at least one optoelectronic and/or photonic element of the substrate, and

c) cleaning the substrate and the polymer material from remaining non-polymerized polymerizable material, thereby exposing the at least one fiber coupling alignment structure of the fiber coupling device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selective polymerizing of the region of the polymerizable material is performed using a method of contactless 3D lithography.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selective polymerizing of the region of the polymerizable material is performed using a method of maskless 3D lithography.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step b) of selectively polymerizing and thereby converting the region of the polymerizable material into the polymer material is executed by performing 3D laser scanning.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing 3D laser scanning includes focussing and/or otherwise controlling a laser beam such that two-photon-polymerisation occurs in a focal region of the laser beam exclusively, thereby restricting an area where polymerization does occur to the position and/or extension of the focal region of the focussed laser beam.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing 3D laser scanning comprises:
moving the substrate in two lateral directions transverse to a direction of a laser beam; and
moving a focal region of the laser beam, along a third direction normal to the substrate surface of the substrate, by varying the focal distance of the laser beam.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein performing 3D laser scanning comprises:
measuring a real-time position of the optoelectronic and/or photonic element relative to a position of a focal region of a laser beam, to a position of a partially fabricated polymer structure and/or to a predefined reference position for starting polymerization on the substrate,
wherein any offset of the measured real-time position from a predefined default position of the optoelectronic and/or photonic element is compensated by shifting, before and/or during selective polymerizing, the position of the laser beam, of its focal region and/or of the substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optoelectronic or photonic element is designed for emitting and/or receiving light to and/from a propagation direction inclined by less than 45° relative to a normal direction of a main surface of the substrate; and
wherein the fiber coupling alignment structure is shaped such that the fiber support region is adapted to support at least one optical fiber with its axial direction inclined by more than 45° relative to the normal direction of the main surface of the substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
d) mounting at least one optical fiber to the fiber support region of the at least one fiber coupling alignment structure after having performed steps a) through c).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a fiber coupling device comprising a plurality of optoelectronic and/or photonic elements for coupling to a plurality of optical fibers is used and wherein a fiber coupling alignment structure is formed which comprises:
a plurality of fiber support regions, each fiber support region for supporting one optical fiber to be optically coupled to one of the plural optoelectronic and/or photonic elements, and
a plurality of reflection surfaces, each reflection surface being adapted for reflecting light propagating between one respective optical fiber and one of the plural optoelectronic and/or photonic elements.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber coupling alignment structure is in direct contact with the plurality of optoelectronic and/or photonic elements.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
determining, prior to and/or during selective polymerizing of the region of the polymerizable material, positional and/or orientational misalignments of each optoelectronic and/or photonic element or each optoelectronic and/or photonic chip relative to the substrate surface or to a default position.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the positional and/or orientational misalignments includes:
measuring, for each optoelectronic and/or photonic element or chip, its actual position and/or orientation or a deviation of the actual position and/or orientation from a respective default position and/or orientation relative to the substrate surface.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes calculating individually, for each respective optoelectronic and/or photonic element or chip, an individual compensational offset of at least one surface portion of the fiber coupling alignment structure.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the individual offset includes a positional offset and/or a rotational offset of the at least one surface portion of the fiber coupling alignment structure.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the individual offset includes a positional offset and/or a rotational offset of a respective reflection surface associated with the respective optoelectronic and/or photonic element or chip.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the individual offset includes a positional offset and/or a rotational offset of a respective fiber support region associated with the optoelectronic and/or photonic element or chip.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the individual offset includes at least one parameter value and/or parameter offset determining the shape of a respective reflection surface associated with the optoelectronic and/or photonic element.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the respective parameter value or parameter offset includes a value or offset of at least one polynomial coefficient determining the shape of the respective reflection surface associated with the optoelectronic and/or photonic element.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein selective polymerizing in step b) is performed such that the fiber coupling alignment structure formed thereby comprises, for each one of the plural optoelectronic and/or photonic elements, an individually adjusted reflection surface and

Assignees

• Ccs Technology Inc
• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• De Jong Michael
• Fortusini Davide Domenico
• Matiss Andreas
• Spreemann Martin
• Ten Have Eric Stephan

Classifications

• G02B6/4214 Primary

  the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/138

  by using polymerisation · CPC title

• G02B6/4239

  Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material · CPC title

• G02B6/4257

  having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate (G02B6/3648 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4243

  Mounting of the optical light guide into a groove (mounting optical light guides into a groove in general G02B6/3636) · CPC title