Method of polishing a surface of a waveguide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969849-B2
Application number	US-202318138081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2023
Priority date	Nov 25, 2019
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A method of polishing a target surface of a waveguide to achieve perpendicularity relative to a reference surface is disclosed. The method includes i) providing a polishing apparatus having a polishing plate with a flat surface defining a reference plane, and an adjustable mounting apparatus configured to hold the waveguide during polishing at a plurality of angular orientations; ii) positioning an optical alignment sensor and a light reflecting apparatus such that a first collimated light beam is reflected off of a surface parallel to the reference plane, and a second perpendicular collimated light beam is reflected off of the reference surface; iii) aligning the waveguide within the polishing apparatus such that the reflections received by the optical alignment sensor align within the optical alignment sensor, thereby being indicative of perpendicularity between the reference plane and the reference surface; and iv) polishing the target surface of the aligned waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable mounting apparatus comprising:
a titling stage;
a waveguide mounting plate in communication with the tilting stage configured to receive a waveguide; and
a tilting arrangement configured to communicate with a plate having a planar exterior surface, the tilting arrangement including:
a first rotation mechanism associated with a first region of the tilting stage, and
a second rotation mechanism associated with a second region of the tilting stage,
the rotation mechanisms cooperating to rotate the tilting stage about at least two perpendicular axes so as to position a waveguide, received by the waveguide mounting plate, at any one of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the planar exterior surface.

2. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tilting arrangement further includes a third rotation mechanism associated with a third region of the tilting stage.

3. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each rotation mechanism includes a rotation screw configured to raise or lower the corresponding region of the tilting stage to effectuate rotation of the tilting stage about the at least two perpendicular axes.

4. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each rotation mechanism includes: a turning wheel, a hollow bolt mechanically coupled to the turning wheel, and a rider mechanically coupled to the turning wheel and engaged with the corresponding region of the titling stage, wherein turning of the turning wheel induces turning of the hollow bolt which induces raising or lowering of the rider.

5. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a locking arrangement configured to lock the orientation of the tilting stage at a given angular orientation.

6. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the locking arrangement includes a locking mechanism associated with a corresponding one of the rotation mechanisms, wherein the locking mechanism includes a tightening screw configured to engage with a turning wheel of the associated rotation mechanism, wherein rotation of the turning wheel induces raising or lowering of the corresponding region of the tilting stage.

7. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a clamping screw connected to a cable via a cable end that is located on an opposite side of a support member of the plate, wherein tightening of the clamping screw tensions the cable so as to secure the tilting stage to the plate.

8. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a spring located between the cable end and the plate to maintain a residual tension between the cable end and the plate when the clamping screw is loosened.

9. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes two or more metallic ends associated with the cable so as to prevent the tilting stage from sinking relative to the plate during tensioning of the cable.

10. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable mounting apparatus is deployed relative to an optical alignment sensor configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive reflections thereof and a light reflecting apparatus configured to reflect a collimated beam exactly 90 degrees, the adjustable mounting apparatus being deployed relative to the optical alignment sensor and the light reflecting apparatus such that a first collimated light beam is reflected off of a surface that is parallel to the planar exterior surface and a second collimated beam that is perpendicular to the first collimated beam is reflected from a reference surface of the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate.

11. The adjustable mounting apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the tilting arrangement is configured to align the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate within a polishing plate having the planar exterior surface by adjusting the angular orientation of the waveguide such that reflections received by the optical alignment sensor corresponding to the reference surface of the waveguide align within the optical alignment sensor thereby providing an indication of perpendicularity between the reference surface and the planar exterior surface.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a polishing plate having a flat exterior surface defining a first plane parallel to a polishing plane; and
at least one adjustable mounting arrangement in communication with the polishing plate, each adjustable mounting arrangement including:
a titling stage,
a waveguide mounting plate in communication with the tilting stage and configured to receive a waveguide, and
a tilting arrangement including a first rotation mechanism associated with a first region of the tilting stage, and a second rotation mechanism associated with a second region of the tilting stage, the rotation mechanisms cooperating to rotate the tilting stage about at least two perpendicular axes so as to position a waveguide, received by the waveguide mounting plate, at any one of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the first plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each rotation mechanism includes a rotation screw configured to raise or lower the corresponding region of the tilting stage to effectuate rotation of the tilting stage about the at least two perpendicular axes.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each rotation mechanism includes: a turning wheel, a hollow bolt mechanically coupled to the turning wheel, and a rider mechanically coupled to the turning wheel and engaged with the corresponding region of the titling stage, wherein turning of the turning wheel induces turning of the hollow bolt which induces raising or lowering of the rider.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a locking arrangement configured to lock an orientation of the tilting stage at a given angular orientation, wherein the locking arrangement includes a locking mechanism associated with a corresponding one of the rotation mechanisms, the locking mechanism including a tightening screw configured to engage with a turning wheel of the corresponding rotation mechanism, wherein rotation of the turning wheel induces raising or lowering of the corresponding region of the tilting stage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a clamping screw connected to a cable via a cable end that is located on an opposite side of a support member of the polishing plate, wherein tightening of the clamping screw tensions the cable so as to secure the tilting stage to the polishing plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a spring located between the cable end and the polishing plate to maintain a residual tension between the cable end and the polishing plate when the clamping screw is loosened.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes two or more metallic ends associated with the cable so as to prevent the tilting stage from sinking relative to the polishing plate during tensioning of the cable.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
an optical alignment sensor configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive reflections thereof; and
a light reflecting apparatus configured to reflect a collimated beam exactly 90 degrees,
wherein the optical alignment sensor and the light reflecting apparatus are deployed relative to the polishing plate such that a fir

Assignees

• Lumus Ltd

Inventors

• Maziel Amit
• Levin Naamah
• Lobachinsky Lilya
• Danziger Yochay

Classifications

• B24B7/244

  continuous · CPC title

• B24B7/241

  Methods · CPC title

• B24B49/12

  involving optical means · CPC title

• B24B13/005

  Blocking means, chucks or the like; Alignment devices · CPC title

• B24B9/146 Primary

  Accessories, e.g. lens mounting devices · CPC title