Optical components including bonding slots for adhesion stability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9261652-B2
Application number	US-201313742483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2013
Priority date	Jan 17, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

An opto-electronic apparatus comprises a substrate for supporting a plurality of components forming an opto-electronic assembly and an optical component attached to the substrate with an adhesive material, such as a solder or epoxy. The optical component is formed to include a plurality of bond slots disposed in parallel across at least a portion of the bottom surface of the optical component, the plurality of bond slots providing a path for a liquid adhesive material and improving the ability to displace the liquid adhesive material as the component is pressed into the surface of the substrate during the attachment process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
an opto-electronic assembly supported by the substrate; and
an optical component optically coupled to the opto-electronic assembly,
wherein a bottom surface of the optical component is attached to the substrate with an adhesive material, the optical component including a plurality of bond slots disposed in a parallel configuration across at least a portion of the bottom surface of the optical component, the plurality of bond slots extending from a front surface of the optical component to a rear surface of the optical component to provide paths for displacing the adhesive material in a liquid state during attachment of the optical component to the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a plurality of optical components, and each of the plurality of optical components includes a plurality of bond slots.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical component is configured to include a first group of bond slots formed at a first end termination of the bottom surface and a second group of bond slots formed at a second, opposing end termination of the bottom surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the bottom surface of the optical component further comprises a central raised region between the first and second groups of bond slots, the central raised region remaining unattached to the substrate surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the optical component comprises an array component for housing a plurality of separate optical elements along an extended transverse direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the array component comprises a microlens array for housing a plurality of separate lens elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the array component comprises an optical interface arrangement for housing a plurality of optical signal paths in an array configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of optical signal paths comprises a plurality of optical fibers.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of optical signal paths comprises a plurality of optical waveguides.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
an optical component including
a housing including a front surface, a rear surface, and a bottom surface, wherein the front surface is configured to be optically coupled with an opto-electronic assembly, the rear surface opposite to and optically coupled with the front surface, and a bottom surface connecting the front surface to the rear surface, the bottom surface configured to be attached to a substrate to support the optical component, wherein the bottom surface comprises a plurality of bond slots disposed in a parallel configuration across at least a portion of the bottom surface, the plurality of bond slots extending from the front surface to the rear surface to provide a path for displacing liquid adhesive material disposed between the bottom surface and the substrate during attachment of the optical component to the substrate; and
a microlens component disposed in a passageway through the housing, wherein the passageway extends from a first opening in the front surface to a second opening in the rear surface of the housing, wherein an optical axis of the microlens component extends through the first and the second openings.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical component is configured to include a first group of bond slots formed at a first end termination of the bottom surface and a second group of bond slots formed at a second, opposing end termination of the bottom surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bottom surface of the optical component further comprises a central raised region between the first and second groups of bond slots.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the microlens component comprises a microlens array for supporting a plurality of separate lens elements in a linear array configuration and the bottom surface of the component includes separate groups of bond slots disposed at opposing end terminations of the bottom surface.

14. A method, comprising:
dispensing a liquid adhesive material on a predetermined region of a substrate; and
positioning a plurality of bond slots of an optical component into the liquid adhesive material dispensed on the predetermined region such that the liquid adhesive material flows into the bond slots and facilitates a stable attachment between the bottom surface of the optical component and the substrate, wherein the substrate supports the optical component, wherein the plurality of bond slots are formed in a parallel configuration across a bottom surface of the optical component, and the plurality of bond slots extending from a front face to a rear face of the optical component.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of bond slots are formed across a majority of the bottom surface of the optical component.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of bond slots are formed as a first group of bond slots at a first end termination of the bottom surface of the optical component and a second group of bond slots at a second end termination of the bottom surface of the optical component.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of forming a central raised region across the bottom surface of the optical component between the first and second groups of bond slots.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the provided component is a microlens.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the provided component is an optical coupling interface arrangement.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Fangman John
• Patel Vipulkumar
• Kachru Ravinder

Classifications

• G02B6/4246

  Bidirectionally operating package structures · CPC title

• G02B6/4214

  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

• G02B6/4204 Primary

  the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms (encapsulated active devices H01S5/02208) · CPC title

• G02B6/36 Primary

  Mechanical coupling means (G02B6/255, G02B6/42 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4239

  Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material · CPC title