Optical interconnect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435971-B2
Application number	US-201514796799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2015
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to sets of optical waveguides such as optical fiber ribbons and embedded optical waveguides, and optical interconnects useful for connecting multiple optical waveguides such as in optical fiber ribbon cables and printed circuit boards (PCBs) having optoelectronic capabilities. In particular, the disclosure provides an efficient, compact, and reliable optical waveguide connector that incorporates microlenses and re-directing elements which combine the features of optical waveguide alignment, along with redirecting and shaping of the optical beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical interconnect assembly, comprising:
a plurality of first optical waveguides, each first optical waveguide comprising a first light extractor, the first light extractors being staggered relative to one another;
a plurality of second optical waveguides, each second optical waveguide comprising a second light extractor, the second light extractors being staggered relative to one another, each second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides corresponding to a different first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides;
a plurality of first microlenses staggered relative to one another, each first microlens in the plurality of first microlenses corresponding to a different first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides; and
a plurality of second microlenses staggered relative to one another, each second microlens in the plurality of second microlenses corresponding to a different second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides,
the first light extractor of each first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides and the second light extractor of the corresponding second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides being so oriented that light traveling within the first optical waveguide enters the second optical waveguide after being redirected by the first light extractor of the first optical waveguide, exiting the first optical waveguide, traveling through the first microlens in the plurality of first microlenses corresponding to the first optical waveguide, traveling through the second microlens in the plurality of second microlenses corresponding to the second optical waveguide, and being redirected by the second light extractor of the second optical waveguide.

2. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of first optical waveguides and the plurality of second optical waveguides is disposed on or within a first circuit board.

3. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first circuit board is a backplane printed circuit board.

4. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 2 , wherein the other of the plurality of first optical waveguides and the plurality of second optical waveguides is disposed on or within a second circuit board.

5. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second circuit board is plugged into a first side of the first circuit board via an electrical connector.

6. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first circuit board is connected to the second circuit board in a perpendicular orientation.

7. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second circuit boards includes at least one semiconductor chip mounted thereon.

8. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 4 , further comprising at least one optoelectronic device disposed on each of the first and second circuit boards.

9. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one optoelectronic device comprises at least one of a light emitting device and a light detecting device.

10. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 2 , further comprising an optical coupler mounted on the first circuit board, the optical coupler comprising the plurality of first microlenses and the plurality of second microlenses.

11. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first microlenses is disposed on the first circuit board.

12. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of the first optical waveguides is embedded within the first circuit board.

13. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first light extractor of each first optical waveguide is one of a grating adjacent a surface of the first optical waveguide, a reflector embedded within the first optical waveguide, and an angle cleaved end face of the first optical waveguide, and wherein the second light extractor of each second optical waveguide is one of a grating adjacent a surface of the second optical waveguide, a reflector embedded within the second optical waveguide, and an angle cleaved end face of the second optical waveguide.

14. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the first or second light extractors comprises a first wavelength selective extraction grating and a different second wavelength selective extraction grating.

15. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 1 , wherein each first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides and each second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides is an optical fiber.

16. An optical interconnect assembly, comprising:
a plurality of first optical waveguides disposed in a first plane, each first optical waveguide comprising a first light extractor, the first light extractors being staggered relative to one another;
a plurality of second optical waveguides disposed in a second plane different from the first plane, each second optical waveguide comprising a second light extractor, the second light extractors being staggered relative to one another, each second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides corresponding to a different first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides;
a plurality of first microlenses staggered relative to one another, each first microlens in the plurality of first microlenses corresponding to a different first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides; and
a plurality of second microlenses staggered relative to one another, each second microlens in the plurality of second microlenses corresponding to a different second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides,
the first light extractor of each first optical waveguide in the plurality of first optical waveguides and the second light extractor of the corresponding second optical waveguide in the plurality of second optical waveguides being so oriented that light traveling within the first optical waveguide enters the second optical waveguide after being redirected by the first light extractor of the first optical waveguide, exiting the first optical waveguide, traveling through the first microlens in the plurality of first microlenses corresponding to the first optical waveguide, traveling through the second microlens in the plurality of second microlenses corresponding to the second optical waveguide, and being redirected by the second light extractor of the second optical waveguide.

17. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 16 , wherein one of the plurality of first optical waveguides and the plurality of second optical waveguides is disposed on or within a first circuit board, and the other of the plurality of first optical waveguides and the plurality of second optical waveguides is disposed on or within a second circuit board.

18. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first circuit board is a backplane printed circuit board.

19. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 17 , further comprising an optical coupler mounted on the first circuit board, the optical coupler comprising the plurality of first microlenses and the plurality of second microlenses.

20. The optical interconnect assembly of claim 17 , wherein the second circuit board is plugged into a first side of the first circuit board via an electrical connector.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Wang Ding
• Smith Terry L

Classifications

• G02B6/3608

  Fibre wiring boards, i.e. where fibres are embedded or attached in a pattern on or to a substrate, e.g. flexible sheets (optical ribbon cables in support members G02B6/4401) · CPC title

• G02B6/30 Primary

  for use between fibre and thin-film device · 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

• G02B6/428

  containing printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H05K1/0274

  Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means (H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42) · CPC title