Optical connectors with inorganic adhesives and methods for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE47418-E
Application number	US-201715651267-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

One embodiment of the disclosure relates to an optical connector. The optical connector may include a ferrule, a waveguide, and an inorganic adhesive composition. The ferrule may include a fiber-receiving passage defining an inner surface. The inorganic adhesive composition may be disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the inner surface of the ferrule and the waveguide. The inorganic adhesive composition may include at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical connector comprising a ferrule, a waveguide, and an inorganic adhesive composition, wherein:
the ferrule comprises a fiber-receiving passage defining an inner surface;
the inorganic adhesive composition is disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the inner surface of the ferrule and the waveguide;
the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide; and
the inorganic adhesive composition comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia.

2. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule is comprises a ceramic material.

3. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition is comprises substantially the same material as the ferrule.

4. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein
the ferrule comprises zirconia or yttria-stabilized zirconia.

5. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition further comprises one or more nanostructures of graphene, carbon, silver, gold, platinum, or combinations thereof.

6. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of yttria-stabilized zirconia.

7. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the inorganic adhesive composition is characterized by an adhesive CTE α1 that varies by less than about 10×10-6/K over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C.;
the ferrule is characterized by a ferrule CTE α2 that varies by less than about 15×10-6/K over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C.; and
the inorganic adhesive composition is configured such that, over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C., |α1−α2|≤15×10-6/K.

8. The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide comprises an optical fiber.

9. An optical connector comprising a ferrule, a waveguide, and an inorganic adhesive composition, wherein:
the ferrule comprises a fiber-receiving passage defining an inner surface;
the inorganic adhesive composition is disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the inner surface of the ferrule and the waveguide;
the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide comprising zirconia or yttria-stabilized zirconia; and
the inorganic adhesive composition has a CTE in a range of between about 80% and 125% of the CTE of the ferrule over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C.

10. A method for securing a waveguide to a ferrule of an optical connector, the method comprising:
depositing an inorganic adhesive composition precursor onto the waveguide or into a fiber-receiving passage defining an inner surface of the ferrule;
inserting the waveguide into the fiber-receiving passage, such that the inorganic adhesive composition precursor is disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the inner surface of the ferrule; and
solidifying the inorganic adhesive composition precursor to form an inorganic adhesive composition, wherein and the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide comprising zirconia or ytrria-stabilized zirconia, and wherein the solidification comprises exposing the inorganic adhesive composition precursor to a temperature in a range of from about 200° C. to about 1200° C.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of zirconia or yttria-stabilized zirconia.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition precursor comprises a metallic salt, another metal ion containing compound, or combinations thereof in a solvent.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic salt and/or the other metal ion containing compound comprises ions of zinc, tin, aluminum, indium, iron, tungsten, titanium, zirconium, silicon, silicon nitride, boron, boron nitride, copper, silver, yttrium, rare earth ions, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic salt and/or the other metal ion containing compound comprises ions of zirconium, yttrium, or both.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solvent is a polar aprotic solvent.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition precursor is comprises a sol-gel solution.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the waveguide comprises an optical fiber.

18. A method for securing a waveguide to a ferrule of an optical connector, the method comprising:
depositing an inorganic adhesive composition precursor onto the waveguide or into a fiber-receiving passage defining an inner surface of the ferrule;
inserting the waveguide into the fiber-receiving passage, such that the inorganic adhesive composition precursor is disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the inner surface of the ferrule;
solidifying the inorganic adhesive composition precursor to form an inorganic adhesive composition, wherein and the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide; and
crystallizing the inorganic adhesive composition after the solidification.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the inorganic adhesive composition is crystallized by exposure to a temperature in a range of from about 200° C. to about 1200° C.

20. An optical connector comprising at least one waveguide and an inorganic adhesive composition, wherein:
the inorganic adhesive composition bonds the at least one waveguide to a part of the optical connector; the inorganic adhesive composition comprises at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide; and the inorganic adhesive composition comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia.

21. The optical connector of claim 20, further comprising a ferrule that defines at least one longitudinal bore for receiving the at least one waveguide, wherein the part of the optical connector to which the at least one waveguide is bonded by the inorganic adhesive composition comprises the ferrule.

22. The optical connector of claim 21, wherein the at least one longitudinal bore defines at least one inner surface, and at least a portion of the inorganic adhesive composition is disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the at least one inner surface.

23. The optical connector of claim 21, wherein the ferrule comprises a ceramic material, and the inorganic adhesive composition comprises substantially the same material as the ferrule.

24. The optical connector of claim 21, wherein:
the inorganic adhesive composition is characterized by an adhesive coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) α1 that varies by less than about 10×10 −6 /K over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C.; the ferrule is characterized by a ferrule CTE α2 that varies by less than about 15×10 −6 /K over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C.; and the inorganic adhesive composition is configured such that, over a temperature range from about −50° C. to about 80° C., |α1−α2|≤15×10 −6 /K.

25. The optical connector of claim 20, further comprising a connector housing and a ferrule at least partially disposed within the connector housing, wherein the part of the optical connector to which the at least one waveguide is bonded by the inorganic adhesive composition is disposed within the connector housing.

26. The optical connector of claim 25, wherein the ferrule is biased forwardly relative to the connector housing.

27. The opti

Assignees

• Corning Optical Communications LLC

Inventors

• Derosa Michael Edward
• O'Malley Shawn Michael
• Schneider Vitor Marino

Classifications

• G02B6/3865

  fabricated by using moulding techniques (shaping techniques of plastic materials in general B29C; producing plastic optical fiber connectors B29D11/0075) · CPC title

• G02B6/3854

  Ferrules characterised by materials · CPC title

• C09J2400/12

  Ceramic · CPC title

• B32B37/142

  Laminating of sheets, panels or inserts, e.g. stiffeners, by wrapping in at least one outer layer, or inserting into a preformed pocket · CPC title

• G02B6/3863

  fabricated by using polishing techniques (grinding of the fibre ends B24B19/226) · CPC title