US 12,259,582 B2Granted

Microfabrication method for optical components

AssigneeNingbo Litas Optical Technologies Co., Ltd.

InventorBenjamin B. Jian

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Abstract

A ferrule mold having a reverse-image of a through-hole array for optical fibers is formed. A non-polymeric ferrule material is deposited in the reverse-image mold, followed by removing the mold to create a multi-fiber connector ferrule having at least two fiber through-holes. An optical fiber is inserted in each through-hole until each fiber endface is positioned approximately even with a connection surface of the ferrule. A fiber recess for each of the optical fibers is formed such that each fiber is recessed from the multi-fiber ferrule connection surface by a distance of at least 0.1 micron. The recess may be formed by differential polishing of the non-polymeric ferrule and endfaces of the optical fibers. Alternatively, a layer of spacer material may be deposited over the multi-fiber ferrule connection surface. An antireflection coating is deposited over the ends of the recessed fibers.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A high-density, recessed-fiber, multi-fiber optical connector component, comprising:

an optical connector ferrule chip having a front surface and a two-dimensional microfabricated through-hole array including at least twelve through-holes in the two-dimensional microfabricated through-hole array, and having submicron accurate through-hole center positions, each through-hole dimensioned and configured for holding and aligning a single optical fiber and wherein said through-holes are formed at a through-hole tilt angle with respect to the surface normal of said front surface of said optical connector ferrule;
a pedestal mounted to the optical connector ferrule chip;
an optical fiber with a fiber endface, positioned in each of said fiber through-holes;
an antireflection coating deposited over the optical fiber endfaces;
a fiber recess in which the fiber endfaces are positioned at a gap from a contact surface of the optical connector component by either 1) a polished optical fiber endface, or 2) a spacer layer positioned over a portion of the ferrule front surface;
wherein the contact surface of the optical connector component is separated from the antireflection coating of the fiber endfaces by a distance of at least 0.1 micron.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/744,772Filed 16 May 2022 · continuation
Priority: 8 Jul 2019
Published: US 2022/0269011 A125 Aug 2022
Granted: 25 Mar 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G02B 6/3818
Of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres: of a low-reflection-loss type
G02B 6/3826
Of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres: characterised by form or shape
G02B 1/11
Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements: anti-reflection coatings
G02B 6/3854
Details of mounting fibres in ferrules; Assembly methods; Manufacture: ferrules characterised by materials

Family

Application16/505,673Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 8 Jul 2019
Application16/716,519Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Dec 2019
US 10,545,294 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Jan 2020
US 2022/0269011 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Aug 2022
US 11,333,835 B2Parent of this continuation
Application16/716,519Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2021/0011227 A1Published application
US 12,259,582 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.