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US 12,517,308 B2Granted
Method of making a lensed connector with photosensitive glass
AssigneeCorning Research & Development Corporation
InventorsNicholas Francis Borrelli, Davide Domenico Fortusini, Yu-Yen Huang, Shawn Michael O'Malley, Georges Roussos, Joseph Francis Schroeder, III, Jun Yang, Lei Yuan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method of making a lensed connector in which a glass ferrule has holes within the body of the glass ferrule, and the glass ferrule is subsequently processed to form lens structures along the ferrule.
Claims16
A lensed connector assembly comprising:
- a ferrule made of photosensitive glass and having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a ferrule body between the first surface and the second surface;
- the ferrule having at least one hole extending into the ferrule body from the first surface to define an internal surface;
- wherein the at least one hole is substantially circular in shape having a center and an outer surface with at least one protuberance, wherein the at least one protuberance extends radially inward towards the center by a distance between 1 μm and 100 μm;
- the ferrule further including:
- a dome shaped lens structure integrally formed with the ferrule, the dome shaped lens structure extending from the internal surface into the at least one hole and extending beyond the second surface of the ferrule, the dome shaped lens structure has a sag height between 4.5 μm and 13 μm;
- and
- an optical fiber in the at least one hole and bonded to the dome shaped lens structure.
4 more elements
A lensed connector formed by the method comprising:
- inserting a light occluding agent into at least one hole of a ferrule made of glass, wherein the at least one hole extends partially through the ferrule from a first surface;
- wherein the glass ferrule is made of photosensitive glass;
- wherein the hole is substantially circular in shape having a center and an outer surface with at least one protuberance, wherein the at least one protuberance extends radially inward towards the center by a distance between 1 μm and 100 μm;
- wherein the dome shaped lens structure has a sag height ranging between 4.5 μm and 13 μm;
- applying UV light onto the first surface of the ferrule such that the light occluding agent prevents a portion of the ferrule from being treated by the UV light, thereby forming an untreated portion of the ferrule;
- removing the light occluding agent from the ferrule;
- and
- thermally developing the ferrule such that the untreated portion of the ferrule forms a dome shaped lens structure protruding from a second surface of the ferrule, wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface.
5 more elements
A lensed connector assembly comprising:
- a ferrule made of photosensitive glass and having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a ferrule body between the first surface and the second surface;
- the ferrule having at least one hole extending into the ferrule body from the first surface to define an internal surface;
- wherein the at least one hole is substantially circular in shape having a center and an outer surface with at least one protuberance, wherein the at least one protuberance extends radially inward towards the center by a distance between 1 μm and 100 μm;
- the ferrule further including:
- a dome shaped lens structure integrally formed with the ferrule, the dome shaped lens structure extending from the internal surface into the at least one hole and extending beyond the second surface of the ferrule, the dome shaped lens structure has a sag height between 1 μm and 25 μm;
- and
- an optical fiber in the at least one hole and bonded to the dome shaped lens structure.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.