Self-aligned optical waveguide to optical fiber connection system

An apparatus for self-aligning an optical fiber to an optical waveguide comprising:

• an optical waveguide chip including:
• one or more optical waveguides formed on a first substrate, each optical waveguide including a cladding layer, said cladding layer extending over a top surface of said first substrate and a protruding portion, said protruding portion including a core portion and a cladding portion;
• and
• one or more alignment rails formed on top of said cladding layer, each alignment rail substantially co-planer with said core portion and spaced apart from each core portion by a predetermined distance;
• and
• an alignment jig including:
• one or more trenches in a thick layer on top of a second substrate and one or more grooves formed in said second substrate, each groove open to one trench;
• each groove adapted to receive one protruding portion and to support one optical fiber in alignment with one optical waveguide;
• and
• one or more alignment grooves formed in said thick layer, each alignment groove spaced apart from said grooves by said predetermined distance and adapted to mate with said alignment rails.

A method for self-aligning an optical fiber to an optical waveguide, comprising:

• providing a first substrate;
• forming a first cladding layer on top of said first substrate;
• forming a core layer on top of said first cladding layer;
• etching said core layer to form a waveguide core and one or more one or more alignment rails, each alignment rail spaced apart from said waveguide core by a predetermined distance;
• forming a second cladding layer on a top surface and on sidewalls of said waveguide core, said waveguide core and second cladding layer forming a protruding portion of said waveguide, said first cladding layer, said waveguide core and said second cladding layer forming said optical waveguide;
• providing a second substrate;
• forming a mask layer on top of said second substrate;
• simultaneously etching one or more trenches and one or more alignment grooves in said mask layer, each alignment groove spaced apart from said trench by said predetermined distance and adapted to mate with said alignment rails;
• etching a groove in said second substrate in each said trench, each groove and trench adapted to receive one protruding portion and to support one optical fiber such that a core of the optic fiber aligns with said waveguide core;
• and
• placing said first substrate onto said second substrate such that said alignment rails engage with said alignment grooves and said protruding portion is received in said groove and trench.