Method for Protecting Optical Devices During Manufacture

A method of protecting optical devices using a set of layers during manufacture, comprising:

• providing a wafer having a first side and a second side;
• adhering an exit face protecting layer on a first side of a wafer using an adhesive, the exit face protecting layer selected to protect a substrate material and provide a support for an array of optical devices in subsequent manufacturing steps and the adhesive selected to maintain the optical devices in the array during a shaping process;
• applying a protective material on a second side of the wafer obverse from the first side to protect the wafer during shaping of one or more optical devices, wherein the protective material comprises a thermoplastic selected to allow shaping of the wafer into the one or more optical devices through the protective material;
• after shaping the wafer into the array of one or more optical devices, each optical device having an exit face on the first side and an end on the second side:
• removing the protective material from the second side of the wafer;
• applying an end cover material on the second side after removing the protective material, the end cover material selected to protect non-substrate layers of the wafer during removal of the exit face protecting layer;
• and
• removing the exit face protecting layer;
• adhering a layer of optical tape to the exit faces of the one or more optical devices after removing the exit face protecting layer;
• and
• removing the end cover material,
• wherein the optical devices are maintained in the array until the layer of optical tape is applied by one or more layers in the set of layers.