Method for assembling optical module
AssigneeSumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.
InventorsYuji Gomi, Isao Baba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An alignment apparatus and an alignment method that enables to align an optical device with a receptacle, where the optical device and the receptacle have respective axes tilted to each other. The method includes steps of: (1) obtaining a minimum pressure caused to the optical device from the receptacle as varying a rolling angle around the X-axis of the optical device but fixing the pitching angle around the Y-axis at a rotating angle around the Z-axis; (2) determining a rotating angle where thus obtained minimum pressure becomes the minimum; and (3) iterating those procedures until the rotating angle obtained as varying the rolling angle and another rotating angle obtained as varying the pitching angle substantially coincides to each other.
Claims10
A method of assembling an optical module that comprises an optical device and a receptacle, the optical device installing an optical element that generates or receives an optical signal, the receptacle receiving an external optical fiber optically coupling with the optical element in the optical device, the method comprising steps of:
- making the optical device in contact to the receptacle by lifting the receptacle down to the optical device;
- making an axis of the optical device along a Z-direction in parallel to an axis of the receptacle along the Z-axis by steps of,
- determining a rotating angle of the optical device with respect to the receptacle at which the optical device causes a minimum pressure against the receptacle, as varying a rolling angle but fixing a pitching angle of the optical device with respect to the receptacle, where the rolling angle is around an X-direction perpendicular to the Z-direction and the pitching angle is around a Y-direction perpendicular to the Z-direction and the X-direction,
- determining another rotating angle of the optical device with respect to the receptacle at which the optical device causes another minimum pressure against the receptacle, as varying the pitching angle but fixing the rolling angle, and
- iterating the step of determining the rotating angle and the step of determining the another rotating angle until the rotating angle substantially coincides with the another rotating angle;
- and
- aligning the axis of the optical device with the axis of the receptacle.
A positioner that aligns an optical device with a receptacle, comprising:
- a base that mounts the optical device;
- a goniometer that mounts the base thereon, the goniometer including a rolling stage, a pitching stage, a rotating stage, an X-sliding stage, and a Y-sliding stage that position the optical device on the base with respect to the receptacle;
- and
- a pressure sensor put between the base and the goniometer, the pressure sensor sensing a pressure applied to the base from the receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.