# US 2019/0170953 A1 · Axial alignment of a lensed fiber in a grooved assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170953 A1 - Document ID: US20190170953A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/140,006 - Filed: 2018-09-24 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-21 - Assignees: Skorpios Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Skorpios Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Daming Liu; John Zyskind - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170953A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/4243: {Mounting of the optical light guide into a groove (mounting optical light guides into a groove in general G02B6/3636)} - G02B 6/30: for use between fibre and thin-film device - G02B 6/3636: {the mechanical coupling means being grooves (G02B6/3652 takes precedence)} - G02B 6/3652: {the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers} - G02B 6/3692: {with surface micromachining involving etching, e.g. wet or dry etching steps (surface micromachining involving subtractive techniques B81C1/00055)} - G02B 6/4214: {the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence)} - G02B 6/4225: {by a direct measurement of the degree of coupling, e.g. the amount of light power coupled to the fibre or the opto-electronic element} - G02B 6/4239: {Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material} - G02B 6/4202: {for coupling an active element with fibres without intermediate optical elements, e.g. fibres with plane ends, fibres with shaped ends, bundles} - G02B 6/4226: {Positioning means for moving the elements into alignment, e.g. alignment screws, deformation of the mount} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A v-groove assembly is used to edge couple a lensed fiber (e.g., an optical fiber made of silica) with a waveguide in a photonic chip. The v-groove assembly is made from fused silica. Fused silica is used to so that an adhesive (e.g., epoxy resin) used in bonding the lensed fiber to the v-groove assembly and/or bonding the v-groove assembly to the photonic chip can be cured, at least partially, by light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 A method for optically coupling an optical fiber to a semiconductor waveguide, the method comprising: providing an optical assembly for connecting the optical fiber to the semiconductor waveguide, the optical assembly comprising: a v-groove assembly comprising: a base; a lid; a v-groove; and a facet, wherein the facet is for bonding the v-groove assembly to an optical chip; the optical fiber is positioned in the v-groove between the base and the lid; and epoxy bonding the optical fiber to the base and the lid, wherein the epoxy is, at least partially, cured using light; providing the optical chip, wherein the optical chip comprises the semiconductor waveguide; aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip so that the optical fiber aligns with the semiconductor waveguide; applying adhesive between the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip so that the adhesive contacts both the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip after the v-groove assembly is aligned with the optical chip; and irradiating the adhesive to, at least partially, cure the adhesive. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: After irradiating the adhesive, applying additional adhesive; curing, at least partially, the additional adhesive with light; and curing, with heat, the additional adhesive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising bonding the facet of the v-groove assembly to an edge facet of the optical chip. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising using a gripper that mechanically holds the v-groove assembly to align the v-groove assembly with the optical chip. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the gripper holds the v-groove assembly by the lid during alignment of the v-groove assembly with the optical chip and during irradiating the adhesive to, at least partially, cure the adhesive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising using feedback from a diode on the optical chip to align the v-groove assembly with the optical chip, wherein the diode detects light coupled from the optical fiber into the semiconductor waveguide. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising using ultraviolet light to, at least partially, cure the adhesive. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting light through the v-groove assembly to irradiate the adhesive. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the adhesive between the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip, after aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip and before irradiating the adhesive, is from seven to ten microns. ### Claim 11 A system for coupling light from a chip to an optical network, the system comprising: a v-groove assembly comprising: a base; a lid; a v-groove; and a facet; an optical fiber bonded in the v-groove assembly between the base and the lid, wherein the optical fiber is bonded in the v-groove by an epoxy cured by ultraviolet light; and the chip having a waveguide, wherein the chip is bonded to the facet of the v-groove assembly by an adhesive so that an end of the optical fiber aligns with the waveguide of the chip. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein: the chip comprises a substrate, an insulating layer, and a device layer; the waveguide of the chip is formed in the device layer; and the device layer is crystalline silicon. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy resin. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the v-groove assembly is bonded to an edge facet of the chip. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the v-groove assembly is made of fused silica. ### Claim 16 A method for optically coupling an optical fiber to a semiconductor waveguide, the method comprising: providing an optical assembly for connecting the optical fiber to the semiconductor waveguide, the optical assembly comprising: a v-groove assembly comprising: a base; a lid; a v-groove; and a facet, wherein the facet is for bonding the v-groove assembly to an optical chip; the optical fiber is positioned in the v-groove between the base and the lid; and epoxy bonding the optical fiber to the base and the lid, wherein the epoxy is, at least partially, cured using light; providing the optical chip, wherein the optical chip comprises the semiconductor waveguide; aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip so that the optical fiber aligns with the semiconductor waveguide; applying adhesive between the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip so that the adhesive contacts both the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip after the v-groove assembly is aligned with the optical chip; irradiating the adhesive to, at least partially, cure the adhesive; applying additional adhesive; and curing, at least partially, the additional adhesive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein curing the additional adhesive comprises curing with light and heat. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip places the facet of the v-groove assembly no more than ten microns away from the optical chip. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the v-groove assembly is made of fused silica and the semiconductor waveguide is made of crystalline silicon. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising using a diode on the optical chip to align the v-groove assembly with the optical chip. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the adhesive contacts an edge facet of the optical chip.