Flexible fiber optic circuits and methods of manufacturing the same

A method of making a flexible optical circuit device, comprising:

• (a) terminating front ends of optical fibers in ferrules and securing the optical fibers to the ferrules such that the front ends of the optical fibers are positioned adjacent to front end faces of the ferrules to provide ferrule assemblies, the ferrule assemblies including the ferrules and stub portions of the optical fibers that extend rearwardly from the ferrules;
• (b) subsequent to (a), processing the front ends of the optical fibers of the ferrule assemblies by either mechanically polishing the front ends of the optical fibers of the ferrule assemblies or applying an energy source, wherein the energy source includes a laser or a plasma, to the front ends of the optical fibers of the ferrule assemblies;
• and
• (c) subsequent to (b), routing and securing the stub portions of the optical fibers of the ferrule assemblies on a flexible planar substrate.

A method of making a flexible optical circuit device, comprising:

• (a) terminating a front end of an optical fiber in a ferrule and securing the optical fiber to the ferrule such that the front end of the optical fiber is positioned adjacent to a front end face of the ferrule;
• (b) subsequent to (a), cutting the optical fiber to provide a ferrule assembly, the ferrule assembly including the ferrule and a stub portion of the optical fiber that extends rearwardly from the ferrule;
• (c) subsequent to (b), processing the front end of the optical fiber of the ferrule assembly by either mechanically polishing the front end of the optical fiber of the ferrule assembly or applying an energy source, wherein the energy source includes a laser or a plasma, to the front end of the optical fiber of the ferrule assembly;
• (d) subsequent to (c), assembling the ferrule in a connector body to provide a connectorized ferrule assembly;
• (e) subsequent to (d), loading the connectorized ferrule assembly onto a spool and a robotic arm;
• (f) subsequent to (e), using the robotic arm, routing and securing the stub portion of the connectorized ferrule assembly on a flexible planar substrate, including deploying the stub portion of the connectorized ferrule assembly from the spool onto an uncured adhesive applied to the flexible substrate,
• wherein the step (f) causes a back end of the stub portion of the connectorized ferrule assembly to be positioned off the flexible substrate beyond a back end of the flexible substrate.