Fiber optic connector assembly and fabrication method incorporating multi-fiber ferrule and thermoplastic adhesive

A fiber optic connector assembly comprising:

• a ferrule body comprising a polymer material, the ferrule body having a front end face, a rear end face, and a plurality of micro-passages defined in the ferrule body and extending through the front end face;
• a plurality of optical fibers extending through the ferrule body and terminated at the front end face, wherein each optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers comprises a stripped region, and the stripped region of each optical fiber extends through a corresponding micro-passage of the plurality of micro-passages;
• and
• a thermoplastic adhesive material arranged in the plurality of micro-passages between stripped regions of the plurality of optical fibers and the ferrule body, and configured to retain the plurality of optical fibers within the ferrule body;
• wherein the ferrule body comprises at least one of the following features (i) and (ii):
• (i) the ferrule body comprises a different degree of crystallinity at the first end face than at the second end face;
• and
• (ii) at least some micro-passages of the plurality of micro-passages are arranged in a one-dimensional array, with outermost micro-passages of the one-dimensional array being spaced apart by a first distance at the front end face and spaced apart by a second distance at the rear end face, with the second distance being smaller than the first distance.

A method for fabricating a fiber optic connector assembly, the fiber optic connector assembly including a ferrule body that comprises a polymer material and including a plurality of optical fibers each comprising a stripped region, the method comprising:

• heating at least a portion of the ferrule body, and providing a thermal gradient between the front end face and the rear end face of the ferrule body, with the front end face at a lower temperature than the rear end face;
• and
• inserting stripped portions of the plurality of optical fibers through a rear end face of the ferrule body into a plurality of micro-passages that are defined in the ferrule body and that extend through a front end face of the ferrule body, to cause the stripped portions of the plurality of optical fibers to extend at least to the front end face;
• causing the stripped portions of the plurality of optical fibers to extend through molten thermoplastic adhesive arranged between the stripped portions of the optical fibers and the plurality of micro-passages;
• allowing the thermoplastic adhesive to solidify in the plurality of micro-passages between the stripped regions of the optical fibers and the ferrule body.