Finishing techniques for lensed optical fibers
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorsMark B. Cholewa, Lee H. Fisher, Lawrence A. Greenberg
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for processing an optical fiber to include an integral lens and a metallized outer coating. The fiber is first etched to include a tapered transition region and a thinned end region. The etched fiber is subsequently metallized and covered with a protective coating. A wet chemical etching technique is used to form an integral lens over the endface of the fiber. The protective coating is then stripped and any free metal is removed. The method allows for the fiber metallization to be in relative close proximity to the lens such that the fiber may be soldered into place near its endface, limiting any subsequent movement of the fiber relative to the aligned optical device.
Claims16
A method of processing an optical fiber comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a stripped optical fiber;
- b) etching said stripped optical fiber to form a tapered transition region and a thinned end region;
- c) forming a protective coating over the etched fiber;
- d) cleaving the fiber within the transition region so as to expose a fiber endface;
- e) etching the cleaved fiber of step d) so as to form an integral lens over the exposed fiber endface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.