Low-stress coupling of electrooptical device to optical fiber

A method of packaging an electrooptical device and an optical fiber in light coupling alignment with each other, said method comprising the steps of:

• affixing said electrooptical device on a metallic base;
• affixing said optical fiber within the bore of a metallic tubular support member;
• attaching said support member on said base with at least one node of a flexible electrically conductive gel and positioned so that said device and said optical fiber within said support member are in light coupling alignment;
• disposing a non-metallic bottomless container on said base and over at least the portion of said support member to which said at least one node of conductive gel attaches said member to said base, a liquid-tight region being formed by the interior sidewalls of said container and said base;
• adding an electrolytic plating solution into the liquid-tight region of said container;
• inserting into said plating solution an anode in an electrolytic plating circuit;
• electrically connecting said interconnected base, said support member, and said at least one node of conductive gel as the cathode in said electrolytic plating circuit;
• applying sufficient plating current to said circuit to deposit a layer of metal onto said support member, said at least one node of electrically conductive gel, and said base to a thickness sufficient to physically maintain said support member, said at least one node, and said base together and said fiber within said member and said electrooptical device in light coupling alignment;
• draining said plating solution from within said container;
• and
• removing said container from said base.

A method of fixing an object in position on a metallic base, the object having an outer surface to be affixed to the base that is at least in part metallic comprising the steps of:

• attaching at least a portion of the metallic outer surface of said object to the base with a bridge of a flexible electrically conductive gel;
• disposing a non-metallic bottomless container on the base and over at least the portion of the object attached to the base by means of the bridge of the flexible electrically conductive gel, a liquid-tight region being formed by the interior sidewalls of the container and the base;
• adding an electrolytic plating solution into the liquid-tight region of the container;
• inserting into the plating solution an anode in an electrolytic plating circuit;
• applying sufficient plating current to the plating circuit to deposit a layer of metal onto the base, to the metallic outer surface of the object that is within the plating solution, and to the bridge of electrically conductive gel that is in contact with the plating solution, the layer of metal being of a thickness sufficient to physically maintain the object and the base together;
• draining the plating solution from within the container;
• and
• removing the container from the base.

An electrooptical device and optical fiber package comprising:

• an electrooptic device;
• an optical fiber;
• a common metallic base onto which said electrooptical device is mounted, said base having a machined-out region shaped for supporting the sidewall or sidewalls of a bottomless container for holding an electrolytic plating solution;
• a metallic tubular fiber support member into the bore of which one end of said optical fiber is mounted;
• at least one node of flexible electrically conductive gel;
• said fiber support member connected to said base through said at least one node of flexible electrically conductive gel and closely positioned with said device so that said fiber end within said member and said device are in light coupling alignment;
• a layer of metal electrolytically deposited onto said fiber support member, said at least one node of electrically conductive gel, and said base to a thickness sufficient to physically maintain said support member, said at least one node, and said base together and said fiber within said member and said electrooptical device in said light coupling alignment.