MEMS optical backplane interface

A self aligning interface for interfacing separate circuit devices, comprising:

• first and second circuit devices;
• first and second silicon substrates mounted on said first and second circuit devices, respectively;
• each of said first and second silicon substrates having at least one chemically etched aligning cavity,
• said chemically etched aligning cavities of said first and second silicon substrates respectively corresponding to and matching with each other;
• a combined cavity formed by the matched aligning cavities dimensioned for holding therein a spherical lens to align the matched aligning cavities relative to each other, thereby aligning said first and second silicon substrates relative to each other and aligning said first and second circuit cards relative to each other.

A self aligning interface portion for interfacing a motherboard to a daughter board, comprising:

• a mother board, and
• an optical bench mounted on said mother board;
• said optical bench having at least one chemically etched aligning cavity thereon;
• said aligning cavity dimensioned for holding therein an alignment pivot to align the optical bench with a corresponding optical bench of a daughter board.

A method for aligning a first circuit card mounted to a first silicon substrate having first cavities chemically etched therein to a second circuit card mounted to a second silicon substrate having second cavities in positions corresponding to said first cavities, comprising steps of:

• providing alignment pivots for placement between said corresponding first and second cavities;
• positioning said first aligning cavities of said first silicon substrate adjacent to the corresponding second cavities of said second silicon substrate corresponding thereto so as to position and retain said alignment pivots therebetween;
• thereby aligning said first and second silicon substrates to each other and thereby aligning said first and second circuit cards to each other;
• wherein at least one of said first and second circuit cards has an optical fiber associated therewith, and wherein one of said first and second silicon substrates mounted on the other of said first and second circuit cards has a chemically etched cavity therein in alignment with said aligning cavities chemically etched therein, comprising the further step of:
• providing a spherical lens in said chemically etched cavity of said one of said first and second silicon substrates mounted on the other of said first and second circuit cards;
• whereby said optical fiber associated with said at least one of said first and second circuit cards is aligned with said spherical lens for refracting light passing through said optical fiber.