Optical fiber component with shaped optical element and method of making same

A collimator assembly for use with an optical fiber carrying a light signal to be projected as a generally collimated beam to an optically-functioning element, the optical fiber having a terminal end, the collimator assembly comprising:

• a ferrule for receiving the terminal end of the optical fiber, the ferrule defining a cavity;
• and
• an optical element for collimating the light signal projected from the terminal end of the optical fiber, the optical element being at least partially a,received within the cavity, a portion of the optical element being disposed in close proximity to the terminal end of the optical fiber so as to receive the light signal emitted from the terminal end of the optical fiber, the optical element defining a shaped optical surface confronting and spaced apart from the optically-functioning element;
• wherein the optical element has a cross section which is greater at the shaped optical surface confronting the optically-functioning element than at the portion at close proximity to the terminal end of the optical fiber, and the optical element generally uniformly expands in the direction from the fiber to the shaped optical surface;
• and
• wherein the optical element is a nondeformable plastic solid cured from a deformable plastic solid,
• the deformable plastic solid being partially cured from a precursor liquid having a volume V1,
• the precursor liquid being generally viscous and solvent-free,
• the nondeformable solid having a volume V3 and the deformable plastic solid having a volume V2, and further
• wherein the volume V2 of the deformable plastic solid is generally greater than or equal to about 0.95 times the volume V1 of the precursor liquid, and the volume V3 of the nondefornable solid is generally greater than or equal to about 0.90 times the volume V1 of the precursor liquid and about 0.95 times the volume V2 of the deformable plastic solid.