Placement of an optical component on a substrate

A method for precision placement of an optical component on a substrate and precision assembly thereof into a telecommunication package, said method comprising:

• providing apparatus for precision placement of the optical component on the substrate and precision assembly thereof into a fiber optic telecommunication package, said apparatus comprising:
• a machine vision system for locating the optical component relative to a fiducial point on the substrate;
• contact determiner means for determining contact of the optical component and the substrate with one another;
• and
• a robot configured for contacting the optical component and the substrate with one another under guidance from said contact determiner means, and said robot being further configured for moving the optical component and the substrate relative to one another under guidance from said machine vision system toward a desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate;
• wherein the optical component and the substrate contact one another for at least a portion of the movement of the optical component and the substrate toward the desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate;
• determiner means;
• determining contact of the optical component and the substrate with one another;
• locating the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate with said robot under guidance from said machine vision system;
• and
• moving the optical component and the substrate relative to one another with said robot under guidance from said machine vision system toward the desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate;
• wherein the optical component and the substrate contact one another for at least a portion of the step of moving the optical component and the substrate toward the desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate.

A method for precision placement of an optical component on a substrate and precision assembly thereof into a telecommunication package, said method comprising:

• contacting the optical component and the substrate with one another;
• locating the optical component relative to a fiducial point on the substrate;
• and
• moving the optical component and the substrate relative to one another toward a desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate;
• wherein the optical component and the substrate contact one another for at least a portion of the step of moving the optical component and the substrate relative to one another toward the desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate;
• and
• wherein the steps of locating the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate and moving the optical component and the substrate relative to one another toward the desired position of the optical component relative to the fiducial point on the substrate are repeated in at least one repositioning iteration so as to more precisely reposition the optical component and the substrate with each repositioning iteration.