# US 9,039,302 B2 · Interposer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,302 B2 - Document ID: US9039302B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/804,469 - Filed: 2013-03-14 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-15 - Assignees: Tyco Electronics Corporation - Applicants: Tyco Electronics Corporation - Inventors: Terry Patrick Bowen; Heidi Linch Reynolds - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039302B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/425: {Optical features (semiconductor laser arrays H01S5/40; hybrid LED arrays H10W90/00)} - G02B 6/3644: {the coupling means being through-holes or wall apertures} - G02B 6/3652: {the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers} - G02B 6/4292: {the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements} - G02B 6/43: Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An interposer comprising: (a) a planar substrate having top and bottom surfaces, said bottom surface defining at least one ferrule alignment structure, and one or more fiber bores extending from said bottom surface to said top surface, each fiber bore being in a certain position relative to said ferrule alignment structure and adapted to receive a fiber; (b) one or more lenses on or near said top surface, each lens aligned with one of said fiber bores; (c) at least one ferrule having an end face and comprising one or more fibers protruding from said end face, and at least one alignment feature cooperating with said ferrule alignment structure to position said ferrule precisely on said bottom surface such that said fibers are disposed in said fiber bores and are optically coupled with said lenses; and (d) at least one optical component having one or more optical interfaces and being mounted on said top surface such that each of said optical interfaces is aligned with one of said fiber bores and is optically coupled with one of said lenses corresponding to said one of said fiber bores. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interposer, comprising: a planar substrate having top and bottom surfaces, said bottom surface defining at least one ferrule alignment structure, and one or more fiber bores extending from said bottom surface to said top surface, each of said one or more fiber bores being in a certain position relative to said ferrule alignment structure and adapted to receive a fiber; one or more lenses on or near said top surface, each lens aligned with one of said one or more fiber bores; at least one ferrule having an end face and comprising one or more fibers protruding from said end face, and at least one ferrule alignment feature cooperating with said ferrule alignment structure to position said ferrule precisely on said bottom surface such that said one or more fibers are disposed in said one or more fiber bores and are optically coupled with said one or more lenses; and at least one optical component having one or more optical interfaces and being mounted on said top surface such that each of said one or more optical interfaces is aligned with one of said one or more fiber bores and is optically coupled with one of said one or more lenses corresponding to said one of said one or more fiber bores. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more fiber bores terminates below said top surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The interposer of claim 2, wherein said substrate is glass and said one or more lenses are integral to said substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The interposer of claim 3, wherein said one or more lenses comprises a pattern of material having a refractive index greater than glass. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The interposer of claim 4, wherein said material is amorphous silicon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The interposer of claim 3, wherein said one or more lenses are etched to have a curved surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The interposer of claim 3, wherein said one or more lenses comprises a polymeric material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The interposer of claim 7, wherein said one or more lenses are defined by reflowing a column of said polymeric material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more lenses comprise a diffractive lens. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more lenses comprise a refractive lens. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more lenses are discrete from said substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more guide fiber bores extend from said bottom surface through said top surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The interposer of claim 12, wherein said one or more lenses are integral with said one or more fibers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more lenses are disposed on the top surface of said substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said one or more lenses comprise a plurality of lenses having different focal lengths, the focal length for a particular lens of said plurality of lenses corresponding to the distance between said particular lens and an optical interface aligned with said particular lens. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The interposer of claim 15, wherein an airgap exists between said particular lens and said optical interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The interposer of claim 1, wherein said at least one optical component comprises a plurality of stacked optical components. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The interposer of claim 17, wherein said stacked optical components comprise a top optical component and one or more lower optical components, including a bottom optical component. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The interposer of claim 18, wherein at least one of said lower optical components comprises one or more vias, each via aligned with one of said one or more fiber bores and an optical interface of an optical component above said at least one of said lower optical components. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The interposer of claim 18, wherein said stacked optical components are staggered such that one or more optical interferences of a given optical component are unobstructed by optical components between said given optical component and said top surface.