Lucent Technologies Inc.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Lsi Corporation

Agere Systems Inc.

Brian Dale Potteiger

Rory Keene Schlenker

Frederick Arthur Yeagle

Ivan Pawlenko

John William Osenbach

Brian Thomas Vaccaro

Lu Fang

Richard Lawrence Shook

Jerry C Hurst

Robert B Levy

Shaun P Scrak

Frederick W Warning, Jr

Clyde A Lawrence

Prakash Suratkar

Kultaransingh N Hooghan

Patrick Allen Reppert

Poopa Ruengsinsub

Faisal A Nabulsi

A method of fabricating an interconnection between a region of copper material and a conducting region is disclosed. The method includes a step of forming a region of tin material and a step of forming a region of nickel material. The method also includes a step of melting the tin material to induce formation of a nickel/tin/copper intermetallic composition at an interface between the region of copper material and the conducting region. The region of tin material and the region of nickel material define the interface between the region of copper material and the conducting region.

Whisker-free lead frames

A process includes annealing one or more plated conductive leads at a predetermined temperature. The one or more plated conductive leads are plated with one or more layers, where each layer comprises a material. The predetermined temperature is greater than or equal to approximately a melting point of one of the materials. The annealing can reduce growth formations, such as whiskers, on the one or more conductive leads. Lead frames and other devices having plated conductive leads may be subjected to the process, and the resultant plated conductive leads will have fewer growth formations than plated conductive leads not subjected to the process. The plated conductive leads may be trimmed and formed prior to or after the anneal.

Methods and apparatus to reduce growth formations on plated conductive leads

A support assembly for retaining a laser module of the type having a solid state laser, an optical connector and an optical fiber extending between the laser and the optical connector. The support assembly includes a baseplate having a top surface and a bottom surface. A removable spool extends upwardly from the top surface of the baseplate, wherein the spool is sized to have the optical fiber wound therearound. A laser receptacle disposed on the top surface of the baseplate. The laser receptacle is sized to receive the solid state laser in a first predetermined position and orientation. A connector holder is also disposed on the top surface of the baseplate. The connector holder receives and retains the optical connector at a second predetermined position and orientation. As a result, the support assembly retains the solid state laser and the optical connector at known positions that are suitable for automated testing, while the spool retains the optical fiber in a neatly wound condition during the automated testing procedures.

Device and method for retaining a laser module in an orientation suitable for testing and shipping

A package housing that is used to retain a wound spool and prevent a wound element from falling away from the spool. The housing includes a base segment having a hub disposed thereon and a recessed area surrounding the hub. The hub is sized to pass into the bottom end of the spool, thereby causing the spool to rest in the recessed area of the base segment of the housing. A cover segment is provided for covering the base segment of the housing and the spool. As a result, the spool becomes interposed between the base segment and the cover segment of the housing. A plurality of feed-through ports are defined between the base segment and the cover of the housing. The first end and the second end of the wound flexible element extend through two of the feed-through ports to points external of the housing.

Package housing for laser module wound on a spool

A method for providing fluxless soldering without oxide formation includes mounting a component on a pedestal of a base. A housing is also mounted on the base, the housing and the base together define a closed cavity containing the component. An inert gas is introduced into the cavity to create an inert gas-rich environment. Thereafter, the cavity is heated sufficiently to reflow solder provided between the component and the housing, to join the component to the housing without the formation of additional oxides on the solder joint.

Direct-placement fluxless soldering using inert gas environment

An apparatus for performing fluxless soldering includes an enclosure having a gas inlet through which an inert gas is introduced to create an inert gas-rich environment. Components are placed in the enclosure via an access port which also functions as a vent for allowing purge gases to vent from the enclosure. In one embodiment, a heating stage is provided in the enclosure which provides sufficient heat to reflow solder provided between two or more components. The inert gas is constantly flowing, or purging the enclosure in order to displace oxygen that would initially be present in the system. The presence of inert gas exclusive of other materials provides an oxygen-free environment, i.e., the inert gases provide a &ldquo;shield&rdquo; or environment around the parts to be soldered to inhibit the formation of additional oxides during soldering. The apparatus may also include an optics holder for transmitting light from an external light source into the enclosure, to permit visual alignment of component parts.

Automated fluxless soldering using inert gas

An apparatus and method for polishing a rotationally symmetric object such as a glass ball lens. The apparatus includes first and second plates for securing a plurality of glass ball lenses therebetween. The plates are secured to one another and the entire apparatus is pressed against a polishing pad in order to flatten a portion of the surface of the lenses. The apparatus also serves to maintain the orientation of the rotationally symmetric objects, so that they may be easily operated upon by future processing steps.

Apparatus and method for glass ball lens polishing

An assembly that assists in the winding of an optical fiber of a laser module around a spool. The assembly contains a spool support that holds the spool as the optical fiber is wound around the spool. The spool support has a top surface with opposing side edges. The top surface of the spool support has a periphery, wherein the top surface of the spool support is beveled between its peripheral edge and the groove. The presence of the bevel helps to guide the optical fiber onto the spool as the optical fiber is wound around the spool. A generally circular groove is disposed in the top surface of spool support, wherein the groove at least partially intersects the opposing side edges of the top surface. As a result, when the spool is attached to the spool supports, opposite sides of the spool protrude beyond the sides of the spool support. As the optical fiber is wound around the spool, the areas of protrusion make it possible for a person to engage the wound spool and hold it in place on the spool as the spool is removed from the spool support.

Spool support assembly for the optical fiber of a laser module

Optical fiber must be adequately protected during manufacturing, testing, and transportation from physical damage due to over-bending, crushing, and chafing. Prior art methods of packaging optical fiber have been ineffective in protecting against these forms of damage and have required manual assembly, thus their effectiveness being heavily dependent upon operator skill and training. The present invention provides an optical fiber spool that has open and closed positions which allow optical fiber to be loaded into and unloaded from the spool automatically. Furthermore, this spool protects loaded optical fiber from physical damage such as over-bending, crushing, and chafing. The spool of the present invention achieves these goals by providing a plurality of cavities which open and close to capture the optical fiber. These cavities are formed between a plurality of radial tabs positioned around the circumference of a spool lid and over a channel formed within a spool base. A center region of the lid is configured to cause the tabs to pivot from their closed to open position when a sufficient force is applied upon the center region. Once the force is removed, the tabs automatically return to the closed position.

Optical fiber spool and method of loading spool

A multi-fastener assembly tool (10, 10' and 10') for engaging at least one threaded fastener (14) for securing the fastener to a threaded stud (20) includes a member (26) having a fastener locating and holding mechanism (27) at one end. The fastener locating and holding mechanism is adapted to be squeezed through the fastener to retain it on the member. The member is seated within, and is springbased from, a circumferentially disposed socket (32) sized to engage the fastener. A shaft (42), having a handle (44) at one end, is integrated to the socket to allow a force to be applied to urge the socket against the member once the fastener locating and holding means are aligned with the stud. As the socket is urged against the member, the threaded fastener is seated in the socket and is then pushed off the member to the stud. Once the fasteners is at the stud, a rotational motion is imparted to the handle to thread the fastener onto the stud.

Multi-fastener assembly tool

A clamping fixture (10) for releasably clamping a workpiece (12) to avoid damage to the workpiece comprises a support (40) having a pair of arms (60,62) mounted thereto for rotation to and from each other. Each arm has a jaw assembly (68,70) spring-biased thereto opposite the jaw assembly on the other arm so that each jaw assembly can 'float' along each of the x, y and z axes. When the arms are rotated together, the jaw assemblies conformally grip the workpiece therebetween with a reduced incidence of damage.

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Reading, PA, United States of America

Brian Dale Potteiger