Xanoptix Inc.

Cubic Wafer, Inc.

Greg Dudoff

John A Trezza

Keith Kang

Ronald E Olson

Tom Faska

An apparatus to accurately hold an optical fiber within a commercial fiber optic connector. The connector has a first high precision slice having multiple holes of a first area and a first alignment opening and a second high precision slice having multiple holes of a second area and a second alignment opening. The holes of the first high precision slice are arranged relative to the first alignment opening so that, when the second high precision slice and the first high precision slice are juxtaposed with one another and the first alignment opening and the second alignment opening are aligned, the holes of the first high precision slice and the holes of the second high precision slice will be offset relative to each other and will define an opening having an area less than a smaller of the first area and second area. The opening is capable of closely constraining an optical fiber inserted therethrough. A method of making a fiber optic connector adapted to receive a fiber bearing unit involves coupling at least two high precision pieces, having misaligned holes relative to each other, together coupling the at least two high precision pieces to a low precision piece to form a unit, inserting optical fibers into the unit, terminating the fibers in the holes, and housing the unit within a fiber optic connector housing.

Multi-piece fiber optic component and manufacturing technique

A method of integrating a chip with a topside active optical chip is described. The topside active optical chip has at least one optical laser device, having an active side including an optically active region, a laser cavity having a height, an optically inactive region, a bonding side opposite the active side, and a device thickness. The method involves bonding the optical chip to the electronic chip; applying a substrate to the active side, the substrate having a substrate thickness over the active region in the range of between a first amount and a second amount, and applying an anti-reflection without a special patterning or distinguishing between the at least one optical laser device and any other device. A hybrid electro-optical chip is also described as having an electronic chip; and a topside active optical chip. The hybrid electro-optical chip having been created by one of the methods herein. A module is also described. The module has an optical chip having at least one topside active laser and at least one photodetector, the at least one topside active laser having opposed mirrors defining an active region therebetween, an electronic chip bonded to the optical chip, and an anti-reflection coating on top of the substrate over the active region that was applied without distinguishing between the at least one topside active laser and the at least one photodetector as part of an anti-reflection coating process.

Opto-electronic device integration

A method of making A fiber optic connector adapted to receive a fiber bearing unit involves coupling at least one high precision piece, having holes configured to accept an array of optical fibers, to a low precision piece to form a unit, inserting optical fibers into the unit and housing the unit within a fiber optic connector housing. A commercial fiber optic connector of a style constructed to accept a ferrule-like unit therein has a connector housing, at least 36 optical fibers, a low precision piece, and at least one high precision slice having at least 36 fiber holes each adapted to accept one of the optical fibers, the low precision piece and the at least one high precision slice being contained substantially within the connector housing and forming the ferrule like unit.

An apparatus for use in a commercial fiber optic connector is made up of an assembly of a set of slices. Each of the slices having multiple through holes of a specified arrangement. At least some of the through holes on any two adjoining slices are aligned with respect to each other so as to define a conduit between them. A transmission medium is within the holes. A method of making a fiber optic connector adapted to receive a fiber bearing unit is also described. The method involves coupling at least two high precision pieces together, the at least two high precision pieces having holes configured with an optical medium inserted therein after the coupling and cured to form a waveguide structure, coupling the at least two high precision pieces to a low precision piece to form a unit, and housing the unit within a fiber optic connector housing.

A female format connector, usable for connection with a male format connector having an alignment pin is described as having a high-precision piece coupled to a low precision piece. The low precision piece has an alignment opening dimensioned to accept the alignment pin of the male format device. The high-precision piece also has an alignment opening. The alignment openings are sized and positioned for accurate alignment between the pieces during coupling and, after coupling, the high-precision piece is modified such that the second alignment opening, after modification, is larger than it was prior to the coupling. A method of forming a female format ferrule involves coupling a high precision piece to a low precision piece, via alignment holes on each, the alignment holes are sized to accept a common alignment pin for maintaining accurate alignment between the pieces during coupling, and, after coupling, removing some of the alignment hole wall.

High-precision female format multifiber connector

A method for creating a hybridized chip by combining a bottom active optical device and an electronic chip when at least some of the active device contacts are not aligned with at least some of the electronic chip contacts. The method involves adding an insulating layer, having a thickness, a first side and a second side, to the bottom active optical device by affixing the first side to the surface, openings in the insulating layer extending from the second side to the first side at points substantially coincident with the active device contacts, making the sidewalls electrically conductive, and connecting the points and the electronic chip contacts with an electrically conductive material. A hybridized chip has at least one bottom active optical device coupled to an electronic chip, the hybridized chip having been created using a described method. A method of connecting two chips, each having electrically corresponding contacts to be joined together but are physically mismatched relative to each other. The method involves creating electrically conductive paths on an insulator, each of the electrically conductive paths extending between physical locations of contacts of one of the two chips and physical locations of the electrically corresponding contacts on the other of the two chips.

A method of creating a hybridized chip using a top active optical device combined with an electronic chip having electronic chip contacts, when at least some of the active device contacts are not aligned with at least some of the electronic chip contacts, each of the at least some active device contacts having an electrically corresponding electronic chip contact. The method involves creating sidewalls defining openings in the substrate, extending from the first side at the active device contacts to a bottom of the substrate opposite the first side, at points substantially coincident with the active device contacts; making the sidewalls electrically conductive; and connecting the points and the electronic chip contacts with an electrically conductive material. A hybridized chip has at least one top active optical device coupled to an electronic chip, the hybridized chip having been created using a described method. A method of connecting two chips, one of which being a topside active chip, each of the two chips having electrically corresponding contacts to be joined together that are physically mismatched relative to each other. The method involves creating electrically conductive paths on an insulator, each of the electrically conductive paths extending between physical locations of contacts of one of the two chips and physical locations of the electrically corresponding contacts on the other of the two chips.

A method of integrating a topside optical device, having electrical contacts on a top side, with an electronic chip having electrical contacts on a connection side, involves creating a trench, defined by a wall, from the top side of a wafer containing the topside optical device into a substrate of the wafer, making a portion of the wall conductive by applying a conductive material to the portion; and thinning the substrate to expose the conductive material.

Topside active optical device apparatus and method

A method of integrating a chip with a backside active optical chip is described. The backside active optical chip has at least one optical device, having an active side, including an optically active region and an optically inactive region each abutting a substrate, a bonding side opposite the active side, and a device thickness. The method involves if the substrate has a substrate thickness in excess of 100 microns over the optically active region, thinning the substrate over the optically active region while leaving at least some substrate over the optically inactive region; bonding the optical chip to the electronic chip using a flip chip process; and creating access ways in the substrate over optically active regions. A hybrid electro-optical chip having an electronic chip and a backside active optical chip is also described, wherein the hybrid electro-optical chip is created by one of the described processes. A module is also described. The module has an optical chip having at least one laser, the at least one laser having opposed mirrors defining a cavity therebetween of a thickness, an electronic chip bonded to the optical chip, a substrate over an active region of the laser, the substrate having a thickness of between about ten times the thickness and about 100 microns, and an anti-reflective coating on top of the substrate.

A method of optimizing a feature, defined by a wall in a wafer material, to an accuracy of better than 1 micron involves treating the wall with a reactive gas, by exposing the wall to the reactive gas, to cause the wall to become a cladding material and expand outwards from the wall in a defined, uniform manner until a desired size for the feature is achieved. An alternative method of optimizing a feature, defined by a wall in a wafer material, to an accuracy of better than 1 micron involves depositing a base material on at least part of the wall to facilitate plating of a material on the wall, on top of the base material, in a defined, uniform manner, and plating the at least part of the wall with the material until a desired size for the feature is achieved.

Post-formation feature optimization

A method of forming a guide for light in a high refractive index material involves forming a guiding structure into a surface of the material, treating the material with a reactive gas to cause the wall to become a cladding material having a relatively low refractive index, and after treating, filling the cavity with an optically transparent material having a refractive index sufficiently above that of the cladding. A light guiding device is also described. The light guiding device has a slab having a high refractive index, a guide located within the slab. The guide has a wall surface covered with a material, derived from the slab, having a first refractive index lower than the high refractive index, and a filler material having a second refractive index sufficiently higher than the first refractive index such that light entering the guide will be directed towards the second end.

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Amherst, NH, United States of America

Greg Dudoff