I-Tek, Inc.

Textron Corporation

Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, Inc.

Steven M Daigneault

Ralph E Aldrich

Frank M Anthony

Charles F Robbert

The present invention involves a method for bonding together molecularly homogeneous objects including optical and semiconductor members. In particular, such method involves forming micro-thin grooves using high precision laser ablation in one of two surfaces to be bonded together. An adhesive is then flowed into such a groove to form chemical bonding of the members. Such bonding essentially eliminates the formation of an adhesive layer in the interface between the bonding surfaces allowing optical contacting in addition to the chemical bonding.

Method of bonding optical members together

A laser mirror having a cooled deformable reflecting surface is disclosed. The mirror's base includes a manifold for distributing coolant toward the mirror's faceplate and for receiving coolant which has circulated through the faceplate. The faceplate is comprised of a thin, deformable sheet of material which has a polished surface for reflecting laser radiation therefrom. The facesheet is supported above the base manifold by one or more actuators which may be selectively operated to selectively deform the mirror's reflecting surface. The faceplate includes one or more enclosed, elongated spaces which transverse substantially the entire width of the faceplate and through which coolant may be circulated to cool the faceplate. Coolant conducting members located around the periphery of the faceplate carry coolant between the faceplate and the base manifold to remove heat absorbed by the faceplate from the laser signal impinging on the mirror's reflecting surface.

Laser mirror having a cooled, deformable surface

A cooled deformable mirror having a continuous mirror surface and a method for cooling a deformable mirror having a continuous mirror surface are disclosed. In the preferred embodiments, one or more enclosed spaces within the mirror's faceplate are supplied with coolant through one or more actuators used to deform the mirror surface and one or more other of the actuators are used to remove coolant from the mirror faceplate. The deformable mirror includes a base manifold which receives coolant from an external source and distributes the coolant to selected ones of the actuators for distribution within the faceplate. Coolant removed from the faceplate by others of the actuators is returned to the base manifold from which it is returned to the external source. Another preferred embodiment further includes a coolant distribution manifold in the faceplate to facilitate the distribution of coolant within the faceplate after the coolant has been delivered to the faceplate by the apertures in one or more actuators. In the preferred embodiments, the coolant is also circulated through spaces within the base manifold to remove heat from the base.

Cooled deformable mirror

A long period buried optical grating is fabricated by polishing a number of single crystal silicon wafers to identical thicknesses and flat figure, applying a light reflective metallic coating to the wafers, thereafter bonding the wafers together in a stack, and thereafter lapping the resulting stack of bonded layers at an acute angle with respect to the major planar surfaces of the wafers to form the buried grating, such grating having optically flat reflective sawtoothed elements. The grating period may be readily controlled by changing the acute angle and/or the thickness of the silicon wafers.

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Rockland, MA, United States of America

Steven M Daigneault