The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1997
D Bruce Buchholz, Woodridge, IL (US);
Charles Calvin Byers, Aurora, IL (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A substrate is provided that supports a laser array chip positioned such that the light streams emanating from the laser array are parallel to and substantially coplanar with the surface of the substrate. A plurality of apertures are formed in the substrate between the light streams for receiving a photodiode array chip. The photodiode array chip is formed as a comb-like structure where the 'teeth' of the comb are aligned with and fit into the apertures formed in the substrate such that the photodiode array chip is supported perpendicular to the substrate. Located on each of the teeth of the photodiode array chip is a photodiode. The photodiodes are arranged such that when the photodiode array chip is inserted into the substrate the photodiodes are substantially coplanar with the surface of the substrate. Using such a construction, the light streams emanating from the lasers on the laser array chip are interdigitated with and coplanar with the photodiodes. Fibers or waveguides in the substrate connect to the lasers and photodiodes and extend parallel to and coplanar with one another such that adjacent fibers or waveguides can be simply connected to the inputs of a CWDM coupler. The optical module of the invention can be mounted on an interface card to provide high density line cards required in fiber based telecommunications networks.