Method of fabricating molded optical waveguides

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing optical waveguides comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical passage-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship; molding a cladding member having opposed surfaces around the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members so that the cylindrical passage-forming members extend through the cladding member and each of the opposed surfaces; removing the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members from the molded cladding member subsequent to the molding step so as to leave a plurality of passages through the cladding member from one opposed surface to the other; and positioning waveguide core material in the passages to form a plurality of optical waveguides.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing optical waveguides comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical passage-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship; molding a cladding member having opposed surfaces around the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members so that the cylindrical passage-forming members extend through the cladding member and each of the opposed surfaces; removing the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members from the molded cladding member subsequent to the molding step so as to leave a plurality of passages through the cladding member from one opposed surface to the other; and positioning waveguide core material in the passages to form a plurality of optical waveguides.

Claim 13

A method of manufacturing optical waveguides comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical passage-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship; molding a cladding member having opposed surfaces around the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members so that the cylindrical passage-forming members extend through the cladding member and each of the opposed surfaces; removing the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members from the molded cladding member subsequent to the molding step so as to leave a plurality of passages through the cladding member from one opposed surface to the other; positioning waveguide core material in the passages to form a plurality of optical waveguides, the core material in the passages including positioning core material having an index of refraction in the range of approximately 1.48 to 1.58; and the step of molding the cladding member including molding the cladding member using cladding material having an index of refraction at least 0.01 less than the index of refraction of the core material.

Claim 14

A method of manufacturing optical waveguides comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical passage-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship; molding a cladding member having opposed surfaces around the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members so that the cylindrical passage-forming members extend through the cladding member and each of the opposed surfaces; removing the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members from the molded cladding member subsequent to the molding step so as to leave a plurality of passages through the cladding member from one opposed surface to the other; positioning waveguide core material in the passages to form a plurality of optical waveguides, the core material in the passages including positioning core material having an index of refraction in the range of approximately 1.48 to 1.58; and the step of molding the cladding member including molding the cladding member using cladding material having an index of refraction at least 0.01 less than the index of refraction of the core material.

Claim 17

A method of manufacturing optical waveguides comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical passage-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship, the cylindrical passage-forming members each including an axially outwardly tapered portion; providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical alignment guide-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship with each other and with the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members; molding a cladding member having opposed surfaces around the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members so that the cylindrical passage-forming members extend through the cladding member and each of the opposed surfaces and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members extend into the cladding member from at least one of the opposed surfaces; removing the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members from the molded cladding member subsequent to the molding step so as to leave a plurality of passages through the cladding member from one opposed surface to the other, the axially outwardly tapered portion of the passage-forming members being positioned so as to form an adiabatic taper in each passageway adjacent one of the opposed surfaces of the molded cladding member, and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members forming a plurality of alignment guide passages into the cladding member from at least one of the opposed surfaces; positioning waveguide core material in the passages to form a plurality of optical waveguides, the core material in the passages including positioning core material having an index of refraction in the range of approximately 1.48 to 1.58; and the step of molding the cladding member including molding the cladding member using cladding material having an index of refraction at least 0.01 less than the index of refraction of the core material.

Claim 18

A method of manufacturing optical waveguides comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical passage-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship, the cylindrical passage-forming members each including an axially outwardly tapered portion; providing a plurality of longitudinally extending, cylindrical alignment guide-forming members positioned in parallel, spaced apart relationship with each other and with the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members; molding a cladding member having opposed surfaces around the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members so that the cylindrical passage-forming members extend through the cladding member and each of the opposed surfaces and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members extend into the cladding member from at least one of the opposed surfaces; removing the plurality of cylindrical passage-forming members and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members from the molded cladding member subsequent to the molding step so as to leave a plurality of passages through the cladding member from one opposed surface to the other, the axially outwardly tapered portion of the passage-forming members being positioned so as to form an adiabatic taper in each passageway adjacent one of the opposed surfaces of the molded cladding member, and the plurality of cylindrical alignment guide-forming members forming a plurality of alignment guide passages into the cladding member from at least one of the opposed surfaces; positioning waveguide core material in the passages to form a plurality of optical waveguides, the core material in the passages including positioning core material having an index of refraction in the range of approximately 1.48 to 1.58; and the step of molding the cladding member including molding the cladding member using cladding material having an index of refraction at least 0.01 less than the index of refraction of the core material.