Integrated optics beam deflectors

Claim 1

A method for producing an optical device comprising the steps of: lithographically forming a multiplicity of waveguides onto an optical substrate; mounting said optical substrate onto a base substrate; and precisely positioning a fiber optic module, having a multiplicity of optical fiber ends and an optical mode modifying lens, onto said base substrate, including: using at least one external positioner, manipulating at least one of the fiber optic module and the base substrate relative to the other such that the mode of each optical fiber matches the mode of at least one corresponding waveguide with relatively low light loss; and fixing the fiber optic module in a desired relative position on said base substrate independently of said external positioner by employing side mounting blocks which are adhered to said at least one optical module by a thin layer of adhering material on a first surface of each of said side mounting blocks and are adhered to said at least one base substrate by a thin layer of adhering material at a second surface of each said side mounting blocks, said second surface being not parallel to said first surface to fix said module in position on said base substrate upon precise mutual alignment of said module and said multiplicity of waveguides; and disengaging the at least one external positioner from the at least one of the fiber optic module and the base substrate.

Claim 2

A method for producing an optical device comprising the steps of: lithographically forming a multiplicity of waveguides onto an optical substrate; mounting said optical substrate onto a base substrate; and precisely positioning a fiber optic module, having a multiplicity of optical fiber ends and an optical mode modifying lens, onto said base substrate, including: using at least one external positioner, manipulating at least one of the fiber optic module and the base substrate relative to the other such that the mode of each optical fiber matches the mode of at least one corresponding waveguide with relatively low light loss; and fixing the fiber optic module in a desired relative position on said base substrate independently of said external positioner by employing side mounting blocks which are adhered to said at least one optical module by a thin layer of adhering material on a first surface of each of said side mounting blocks and are adhered to said at least one base substrate by a thin layer of adhering material at a second surface of each said side mounting blocks, said second surface being not parallel to said first surface to fix said module in position on said base substrate upon precise mutual alignment of said module and said multiplicity of waveguides; and disengaging the at least one external positioner from the at least one of the fiber optic module and the base substrate.

Claim 3

A method for producing an optical device comprising the steps of producing a fiber optic module including the steps of: forming a multiplicity of optical fiber positioning grooves on at least one first substrate; placing each of a multiplicity of optical fibers in each of said multiplicity of optical fiber positioning grooves on said at least one first substrate; retaining each of said multiplicity of optical fibers in each of said multiplicity of optical fiber positioning grooves on said at least one first substrate such that said multiplicity of optical fibers lie in an optical fiber plane; precisely defining the ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers so that they all lie substantially in a first predetermined arrangement; fixing a second substrate onto said first substrate such that an edge of said second substrate extends beyond said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers; fixing a lens onto a third substrate; precisely aligning said third substrate in engagement with said edge of said second substrate such that said lens lies in a second predetermined arrangement with respect to said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers; and fixing said third substrate in engagement with said edge of said second substrate such that said lens lies in a second predetermined arrangement with respect to said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers, whereby the separation between said lens and said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers is defined in a plane perpendicular to said optical fiber plane to a first degree of accuracy and the separation between said lens and said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers is defined in said optical fiber plane to a second degree of accuracy, less than said first degree of accuracy lithographically forming a multiplicity of waveguides onto an optical substrate; mounting said optical substrate onto a base substrate; and precisely positioning said fiber optic module, having a multiplicity of optical fiber ends and an optical mode modifying lens, onto said base substrate, including: using at least one external positioned, manipulating at least one of said fiber optic module and the base substrate relative to other such that the mode of each optical fiber matches the ode of at least one corresponding waveguide with relatively low light loss; and fixing the fiber optic module in a desired relative position on said base substrate independently of said external positioned; and disengaging the at least one external positioned from the at least one of the fiber optic module and the base substrate.

Claim 4

A method for producing an optical device comprising the steps of producing a fiber optic module including the steps of: forming a multiplicity of optical fiber positioning grooves on at least one first substrate; placing each of a multiplicity of optical fibers in each of said multiplicity of optical fiber positioning grooves on said at least one first substrate; retaining each of said multiplicity of optical fibers in each of said multiplicity of optical fiber positioning grooves on said at least one first substrate such that said multiplicity of optical fibers lie in an optical fiber plane; precisely defining the ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers so that they all lie substantially in a first predetermined arrangement; fixing a second substrate onto said first substrate such that an edge of said second substrate extends beyond said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers; fixing a lens onto a third substrate; precisely aligning said third substrate in engagement with said edge of said second substrate such that said lens lies in a second predetermined arrangement with respect to said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers; and fixing said third substrate in engagement with said edge of said second substrate such that said lens lies in a second predetermined arrangement with respect to said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers, whereby the separation between said lens and said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers is defined in a plane perpendicular to said optical fiber plane to a first degree of accuracy and the separation between said lens and said ends of each of said multiplicity of optical fibers is defined in said optical fiber plane to a second degree of accuracy, less than said first degree of accuracy lithographically forming a multiplicity of waveguides onto an optical substrate; mounting said optical substrate onto a base substrate; and precisely positioning said fiber optic module, having a multiplicity of optical fiber ends and an optical mode modifying lens, onto said base substrate, including: using at least one external positioned, manipulating at least one of said fiber optic module and the base substrate relative to other such that the mode of each optical fiber matches the ode of at least one corresponding waveguide with relatively low light loss; and fixing the fiber optic module in a desired relative position on said base substrate independently of said external positioned; and disengaging the at least one external positioned from the at least one of the fiber optic module and the base substrate.