Patent · US Expired

Optical coupling element having a convex microlens and the method of manufacture

US5066090A · kind A · utility

13Cited by

11References

11Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

Franz Mayerhofer · Columbus, US
Holger Karstensen · Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, DE
Ralf Dietrich · Munich, DE
Werner Spaeth · Holzkirchen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Aug 20, 1990
Grant date	Nov 19, 1991
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Aug 20, 2010

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY10S359/90
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical coupling element having a convex, refractive microlens is characterized by a ball having a flat, planar surface being mounted in a through-hole of a carrier lamina with the flat, planar surface extending parallel to a planar surface of the lamina. The coupling element is preferably made by a method which involves forming a through-hole in a lamina, mounting a ball in the through-hole, processing a surface of the ball to form the planar surface that extends parallel to a surface of the lamina. Preferably, a plurality of coupling elements are formed by providing a plurality of through-holes in an enlarged carrier and after processing, each individual coupling element is then separated from this enlarged carrier.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.