Patent · US Expired

Print-molding for process for planar waveguides

US6272275A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
17References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 25, 1999
Grant dateAug 7, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 25, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B6/1221
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for fabricating optical devices for transmission and/or manipulation of light includes steps of providing a substrate which defines a reference plane for positioning cladding material and core material, fixing rigid spacers to an upper surface of the substrate, the spacers having upper surfaces which define a second plane spaced above the reference plane, depositing a layer of a formable, curable under-cladding material over the upper surface of the substrate, the upper surface of the rigid spacers providing a guide for precise control of the height of the under-cladding material above the surface of the substrate, curing the under-cladding material under compression to form an under-cladding layer, and depositing a light guide core and over-cladding on the under-cladding. The method is susceptible to mass production and provides more precise control of the position of the light guide core relative to a substrate surface. The resulting optical device includes a substrate, a pattern of rigid spacers fixed to the upper surface of the substrate, a polymeric under-cladding layer positioned on the substrate and in space defined between the rigid spacers, a polymer light guide c…

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