Axial alignment of a lensed fiber in a grooved assembly

Abstract

A v-groove assembly is used to edge couple a lensed fiber (e.g., an optical fiber made of silica) with a waveguide in a photonic chip. The v-groove assembly is made from fused silica. Fused silica is used to so that an adhesive (e.g., epoxy resin) used in bonding the lensed fiber to the v-groove assembly and/or bonding the v-groove assembly to the photonic chip can be cured, at least partially, by light.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for optically coupling an optical fiber to a semiconductor waveguide, the method comprising:
 providing an optical assembly for connecting the optical fiber to the semiconductor waveguide, the optical assembly comprising:
 a v-groove assembly comprising:
 a base; 
 a lid; 
 a v-groove; and 
 a facet, wherein the facet is for bonding the v-groove assembly to an optical chip; 
 the optical fiber is positioned in the v-groove between the base and the lid; and 
 
 epoxy bonding the optical fiber to the base and the lid, wherein the epoxy is, at least partially, cured using light; 
   providing the optical chip, wherein the optical chip comprises the semiconductor waveguide;   aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip so that the optical fiber aligns with the semiconductor waveguide;   applying adhesive between the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip so that the adhesive contacts both the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip after the v-groove assembly is aligned with the optical chip; and   irradiating the adhesive to, at least partially, cure the adhesive.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 After irradiating the adhesive, applying additional adhesive;   curing, at least partially, the additional adhesive with light; and   curing, with heat, the additional adhesive.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising bonding the facet of the v-groove assembly to an edge facet of the optical chip. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising using a gripper that mechanically holds the v-groove assembly to align the v-groove assembly with the optical chip. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the gripper holds the v-groove assembly by the lid during alignment of the v-groove assembly with the optical chip and during irradiating the adhesive to, at least partially, cure the adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising using feedback from a diode on the optical chip to align the v-groove assembly with the optical chip, wherein the diode detects light coupled from the optical fiber into the semiconductor waveguide. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising using ultraviolet light to, at least partially, cure the adhesive. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising transmitting light through the v-groove assembly to irradiate the adhesive. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the adhesive between the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip, after aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip and before irradiating the adhesive, is from seven to ten microns. 
     
     
         11 . A system for coupling light from a chip to an optical network, the system comprising:
 a v-groove assembly comprising:
 a base; 
 a lid; 
 a v-groove; and 
 a facet; 
   an optical fiber bonded in the v-groove assembly between the base and the lid, wherein the optical fiber is bonded in the v-groove by an epoxy cured by ultraviolet light; and   the chip having a waveguide, wherein the chip is bonded to the facet of the v-groove assembly by an adhesive so that an end of the optical fiber aligns with the waveguide of the chip.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the chip comprises a substrate, an insulating layer, and a device layer;   the waveguide of the chip is formed in the device layer; and   the device layer is crystalline silicon.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the adhesive is an epoxy resin. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the v-groove assembly is bonded to an edge facet of the chip. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the v-groove assembly is made of fused silica. 
     
     
         16 . A method for optically coupling an optical fiber to a semiconductor waveguide, the method comprising:
 providing an optical assembly for connecting the optical fiber to the semiconductor waveguide, the optical assembly comprising:
 a v-groove assembly comprising:
 a base; 
 a lid; 
 a v-groove; and 
 a facet, wherein the facet is for bonding the v-groove assembly to an optical chip; 
 the optical fiber is positioned in the v-groove between the base and the lid; and 
 
 epoxy bonding the optical fiber to the base and the lid, wherein the epoxy is, at least partially, cured using light; 
   providing the optical chip, wherein the optical chip comprises the semiconductor waveguide;   aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip so that the optical fiber aligns with the semiconductor waveguide;   applying adhesive between the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip so that the adhesive contacts both the facet of the v-groove assembly and the optical chip after the v-groove assembly is aligned with the optical chip;   irradiating the adhesive to, at least partially, cure the adhesive;   applying additional adhesive; and   curing, at least partially, the additional adhesive.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein curing the additional adhesive comprises curing with light and heat. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein aligning the v-groove assembly with the optical chip places the facet of the v-groove assembly no more than ten microns away from the optical chip. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the v-groove assembly is made of fused silica and the semiconductor waveguide is made of crystalline silicon. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising using a diode on the optical chip to align the v-groove assembly with the optical chip. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive contacts an edge facet of the optical chip.