As micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems and devices evolve from prototypes to products, the need for cost-effective mass production techniques becomes crucial. This challenging cost goal can be reached using mass replication techniques like injection molding and hot embossing.In order to meet the special demands of miniaturization these replication techniques have been modified incorporating variothermal process control, an evacuation of the mold chamber and a modification of the molding parameters including elevated temperatures. Based on these techniques numerous micro- optical systems have been developed including a twelve fold multi-fiber connectors with an average insertion loss of 0.35 dB, an optical bench using polymeric alignment structures on a silicon substrate, a 4 by 4 star coupler with passive fiber alignment, a 1 by 2 singlemode fiber switch, and a singlemode 4 by 4 optical matrix switch. In these systems geometrical tolerances of one micrometers and below have been obtained allowing passive alignment of multimode and singlemode fibers during the assembly process and high precision positioning of fibers during operation.

Date Published: 10 March 1999
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 3680, Design, Test, and Microfabrication of MEMS and MOEMS, (10 March 1999); doi: 10.1117/12.341256

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3680:
Design, Test, and Microfabrication of MEMS and MOEMS
Bernard Courtois; Wolfgang Ehrfeld; Selden B. Crary; Wolfgang Ehrfeld; Hiroyuki Fujita; Jean Michel Karam; Karen W. Markus, Editor(s)