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Optical devices and methods to construct the sameRelated Patent Categories: Optical Waveguides, Integrated Optical CircuitOptical devices and methods to construct the same description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070127865, Optical devices and methods to construct the same. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This patent arises from a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/397,580, which was filed on Mar. 26, 2003 and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0002] This disclosure relates generally to optical devices, and, more particularly, to optical devices and methods to construct the same. BACKGROUND [0003] The coherent light generated by edge emitting laser diodes is emitted in one or more planes that are substantially parallel to the boundaries between the semiconductor layers that form the laser. More recently, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) have been developed. Unlike edge emitting laser diodes, VCSELs are laser diodes that are fabricated to emit light in one or more planes that are substantially perpendicular to the boundaries formed between their semiconductor layers. VCSELs appear to be advantageous over edge emitting laser diodes in several respects. For example, VCSELs generally require lower power and are less expensive to manufacture than their edge emitting counterparts. [0004] An example prior art optical device 10 is shown in FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 1, a VCSEL 12 is optically coupled to a photodetector 14 via a waveguide 16. Because, by definition, the light generated by a VCSEL is transmitted in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the surface of the VCSEL, the light from a VCSEL 12 is typically coupled to a waveguide 16 by an expensive and complicated end finish of the waveguide 16. For example, an end of the waveguide 16 may be cut and polished to form a 45 degree total reflection mirror 18 that re-directs a substantial portion of the light emitted by the laser 12 approximately 90 degrees from its initial path into the waveguide 16. Typically, the opposite end of the waveguide 16 is also formed into a 45 degree mirror 18 to re-direct the light from the waveguide 16 toward the photodetector 14 as shown in FIG. 1. [0005] This complicated mechanism for directing the light generated by the VCSEL 12 to the photodetector 14 is expensive and difficult to manufacture. For example, to manufacture a device 10 such as that shown in FIG. 1, the die-substrate standoff height (e.g., the distance between the VCSEL 12 and a substrate 20 of the optical device 10 and/or the distance between the photodetector 14 and the substrate 20 (e.g., a printed circuit board) of the optical device 10) must be carefully controlled. Further, the optically active area of the VCSEL 12 must be precisely aligned with one of the end mirrors 18 of the waveguide 16 and the active area of the photodetector 14 must be precisely aligned with the opposite end mirror 18 of the waveguide 16. [0006] The tolerances associated with the die-substrate height standoff requirements and the VCSEL-to-waveguide and waveguide-to-photodetector alignment requirements dictate that the placement/bonding of the VCSEL 12, the photodetector 14, and sometimes the waveguide 16 be carried out through an active alignment technique. An active alignment technique is a feedback technique in which a laser (e.g., the VCSEL) associated with the component(s) being placed is energized, and the position(s) of the component(s) being placed are adjusted to maximize an output of the energized laser at an output of those component(s). When the output is maximized, the component(s) are aligned and bonded in place. Unfortunately, active alignment processes such as that described above are slow and do not lend themselves to mass production. [0007] Additionally, prior art optical devices 10 such as that shown in FIG. 1 typically do not permit the use of two dimensional waveguide arrays. As a result, such prior art devices have limited bandwidth. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a prior art optical device. [0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example substrate. [0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example VCSEL and/or photodetector. [0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the example VCSEL/photodetector of FIG. 3 and a portion of the example substrate of FIG. 2. [0012] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the example VCSEL/photodetector positioned within a cavity of the example substrate of FIG. 2. [0013] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an example optical device incorporating the example substrate of FIG. 2 and the example VCSEL/photodetector of FIG. 3. [0014] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a section of an example waveguide array from the optical device of FIG. 6. [0015] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of another example substrate. [0016] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the example VCSEL/photodetector of FIG. 3 and a section of the example substrate of FIG. 8. [0017] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but showing the example VCSEL/photodetector positioned within a cavity of the example substrate of FIG. 8. [0018] FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the example VCSEL/photodetector positioned within a cavity of the example substrate. [0019] FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first assembly including a first substrate, a first optical element, and a first waveguide. [0020] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second assembly including a flying waveguide. Continue reading about Optical devices and methods to construct the same... 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