Abstract: The invention provides a method of generating an alignment feature (200, 300) in an optoelectronic assembly (10, 700) which enables another part, for example an optical fibre (80), external to the assembly to be aligned to a device (40, 400) within the assembly (10, 700) but without needing to be attached to the device (40, 400). The method involves using the device (40, 400) to define a position for its own alignment feature to which the part can register, thereby aligning the part (80) to the device (40, 400). When the device (40) is an emissive device, radiation emitted therefrom is used to delineate a position for the alignment feature. When the device (400) is a detecting device, the feature is defined with assistance of an apparatus (500) whose beam is guided in response to output from the device (400) to delineate a position for the alignment feature.

Abstract: In order accurately to align an array of optical fibres (10) with optical components such as waveguides (14) in a block of insulative material (12) on a substrate (2) both in the plane of the substrate and in a height dimension normal to the substrate, the fibres are fixed in accurately formed V-grooves (8), and the block (12) has an array of accurately formed solder pads (16) in one to one correspondence with an array of solder pads (4) on the surface of the substrate (2) the array of solder pads (4, 16) being secured to one another by solder drops (6) containing controlled amounts of solder and thus being precisely dimensioned. The fibres (10) may be secured in V-grooves (8) with solder. Some of the solder pads (4) may be formed as conductive tracks electrically interconnecting with electrical components formed in block (12) and integrated circuits formed in substrate (2).

Abstract: An optical connecting arrangement is provided between an optical device and an optical fibre in which the optical device is mounted with positional precision on a substrate which is fabricated for locating one end of a so-called grin rod lens in precise optical alignment with the active surface of the optical device and in which the other end of the same grin rod lens or the corresponding end of a further grin rod lens coupled to it has the optical fibre optically coupled thereto in optical alignment.