Abstract: The invention is an improved optical fiber connector of the type comprising two identical plastic support members (11) having therein at least one V-groove on a first surface. The two support members are identical, with the V-grooves (12) being adapted to clamp on opposite sides of an optical fiber (16). In one embodiment of the invention, each of the support members has integrated therein a first spring member (20). First and second alignment pins (17, 18) are located on opposite sides of the matched first and second support members (11). The spring member (20) of a first one of the support members bears against one of the alignment pins (18) and forces it against the first and second support members (11); and the other spring member (19) forces the other one of the alignment pins (17) against the first and second support members. The springs are both preferably leaf springs which extend in a direction parallel to the V-grooves.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for applying optical fiber support members (17, 18) to a pair of fixtures such as vacuum chucks (24, 25) such that the fixtures can thereafter be used to clamp the support members to opposite sides of an array of optical fibers (14). The improvement comprises arranging the optical fiber support members in a magazine (29, 30) and bringing the two fixtures into proximity with a magazine. Automatic apparatus (33, 34) is used for urging a pair of optical fiber support members from the magazine onto the two fixtures such that the support members adhere to the fixtures. After placement of the support members on the fibers, the cycle is repeated.

Abstract: A first portion of an optical fiber encapsulant is selectively removed by softening it; i.e., converting the first portion from a solid state to a partly fluid state, as by exposure to an appropriate chemical. The first portion (12) is then penetrated with at least first and second knife edges (14, 15), the penetration being on opposite sides of the optical fiber (10). The first portion of the encapsulant is removed from the optical fiber by providing relative movement between the knife edges and the optical fiber, the movement being in the direction of the central axis of the fiber, thereby to gather at least part of the first portion of the encapsulant on the knife edges. In a preferred embodiment, third and fourth knife edges (16, 17) the also included on opposite sides of the optical fiber.

Abstract: The invention is an improvement of a method for selectively etching a first surface of each of a plurality of wafers (21-23) comprising the steps of masking the entirety of each wafer except certain exposed portions to be etched on the first surface, and immersing the wafers in a heated etch bath (34) for a sufficient time to etch V-grooves (11) into the first surfaces. In one embodiment, the wafers are arranged in the etch bath with the first surface of each wafer (the surface to be etched) facing the first surface of another wafer. The first surfaces of all of the wafers are substantially parallel and are all substantially transverse to a bottom surface of the vessel containing the etch bath. The bottom surface of the vessel is heated to make in the etch bath a temperature gradient that is at a maximum at the bottom surface of the vessel and a minimum at the top surface of the bath.

Abstract: A first optical fiber support member (30) is held in a first fixture (35) having a first alignment pin (40) extending therefrom perpendicularly to an optical fiber array (32) and also having a first alignment aperture (43). A second support member (31) is held in a second fixture (37) having a second alignment aperture (41) and a second alignment pin (42) extending therefrom perpendicularly to the optical fiber array. When the two support members are clamped on opposite sides of the optical fiber array, they are aligned by engaging the first alignment pin (40) with the second alignment aperture (41) and engaging the second alignment pin (42) with the first alignment aperture (43). With the support members clamped, fluid adhesive is applied through an aperture (61) to bond the support members (30, 31) and optical fiber array (32) together. The first and second support members (30, 31) are made of plastic and are made by plastic molding.

Abstract: In a VGF crystal growth method, the configuration of the outer periphery of the seed crystal (15) has the same dimensions as the configuration of the inner surface of the major portion of the crucible (12).

Abstract: A middle portion (13) of an optical fiber encapsulation (11) of an optical fiber ribbon is selectively removed, while leaving intact separated ribbon portions (14, 15) and optical fiber portions (12) extending between the separated ribbon portions. The exposed optical fiber portions are next contained between a pair of first optical fiber support members (18, 19) on opposite sides of the fiber portions. The support members are then preferably contained and encapsulated (FIGS. 7, 8) by injection molding plastic around them, which additionally reinforces the adjacent optical fiber ribbon portions. The optical fiber ribbon is cut for use by cutting transversely through the first support members and the optical fiber portions. This exposes optical fiber ends (27) which are polished for alignment and abutment to other optical fiber ends. The optical fiber support members also define an alignment aperture (20) that extends substantially parallel to the optical fiber portions.

Abstract: An optical backplane is made by making an aperture (15) at each of a plurality of output ports (13). The optical fiber (12) is adhered to the substrate such that all of the optical fiber segments of each output port traverse the aperture of that port. Next, the optical fiber segments traversing each aperture are contained between a pair of first (18, 19) optical fiber support members on opposite sides. The support members are next encapsulated in a plastic encapsulation (24), preferably by injection molding. The encapsulation, support members and substrate are cut transversely to the optical fiber segments, and the exposed ends (27) of the optical fiber segments are polished. This provides a connector for the output port to which a matching array of optical fibers (32) contained between opposite second support members can be abutted and aligned so as to transmit light from the output port the second optical fibers.

Abstract: A substantially parallel array of printed wiring boards (11A-E) each support a light source element (13A-E) and a light detector element (14A-E). Each light source element is connected to all of the light detector elements of the other printed wiring boards by optical fibers (18) supported in arcuate grooves (16) of an optical backplane member (12). Each source element is also connected to a source terminal (26) and each detector element is connected to a detector terminal (27), which permit bypass interconnections between selective source elements and detector elements. In another embodiment (FIGS. 10 and 11) a broad surface (33) of the optical backplane member (32) contacts edges of the printed wiring boards (31A-C).

Abstract: In growing ingots of crystalline semiconductor material in a crucible, a seed crystal (35) contains a slot (36) which meshes with a wall portion (33) of the crucible for fixing the crystal orientation of the seed crystal with respect to the crucible. The crucible contains crystallographic reference flats (26 and 27) which are manifested as reference flats (26' and 27') of wafers cut from ingots grown in the crucible. The slots (36) in the seed crystal can be formed by forming slots (39) in a larger crystal (38) from which the seed crystals (35) are formed by coring.

Abstract: The major portion of the crucible in which a compound semiconductor ingot is grown has an inner surface which, in a section taken transverse to the crucible axis, substantially defines an ellipse. As a consequence, the ingot grown in the crucible has an elliptical cross-section. After the ingot is removed from the crucible, it is cut at an angle with respect to the central axis of the ingot and in the direction of the minor axis of the ellipse defining the ingot cross-section. Wafers cut from the ingot will have a circular periphery if the sine of the angle at which they are cut substantially equals y.div.x where y is the thickness of the ingot along the minor axis of the ellipse, and x is the thickness of the ingot along the major axis of the ellipse.