Self-aligned optofiber/waveguide connector with integrated V-grooves and diffractive optical elements

We demonstrate a novel type of self-aligned optofiber/waveguide connector with integrated V-grooves and diffractive optical elements. The self-alignment is achieved by connecting microstructures which have originally been formed in silicon and later replicated in concave and convex forms. V-grooves hold the optical fibers and the light is coupled out through diffractive optical elements (DOEs). A manufacturing process has been developed which allows both deep microstructures (V-grooves and alignment structures) and shallow surface reliefs (diffractive elements) to be realized on the same substrate. The self-alignment using microstructures allows a positioning accuracy of about /spl plusmn/5 /spl mu/m. Two different fan-out DOEs have been optically characterized.