Fiber Pigtails cut manufacturing costs.

Press Release Summary:



Fiber pigtails allow solder to be reflowed multiple times for optimal fiber alignment, without solder pull strength or metallization degradation. Assemblies improve performance of edge emitting devices by increasing light coupling efficiency with wedge fiber lens and AR coatings. By using components on single-mode and polarization maintaining fibers, users can improve performance of pump laser modules, external modulators, and many other optical devices.



Original Press Release:


Fiber Lensing, Metallization Reduce Optical Device Manufacturing Cost, Improve Performance


OFC - ANAHEIM, CALIF - March 19, 2002 -- Increased yields and improved coupling performance of optical devices are available through the use of new fiber pigtail assemblies introduced by 3M (NYSE: MMM).

The new 3M brand fiber pigtail includes a wedge fiber lens, anti-reflection (AR) coating, and nickel/gold (Ni/Au) metallization. Manufacturing issues relating to precise fiber alignment is a fact of life in photonic assemblies. Conventional metallization techniques limit reworkability and lower fiber strength, causing poor assembly yield for many optical component manufacturers. With 3M fiber pigtails, solder can be reflowed multiple times for optimal fiber alignment without solder pull strength or metallization degradation. Additionally, these assemblies improve the performance of edge emitting devices by increasing the light coupling efficiency with 3M fiber lens and AR coating technology. By using the new 3M components on standard single mode and polarization maintaining fibers, users can improve the performance of pump laser modules, external modulators, and many other optical devices.

"3M Pigtail Assemblies can be customized to specific requirements using flexible, automated manufacturing," said Susan Nestegard, business director, 3M Optical Components. "As an example, the wedge lenses can be fabricated directly from a customer design, or if a device's far field emission pattern is provided, 3M can design and manufacture a lens for optimal coupling efficiency and assembly tolerances."

3M also provides fiber Bragg gratings which can be combined with fiber pigtail assemblies for pump laser module applications. With all of the components from one source and customized to specific applications, the time for design changes can be reduced and the supply chain significantly simplified.

"3M's manufacturing, materials and fiber optic expertise provides design flexibility to our customers while decreasing the lead times for custom pigtails," Nestegard said.

About 3M
3M Optical Components is based in Austin, Texas and manufactures component level optical devices for optical networks. Among its product offering are Bragg gratings, used in terrestrial and undersea fiber optic networks; specialty fibers, where 3M has expertise in Erbium doping of fibers for fiber amplification and polarization maintaining fibers; and dispersion compensators, which increase bandwidth by realigning delays caused by spreading of light.

3M is a $16 billion technology company with leading positions in electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office, health care, safety and other markets. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company has operations in more than 60 countries and serves customers in nearly 200 countries. 3M businesses share technologies, manufacturing operations, brands, marketing channels and other important resources. 3M is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and also is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at www.3M.com.

For more information about 3M Fiber Pigtail Assemblies, please contact 3M at 6801 River Place Blvd., Austin, TX, USA, 78726-9000 or call 866-474-9029, fax 512-984-6869 or online at www.3M.com/fibers.

3M is a trademark of 3M company.

From: 3M
6801 River Place Blvd.
Austin, TX 78726-9000

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