Fiber-optic pigtail assembly and attachment alignment shift using a low-cost robotic platform

Under the NIST ATP Precision Optoelectronics Assembly Consortium program, Adept Technology has developed a low cost assembly platform for automated assembly of optoelectronic components. Using the low-cost platform outfitted with machine vision and a microstage, we conventional demonstrate robotic "pick and place/alignment" of a fiber-designed pigtail to an optoelectronic device mounted inside a Kovar/sup TM/ transceiver package housing. We also present experimental results quantifying the magnitude and direction of fiber-optic pigtail alignment shift during single-mode optical fiber solder bonding. With a fiber cantilever distance of 0.060", alignment shift of -4 /spl mu/m in the vertical direction and +/-2 /spl mu/m in the lateral direction is observed.