US 6,430,332 B1
Optical switching apparatusGeneral
US 6,430,332 B1
Optical switching apparatus
Tech Center:
2800 Semiconductors/Memory, Circuits/Measuring and Testing, Optics/Photocopying, Printing/Measuring and Testing
Examiner:
Hemang Sanghavi
Art Unit:
2874 Optics
Inventors:
HERZEL LAOR; DAVID A. KROZIER; LEO A. PLOUFFE
Assignee:
Priority:
06/05/98
Filed:
05/12/99
Granted:
08/06/02
Expiration:
05/12/19
Abstract
An optical matrix switch station (1) is shown mounting a plurality of optical switch units (15, 17), each of which includes a mirror (29), moveable in two axes, for purpose of switching light beams from one optical fiber to another. A mirror assembly (41) is formed from a single body of silicon and comprises a frame portion (43), gimbals (45), mirror portion (47), and related hinges (55). Magnets (53, 54) and air coils (89) are utilized to position the central mirror surface (29) to a selected orientation. The moveable mirror and associated magnets along with control LED's (71) are hermetically packaged in a header (81) and mounted with the air coils on mounting bracket (85) to form a micromirror assembly package (99) mounted in each optical switch unit.