Optimization of ball lens assembly design for GI POF optical micro-collimator

A micro optical collimator using the world's fastest GI POF and ball-point pen manufacturing technology was developed for future consumer electronics applications which require high speed and ease of use optical communication. However, because of the metal sleeve of the ball-point pen component, inside of the sleeve was invisible and hard to know the accuracy of precise assembly without destructive quality check. We evaluated relationship between the degree of output beam spread and the distance of lens and fiber using the sleeveless measurement apparatus and understood that beam spread angle could tell the accuracy of precision assembly. The assembling techniques and conditions of the optical micro-collimator adopting ball-point pen technology were optimized and confirmed as highly precision assembling of ±0.01 mm accuracy of the distance between ball lens and GI POF.