The present invention is directed to a connector element for a plurality of light waveguides comprising two carrier members which are arranged in alignment along a parting surface relative to one another. Each of the carrier members has a plurality of V-shaped centering grooves extending parallel to each other to the parting surface for receiving individual optical fibers and also having guide channels along each side of the centering grooves which receive guide ribs of guide rails which extend between the two carrier members to hold the members in alignment with each other.
A connector element having two carrier members held in alignment by guide rails having ribs received in guide channels is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,341, whose disclosure is incorporated by reference and which claims priority from two German applications, including No. 34 08 783. In order to achieve a precise aligning arrangement of the two carrier members and their optical fibers with the carrier members being formed of silicon, each of the carrier members has etched V-shaped guide channels along their edges for receiving guide ribs of guide rails.
Problems occurred in manufacturing the side walls of the guide channels of the carrier members and of the guide ribs of the silicon guide rails. These problems involve micro-offsets MV1-MV2, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The difficulties occur because the side walls of the guide channel and of the profile ribs no longer rest against one another over a large surface area. The guide ribs, thus, no longer align the two carrier members exactly relative to one another so that the bas1c attenuation of the optical fibers can be increased due to misalignment.
In addition, the undefined point supports between the guide channels and the guide ribs, which occur due to the micro-offsets, are responsible for pressure and temperature sensitivity in the attenuation behavior of the silicon connector element. Also, superfine dust particles in the guide channel or immersion fluid which has penetrated into the guide channel will produce similar effects between the side wall parts of the channels and ribs.