1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of making a lens, and, more particularly, to such a method for making a miniature lens to be used in a terminus to transmit optical signals from the end of one fiber to another, for example.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many situations in which a miniature lens is required. For example, in providing interconnections between broken optical fibers used to transmit a light signal or between two separate optical fibers via which it is desired to transmit an optical signal, two faced-off fiber ends are received within a securing apparatus referred to as a terminus with a lens between the two faced-off fiber ends which serves to receive light signals coming from one fiber and concentrate them on the face of the second fiber, thereby enhancing light transmission efficiency. Such lenses can be either spherical, hemispherical or aspherical. The dimensions of such lenses are relatively small in the range of perhaps as small as 0.020 inches and in the past they have been manufactured by conventional grinding and polishing techniques which are time consuming and relatively expensive.
There are also, in addition to glass or quartz ground and polished lenses, plastic molded lenses which have not been found fully satisfactory from an optical and environmental standpoint, although they can be readily molded in even miniature sizes.
It would, therefore, be highly advantageous to be able to produce glass (i.e., quartz, silica) lenses selectively having either spherical surfaces or aspherical surfaces and possessing the overall relatively miniature dimensions required for use in such contexts as an optical fiber terminus, and not have to employ conventional grinding and polishing techniques.