As greater use of photonics devices is made for such purposes as optical communications and optical computing, there has developed a demand for components that can aid in the assembly of apparatus used in such systems. It has long been recognized that appropriate packaging apparatus must be developed which will aid in the assembly of photonics and optical components with relative alignments that are extremely precise. For example, it is not uncommon that lasers or laser arrays must be packaged with alignment tolerances that are accurate to within one or less than one micron. The copending application of Basavanhally et al., Ser. No. 07/705,229, filed May 24, 1991, describes the need for accurately aligned optical fiber bundles. Photodetectors, photodetector arrays, lens arrays, mirrors, and other optical devices all perform various functions within optical systems and may require great precision in their alignment within packages.
There is a great deal of literature concerning general adjustment of optical devices, but comparatively little concerning adjustments with tolerances in the micron or sub-micron range. When such high precision is required, friction between component elements usually leads to nonlinearities due to sticking and slipping motions, hysteresis, wear, and other factors. Flexture structures have been proposed for avoiding some of such nonlinearities, but such structures usually do not provide X direction motion that is completely independent of Y direction motion. Piezoelectric elements have been used to give small incremental movements, but it would often be useful for such small movements to be accurately deamplified.
Accordingly, there is a continuing long-felt need for methods and apparatus that permit optical and photonics devices to be packaged within X-Y adjustment stages with X and Y direction alignment tolerances in the micron or sub-micron range, and which are relatively simple to use.