Patent ID: 6939058

Claim:
An optical module for a high-speed bidirectional transceiver having a first optical path and a second optical path for transmitting optical beams in mutually opposite directions comprising: a housing having a longitudinal member with a top surface and a bottom surface; a first cavity disposed in said longitudinal member shaped for mounting a first optical device; a second cavity disposed in said longitudinal member and spaced apart from said first cavity shaped for mounting a second optical device; an optical signal generating unit disposed in said first cavity, said optical signal generating unit including a laser diode and a first collimating lens unit for generating a collimated outgoing beam having a first wavelength from a first opening in said top surface; an optical signal receiving unit disposed in said second cavity, said optical signal receiving unit including an optical detector receiving light from a second opening in said top surface; an optical fiber connection unit disposed at one end of said longitudinal member and spaced apart from said first cavity and said second cavity, said optical fiber connection unit having a second collimating lens unit collimating light received from an optical fiber at a second wavelength into an incoming beam and receiving said collimated outgoing beam; a first mirror reflective at said first wavelength disposed above said top surface of said member proximate said first opening for redirecting said collimated outgoing beam to a direction parallel to said top surface directed towards said second collimating lens unit; and a second mirror reflective at said second wavelength disposed above said top surface proximate said second opening for redirecting said collimated incoming beam to said optical signal receiving unit; wherein said collimated outgoing beam has a substantially constant cross-section from said first mirror to said optical fiber connection unit to facilitate independent fine alignment of said laser diode and said optical detector; and wherein said housing is adapted for said laser diode and said optical detector to be electrically coupled to a printed circuit board with an inductance sufficiently low to permit data rates of at least about one Gigabit/second.