Patent ID: 7269317

Claim:
A method for making an optical apparatus, comprising: forming a planar optical waveguide on a substrate as a first transmission optical element positioned on the substrate; positioning a second transmission optical element on the substrate; mounting an optical component on the substrate between respective proximal ends of the first and second transmission optical elements; mounting at least one focusing optical element on the substrate between the respective proximal ends of the transmission optical elements and arranging the focusing optical element to transmit optical power between the fist and second transmission optical elements through the optical component; and substantially filling an optical path between the optical component and the proximal end of the second transmission optical element with a substantially transparent non-gaseous embedding medium, wherein the second transmission optical element comprises an optical fiber mounted on the substrate with its proximal end in a groove on the substrate, and the focusing element comprises a GRIN optical fiber segment spliced onto the optical fiber and forming the proximal end thereof.