Patent ID: 7267491

Claim:
A fiber optic interconnection comprising: first and second ferrule assemblies, each ferrule assembly comprising a ferrule having a front face and defining a plurality of bores opening through the front face, each ferrule assembly also comprising a plurality of optical fibers extending through respective bores, wherein the end portions of said optical fibers of at least said first ferrule assembly extend greater than 3.5 μm beyond all portions of the front face of said respective ferrule, said first and second ferrule assemblies being mated such that the end portions of said optical fibers that extend beyond the front face of said ferrule of said first ferrule assembly contact the end portions of corresponding optical fibers of said second ferrule assembly, thereby spacing the respective front faces of said ferrules of said first and second ferrule assemblies apart from one another; and wherein the end portions of said optical fibers of said first ferrule assembly differ in position from one another by no more than about 100 nm.