Patent ID: 7177506

Claim:
A method for aligning optical components in order to form an aligned optical sub-assembly, comprising: (a) positioning a first optical component with respect to a first optical bench having an upper surface; (b) positioning a bench-joining optical component relative to the upper surface of the first optical bench; (c) after steps (a) and (b), providing actively aligned optical components by moving at least one of the bench-joining optical component and the first optical bench until an acceptable throughout of optical signal is detected through the first optical component and the bench-joining optical component; (d) after step (c), and while said aligned components remain in an aligned position, permanently securing at least the bench-joining optical component to the first optical bench; (e) permanently securing a third optical component to a second optical bench having an upper surface; (f) after steps (d) and (e), and after the first and bench-joining optical components are permanently secured to the first optical bench, positioning the bench-joining optical component relative to the upper surface of the second optical bench; (g) after step (f), providing an actively aligned optical sub-assembly by moving at least one of the bench-joining optical component and the second optical bench until an acceptable throughout of optical signal is detected through the bench-joining optical component and the third optical component; and (h) after step (g), permanently securing the bench-joining optical component to the second optical bench; said method further comprising permanently securing said first optical component to the first optical bench in step (a) or step (d).