Patent ID: 7289693

Claim:
A method of forming an optical circuit that includes at least two optical elements, said method comprising the steps of: bonding together a first plurality of first component structures along a first plane to provide a first composite; dividing the first composite into a plurality of first elongated optical assemblies; bonding a second plurality of component structures together along a second plane to provide a second composite; dividing the second composite into a plurality of second elongated optical assemblies; aligning the first plurality of first elongated optical assemblies with a respective one of the second plurality of second elongated optical assemblies along a common alignment plane; bonding each of the first plurality of first elongated optical assemblies to the respective one of the second plurality of second elongated optical assemblies along a bonding plane to form a composite structure; and dividing said composite structure into optical circuits along a plurality of cut planes along a plurality of mutually parallel planes such that each optical circuit includes a first optical element formed of first component structures that are bonded together along the first plane and a second optical element formed of second component structures that are bonded together along the second plane wherein the second plane that is not parallel with the first plane within each optical circuit.