Patent ID: 8483571

Claim:
An optical beam splitter for use in an optoelectronic module, the optical beam splitter comprising: a substrate having at least upper and lower surfaces that are substantially parallel to one another; at least a first diffractive optical element formed on the outside of the lower surface of the substrate, the first diffractive optical element receiving a main beam of light produced by a light source and splitting the main beam into at least first and second light portions L 1 and L 2 , respectively, and tilting at least the first light portion L 1 at a first preselected non-zero tilt angle relative to an imaginary line that is normal to the lower surface of the substrate and that extends between the lower and upper surfaces of the substrate, the first and second light portions L 1 and L 2 each having a particular percentage of an optical power of the main light beam, and wherein the second light portion L 2 has a substantially larger percentage of the optical power of the main light beam than the first portion L 1 ; and at least a first refractive optical element formed on the outside of the upper surface of the substrate, the first refractive optical element receiving the tilted first light portion L 1 and directing the first light portion L 1 onto a lens assembly of the optoelectronic module to optically couple the first light portion L 1 into an end of an optical fiber coupled to the lens assembly, and wherein the optical power of the first light portion L 1 that is directed onto the lens assembly is within a human eye safety limit.