Prism and lens array coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection alignment system

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of optical component mounting technology, specifically a real-time coaxial optical coupling loss detection and alignment system for prisms and lens arrays. It includes an automatic loading and unloading module for automatically loading the substrate, prisms, and lens arrays, and automatically sorting and unloading qualified and unqualified products. By adopting a technical solution that uses the real-time coaxial optical coupling loss detection value as the sole criterion for final alignment of the lens array, combined with a graded alignment strategy of visual coarse alignment and coaxial optical fine alignment, it solves the common industry pain point of existing pure visual alignment and passive alignment technologies that separate physical dimensional accuracy from optical performance. This results in the inability to compensate for manufacturing errors such as uneven refractive index and surface flatness deviations within optical components, leading to substandard optical performance despite meeting physical accuracy standards and low yield rates in mass production. By using dimensional and angular tolerances only as auxiliary constraints, it directly locks the global minimum coupling loss point, improving the consistency and stability of the product's optical performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of optical component mounting technology, specifically a real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of prism and lens array. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of fields such as optical communication, lidar, and biomedical imaging, the requirements for the integration and optical performance of optical systems are constantly increasing. The high-precision mounting of prisms and lens arrays is one of the core processes in the manufacturing of these optical systems, and its mounting accuracy directly determines the coupling efficiency, imaging quality, and reliability of the entire optical system.

[0003] Currently, the industry commonly uses pure vision alignment technology for mounting prisms and lens arrays. This involves using an industrial camera to photograph the physical markings or edge features of optical components, calculating their positional and angular deviations, and then driving a motion platform for adjustment. Some high-end equipment uses passive alignment technology, relying on photolithographic positioning marks on the substrate for CNC-compensated alignment. All of these technologies use physical dimensions and angular accuracy as the final alignment criterion, which cannot compensate for the optical performance degradation caused by manufacturing errors such as uneven refractive index, surface flatness deviations, and uneven coating thickness within the optical components. Even if the physical dimensions and angles after mounting perfectly meet tolerance requirements, coupling losses may still exceed limits, leading to low product yield.

[0004] Furthermore, existing technologies suffer from the following insurmountable drawbacks: 1. They cannot achieve high-precision alignment between the prism edge and the lens array edge, resulting in large alignment errors; 2. They lack closed-loop angle control during the mounting and pressing process, making them prone to angle drift due to uneven pressure; 3. The dispensing process design is unreasonable, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the requirements of no empty adhesive on both mounting surfaces and controllable adhesive overflow on the sides; 4. Each process step is independent and lacks coordinated control, making it impossible to achieve closed-loop management throughout the entire process. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a high-precision mounting alignment system that can directly use optical performance as the judgment standard.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of prism and lens array. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, at least one technical problem raised in the background art is solved.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array, as described in this invention, consists of the following modules, including: The automatic loading and unloading module is used to realize the automatic loading of base plate, prism and lens array, and the automatic sorting and unloading of qualified and unqualified products; The pre-positioning module is used for reference positioning of the base plate; The first dispensing module is used to continuously dispense adhesive into the preset mounting area of ​​the base plate; The first visual coarse alignment module is used to perform coarse visual alignment of the prism. The first coaxial optical reference calibration module is used to establish the optical reference before prism mounting. The first mounting execution module is used to mount the aligned prism to the dispensing area of ​​the base plate with controllable pressure. The first pre-curing module is used to pre-cur the adhesive layer between the base plate and the prism to fix the position of the prism. The first online inspection module is used to inspect the mounting dimensions and angles of the prism relative to the base plate; The second dispensing module is used for continuous dispensing of adhesive on the mounting area of ​​the upper surface of the prism. The second visual coarse alignment module is used to perform coarse visual alignment of the lens array, so as to align the edge of the prism mounting surface with the corresponding edge of the lens array. The coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module is used to detect the coupling loss value of the optical link in real time during the lens array mounting process. The six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module is used to drive the lens array to perform multi-degree-of-freedom fine alignment adjustment based on the feedback signal from the coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module. The second mounting execution module is used to mount the precisely aligned lens array to the dispensing area of ​​the prism with controllable pressure and controllable angle. The main curing module is used to fully cure the adhesive layer between the prism and the lens array; The second online inspection module is used to detect the mounting dimensions, angles, adhesive layer voids, and side adhesive overflow between the prism and lens array. The final optical inspection module is used to perform full-channel coupling loss detection on the cured product; The central control module is electrically connected to all the above modules and is used to coordinate and control the working sequence of each module. The minimum coupling loss value output by the coaxial real-time coupling loss detection module is used as the criterion for the final alignment of the lens array.

[0008] Preferably, the coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module includes a dual-ended coaxial optical path unit, which includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a light source, a beam splitter, and a reference detector. The beam splitter divides the light emitted by the light source into a first optical path and a second optical path. The first optical path enters the optical link under test, and the second optical path enters the reference detector to eliminate the influence of light source power fluctuations on the detection results. The receiver includes a multi-channel detector array that matches the number of channels in the lens array.

[0009] Preferably, the central control module has a built-in hierarchical alignment control unit. The hierarchical alignment control unit first controls the second vision coarse alignment module to complete the coarse alignment of the lens array, and then controls the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module in combination with the feedback from the coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection module to complete the fine alignment of the lens array.

[0010] Preferably, the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module includes an angle closed-loop control unit. The angle closed-loop control unit monitors angle changes in real time during the lens array pressing and mounting process, and automatically adjusts the angle parameters of the motion execution module according to the monitoring results to compensate for angle drift during the mounting process.

[0011] Preferably, the second visual coarse alignment module includes a dual-camera edge extraction unit, which extracts the edge features of the prism mounting surface and the corresponding edge features of the lens array, calculates the parallelism and offset between the two edges, and feeds the calculation results back to the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module for adjustment.

[0012] Preferably, both the first dispensing module and the second dispensing module include a continuous dispensing path control unit and a glue line integrity detection unit; the continuous dispensing path control unit is used to generate a continuous dispensing path without breaks, and the glue line integrity detection unit is used to detect the continuity of the glue line after dispensing is completed, and to control the dispensing module to automatically replenish glue when a break is detected.

[0013] Preferably, the central control module has a built-in glue overflow coordination control unit. The glue overflow coordination control unit controls the dispensing parameters of the dispensing module and the mounting pressure and pressing speed parameters of the mounting execution module in a coordinated manner to achieve precise control of the glue overflow amount on the side of the product.

[0014] Preferably, the first pre-curing module and the main curing module together form a graded curing system; the first pre-curing module uses a low-power curing light source to achieve rapid positioning and curing of the adhesive layer, and the main curing module uses a high-power uniform surface light source to achieve complete curing of the adhesive layer.

[0015] Preferably, the second online detection module includes an ultrasonic void detection unit and a visual overflow detection unit; the ultrasonic void detection unit is used to detect void defects inside the adhesive layer, and the visual overflow detection unit is used to detect the width and uniformity of overflow on the side of the product.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes a data traceability module, which is used to assign a unique identifier to each product and record all process parameters and test data throughout the entire product production process, so as to realize quality traceability throughout the entire product life cycle.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. The prism and lens array coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system of the present invention, by adopting a technical solution that uses the real-time coupling loss detection value of coaxial light as the sole criterion for the final alignment of the lens array, combined with a graded alignment strategy of visual coarse alignment and coaxial light fine alignment, solves the common industry pain point that existing pure visual alignment and passive alignment technologies separate physical dimensional accuracy from optical performance, and cannot compensate for manufacturing errors such as non-uniform refractive index and surface flatness deviation inside optical components, resulting in physical accuracy meeting the standards but optical performance failing to meet the standards and low yield in mass production; the present invention uses dimensional and angular tolerances only as auxiliary constraints, directly locking the global minimum coupling loss point, which greatly improves the consistency and stability of product optical performance.

[0018] 2. The prism and lens array coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system of the present invention achieves high-precision alignment of the prism edge and the lens array edge by adopting dual-camera sub-pixel edge extraction technology. At the same time, it introduces a real-time angle monitoring and closed-loop compensation mechanism during the pressing and mounting process, which solves the problems of large edge alignment error and uncontrollable angle drift caused by uneven pressure during the mounting and pressing process in the prior art. The dual cameras extract the features of the two edges respectively and calculate the parallelism and offset. During the pressing process, the motion platform adjusts the angle parameters in real time to compensate for the drift. With the help of the flexible clamping mechanism, the mounting angle accuracy is significantly improved, ensuring the appearance consistency and structural reliability of the product.

[0019] 3. The prism and lens array coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system of the present invention solves the problems of unreasonable dispensing process in the prior art, which makes it difficult to simultaneously meet the requirements of no empty glue on both mounting surfaces and controllable glue overflow by adopting a continuous and uninterrupted loop dispensing path design, combined with the three-dimensional parameter matching technology of "glue amount-mounting pressure-pressing speed" and the glue line integrity detection and glue replenishment mechanism. The present invention achieves continuous and uniform coating of glue line, eliminates breakpoints and overlaps, establishes the correspondence between process parameters and glue overflow, can accurately control the width of glue overflow on the side, and achieves comprehensive control of glue layer quality through ultrasonic empty glue detection for dual verification.

[0020] 4. The prism and lens array coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system described in this invention solves the problems of existing technologies, such as independent process links, lack of collaborative control, poor process stability, and untraceable quality, by constructing a full-process collaborative closed-loop control system encompassing five dimensions: optical performance, geometric accuracy, mechanical execution, process parameters, and quality inspection. Combined with a full-process online detection and full-lifecycle data traceability system, this invention achieves fully automated closed-loop production from material loading and unloading to final inspection. Abnormal situations trigger automatic alarms and reject defective products. All production data is traceable and queryable, significantly improving production efficiency and process stability while reducing manual intervention costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is the overall system workflow diagram of this invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the core coaxial optical real-time coupling loss fine alignment process in this invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the intelligent dispensing and adhesive layer quality control sub-process in this invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the multi-dimensional collaborative closed-loop control logic in this invention; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the online detection and quality traceability sub-process in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the prism and lens array coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system of the present invention adopts a six-station rotary table + double linear module layout, which is set up in sequence as an automatic loading and unloading station, a base plate pre-positioning and dispensing station, a prism alignment and mounting station, a prism mounting and inspection station, a lens array alignment and mounting station, and a final inspection and unloading station. The automatic loading and unloading module is used to realize the automatic loading of base plate, prism and lens array, and the automatic sorting and unloading of qualified and unqualified products; The pre-positioning module is used for reference positioning of the base plate; The first dispensing module is used to continuously dispense adhesive into the preset mounting area of ​​the base plate; The first visual coarse alignment module is used to perform coarse visual alignment of the prism. The first coaxial optical reference calibration module is used to establish the optical reference before prism mounting. The first mounting execution module is used to mount the aligned prism to the dispensing area of ​​the base plate with controllable pressure. The first pre-curing module is used to pre-cur the adhesive layer between the base plate and the prism to fix the position of the prism. The first online inspection module is used to inspect the mounting dimensions and angles of the prism relative to the base plate; The second dispensing module is used for continuous dispensing of adhesive on the mounting area of ​​the upper surface of the prism. The second visual coarse alignment module is used to perform coarse visual alignment of the lens array, so as to align the edge of the prism mounting surface with the corresponding edge of the lens array. The coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module is used to detect the coupling loss value of the optical link in real time during the lens array mounting process. The six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module is used to drive the lens array to perform multi-degree-of-freedom fine alignment adjustment based on the feedback signal from the coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module. The second mounting execution module is used to mount the precisely aligned lens array to the dispensing area of ​​the prism with controllable pressure and controllable angle. The main curing module is used to fully cure the adhesive layer between the prism and the lens array; The second online inspection module is used to detect the mounting dimensions, angles, adhesive layer voids, and side adhesive overflow between the prism and lens array. The final optical inspection module is used to perform full-channel coupling loss detection on the cured product; The central control module is electrically connected to all the above modules and is used to coordinate and control the working sequence of each module. The minimum coupling loss value output by the coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module is used as the criterion for determining the final alignment of the lens array. The overall system workflow is as follows: The automatic loading and unloading module loads the base plate, prism, and lens array to their respective workstations; after the base plate is pre-positioned, the first dispensing module continuously dispenses adhesive into the pre-set mounting area on the base plate; the first vision coarse alignment module performs coarse alignment of the prism, the first coaxial optical reference calibration module establishes the optical reference, the first mounting execution module mounts the prism onto the base plate with controllable pressure, and the first pre-curing module performs pre-curing; the first online detection module detects the mounting dimensions and angles of the prism, and automatically rejects defective products; the second dispensing module continuously dispenses adhesive into the mounting area on the upper surface of the prism; the second vision... The coarse alignment module performs coarse alignment of the lens array, aligning the edges of the prism with those of the lens array. The coaxial real-time coupling loss detection module initiates real-time detection, and the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module drives the lens array for fine alignment based on feedback signals until the minimum coupling loss point is found. The second mounting execution module mounts the lens array onto the prism with controllable pressure and angle, and the main curing module performs complete curing. The second online detection module detects the mounting size, angle, empty glue, and overflow glue. Finally, the optical inspection module performs full-channel coupling loss detection, unloads qualified products, and automatically sorts unqualified products.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, the aforementioned coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module includes a dual-ended coaxial optical path unit, which includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a light source, a beam splitter, and a reference detector. The beam splitter divides the light emitted from the light source into a first optical path and a second optical path. The first optical path enters the optical link under test, and the second optical path enters the reference detector to eliminate the influence of light source power fluctuations on the detection results. The receiver includes a multi-channel detector array that matches the number of channels in the lens array. The coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module adopts a dual-end coaxial optical path design. The transmitting end includes a 1550nm single-mode fiber collimator and a 1:9 beam splitter prism, with 90% of the light entering the optical link under test and 10% entering the reference detector to eliminate the influence of light source power fluctuations. The receiving end includes a multi-channel fiber array detector that matches the number of channels in the lens array, with a channel spacing accuracy of ±0.001mm. The coupling loss detection accuracy of this module is ±0.01dB, the sampling rate is ≥1kHz, and it supports dynamic continuous sampling during movement.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the central control module has a built-in hierarchical alignment control unit. The hierarchical alignment control unit first controls the second vision coarse alignment module to complete the coarse alignment of the lens array, and then controls the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module in combination with the feedback from the coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection module to complete the fine alignment of the lens array.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the above-mentioned six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module includes an angle closed-loop control unit. The angle closed-loop control unit monitors the angle change in real time during the lens array pressing and mounting process, and automatically adjusts the angle parameters of the motion execution module according to the monitoring results to compensate for the angle drift during the mounting process. The six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module includes X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, and... Axis: The X / Y axes are driven by linear motors and equipped with nano-level grating rulers with a resolution of 10nm and a repeatability of ±0.001mm; The axis is driven by a DD motor, with a 23-bit absolute circular grating, a resolution of 0.001°, and a repeatability of ±0.005°; the Z-axis is driven by a servo motor, with a high-precision force sensor, a pressure control range of 0.5-20N, an accuracy of ±0.1N, and an adjustable pressing speed of 0.1-10mm / s; the module has a built-in angle closed-loop control unit that monitors angle changes in real time during the pressing and mounting process, and automatically compensates when the angle deviation exceeds 0.05°.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, the aforementioned second vision coarse alignment module includes a dual-camera edge extraction unit. The dual-camera edge extraction unit extracts the edge features of the prism mounting surface and the corresponding edge features of the lens array, calculates the parallelism and offset between the two edges, and feeds the calculation results back to the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module for adjustment. The second visual coarse alignment module includes two 20-megapixel telecentric industrial cameras, which are respectively mounted above the prism mounting surface and the lens array. It adopts a sub-pixel edge extraction algorithm with an edge detection accuracy of ±0.003mm. The two cameras extract the edge features of the prism mounting surface and the corresponding edge features of the lens array, respectively, automatically calculate the parallelism and offset between the two edges, and feed them back to the motion execution module for adjustment to ensure that the edge alignment error is ≤0.01mm.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, both the first dispensing module and the second dispensing module include a continuous dispensing path control unit and a glue line integrity detection unit. The continuous dispensing path control unit is used to generate a continuous dispensing path without breaks, and the glue line integrity detection unit is used to detect the continuity of the glue line after dispensing is completed, and to control the dispensing module to automatically replenish glue when a break is detected. Both the first and second dispensing modules employ non-contact screw valves, achieving a dispensing accuracy of ±1% and a minimum dispensing volume of 0.001. The dispensing parameters are controlled within the following ranges: pressure 0.1-0.8 MPa, dispensing time 0.01-10 s, and dispensing speed 1-100 mm / s. For rectangular mounting surfaces, a continuous loop dispensing path is designed with no breaks or overlaps, and the glue line width uniformity is ±0.02 mm. After dispensing, the vision system automatically detects the integrity of the glue line and automatically replenishes glue if any breaks are found.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the central control module has a built-in glue overflow coordination control unit. This glue overflow coordination control unit controls the dispensing parameters of the dispensing module and the mounting pressure and pressing speed parameters of the mounting execution module to achieve precise control of the glue overflow amount on the side of the product.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the first pre-curing module and the main curing module together form a graded curing system; the first pre-curing module uses a low-power curing light source to achieve rapid positioning and curing of the adhesive layer, and the main curing module uses a high-power uniform surface light source to achieve complete curing of the adhesive layer. The graded curing system includes a first pre-curing module and a main curing module: the first pre-curing module uses a 365nm low-power UV lamp with a curing energy of 100-500 kcal / m². The main curing module uses a high-power surface light source UV lamp with a curing energy of 2000-5000 kWh. Curing uniformity ≥95%.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the second online inspection module includes an ultrasonic void detection unit and a visual overflow detection unit; the ultrasonic void detection unit is used to detect void defects inside the adhesive layer, and the visual overflow detection unit is used to detect the overflow width and uniformity on the side of the product. The first online detection module has a size detection accuracy of ±0.02mm and an angle detection accuracy of ±0.01°. The second online detection module includes an ultrasonic void detection unit and a visual overflow detection unit. The ultrasonic void detection unit can detect internal voids ≥0.1mm, and the visual overflow detection unit can accurately measure the width and uniformity of overflow on the side of the product.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, it also includes a data traceability module. This data traceability module is used to assign a unique identifier to each product and record all process parameters and test data throughout the entire product production process, so as to realize quality traceability throughout the entire product life cycle.

[0034] Example 1 High-precision product placement This embodiment is for optical communication devices with extremely high optical performance requirements. The technical requirements are as follows: the mounting angle error of the prism and lens array is ≤0.2°, the mounting size tolerance is ±0.025mm, the mounting size tolerance with the substrate is ±0.05mm, there is no empty glue on the two mounting surfaces, and the width of the glue overflow on the side is 0.05-0.1mm.

[0035] The system parameters are set as follows: Coarse alignment accuracy: position ±0.05mm, angle ±0.3°; Precision alignment accuracy: position ±0.01mm, angle ≤0.1°; Placement pressure: 5N; Pressing speed: 1mm / s; Pre-curing time: 3 seconds; Main curing time: 15s; Production cycle time: 30 seconds / piece; This system was used for mass production, producing a total of 1000 products. The test results are as follows: the mounting angle error of the prism and lens array is ≤0.1°, the mounting size tolerance is within ±0.01mm, the mounting size tolerance with the base plate is within ±0.02mm, the empty glue rate is 0%, the side glue overflow width is controlled within 0.05-0.1mm, and the full-channel coupling loss pass rate is 99.5%.

[0036] Example 2 High production capacity requires product mounting This embodiment is for consumer optical products with high production efficiency requirements. The technical requirements are: the mounting angle error of the prism and lens array is ≤0.5°, the mounting size tolerance is ±0.05mm, the mounting size tolerance with the base plate is ±0.1mm, there is no empty glue on the two mounting surfaces, and the width of the glue overflow on the side is 0.1-0.2mm.

[0037] The system parameters are set as follows: Coarse alignment accuracy: position ±0.1mm, angle ±0.5°; Precision alignment accuracy: position ±0.02mm, angle ≤0.3°; Placement pressure: 3N; Pressing speed: 3mm / s; Pre-curing time: 2 seconds; Main curing time: 10s; Production cycle time: 20 seconds / piece; Using this system for mass production, a total of 2000 products were produced. The test results are as follows: the mounting angle error of the prism and lens array is ≤0.3° for all products; the mounting size tolerance is within ±0.02mm for all products; the mounting size tolerance with the base plate is within ±0.04mm for all products; the empty glue rate is 0%; the side glue overflow width is controlled within the range of 0.1-0.2mm for all products; and the full-channel coupling loss pass rate is 99.2%.

[0038] Comparative Example 1 Traditional pure visual alignment and mounting process This comparison model uses industry-standard pure vision alignment and mounting equipment, which aligns the optical components by capturing the overall outline of the optical components with a single camera. It uses physical dimensions and angular accuracy as the sole criteria for alignment, without coaxial optical coupling loss detection or angle closed-loop compensation during the mounting process, and adopts the traditional dot-dispensing method.

[0039] Mass production was carried out using the exact same product specifications and technical requirements as in Example 1, with a total of 1000 products produced. The test results are as follows: prism and lens array mounting angle error 0.3-1.2°, mounting size tolerance ±0.03-0.1mm, mounting size tolerance with the base plate ±0.05-0.15mm, edge alignment error 0.05-0.2mm, empty glue rate 8.7%, side glue overflow width 0.1-0.5mm, and full-channel coupling loss pass rate 84.6%.

[0040] Comparative Example 2 Improved pure vision alignment and mounting process This comparison model uses the most advanced pure vision alignment and placement equipment currently on the market. It employs dual-camera vision alignment, adds post-placement angle detection and rework steps, and uses a strip dispensing method. However, it still lacks a coaxial optical coupling loss detection step and real-time angle compensation during the placement process.

[0041] Mass production was carried out using the exact same product specifications and technical requirements as in Example 1, with a total of 1000 products produced. The test results are as follows: prism and lens array mounting angle error 0.2-0.8°, mounting size tolerance ±0.02-0.06mm, mounting size tolerance with the base plate ±0.04-0.1mm, edge alignment error 0.03-0.1mm, empty glue rate 3.2%, side glue overflow width 0.08-0.3mm, and full-channel coupling loss pass rate 90.1%.

[0042] In summary, this invention fundamentally changes the traditional alignment logic that focuses on physical precision by introducing real-time coaxial optical coupling loss detection into the mounting and alignment process of prisms and lens arrays, and completely solves the long-standing industry pain point of "physical precision meets the standard but optical performance does not."

[0043] Compared with traditional pure vision alignment technology, this invention increases the product coupling loss pass rate from 84.6% to over 99%, reduces the empty glue rate to 0%, and achieves precise control of mounting angle, size, edge alignment, and glue overflow. Compared with improved pure vision alignment technology, this invention significantly improves yield and can flexibly adapt to both high-precision and high-capacity production modes through parameter switching, resulting in higher production efficiency and lower overall cost.

[0044] This invention features high system integration, excellent automation, and strong process stability. It can be widely applied to the high-precision optical component mounting production in fields such as optical communication, lidar, and biomedical imaging, offering significant economic benefits and broad market application prospects. The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array, characterized in that: It consists of the following modules, including: The automatic loading and unloading module is used to realize the automatic loading of base plate, prism and lens array, and the automatic sorting and unloading of qualified and unqualified products; The pre-positioning module is used for reference positioning of the base plate; The first dispensing module is used to continuously dispense adhesive into the preset mounting area of ​​the base plate; The first visual coarse alignment module is used to perform coarse visual alignment of the prism. The first coaxial optical reference calibration module is used to establish the optical reference before prism mounting. The first mounting execution module is used to mount the aligned prism to the dispensing area of ​​the base plate with controllable pressure. The first pre-curing module is used to pre-cur the adhesive layer between the base plate and the prism to fix the position of the prism. The first online inspection module is used to inspect the mounting dimensions and angles of the prism relative to the base plate; The second dispensing module is used for continuous dispensing of adhesive on the mounting area of ​​the upper surface of the prism. The second visual coarse alignment module is used to perform coarse visual alignment of the lens array, so as to align the edge of the prism mounting surface with the corresponding edge of the lens array. The coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module is used to detect the coupling loss value of the optical link in real time during the lens array mounting process. The six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module is used to drive the lens array to perform multi-degree-of-freedom fine alignment adjustment based on the feedback signal from the coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module. The second mounting execution module is used to mount the precisely aligned lens array onto the dispensing area of ​​the prism. The main curing module is used to fully cure the adhesive layer between the prism and the lens array; The second online inspection module is used to detect the mounting dimensions, angles, adhesive layer voids, and side adhesive overflow between the prism and lens array. The final optical inspection module is used to perform full-channel coupling loss detection on the cured product; The central control module is electrically connected to all the above modules and is used to coordinate and control the working sequence of each module. The minimum coupling loss value output by the coaxial real-time coupling loss detection module is used as the criterion for the final alignment of the lens array.

2. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coaxial optical real-time coupling loss detection module includes a dual-ended coaxial optical path unit, which includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a light source, a beam splitter, and a reference detector. The beam splitter divides the light emitted by the light source into a first optical path and a second optical path. The first optical path enters the optical link under test, and the second optical path enters the reference detector to eliminate the influence of light source power fluctuations on the detection results. The receiver includes a multi-channel detector array that matches the number of channels in the lens array.

3. The real-time coaxial optical coupling loss detection and alignment system for a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central control module has a built-in hierarchical alignment control unit. The hierarchical alignment control unit first controls the second vision coarse alignment module to complete the coarse alignment of the lens array, and then controls the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module in combination with the feedback of the coaxial light real-time coupling loss detection module to complete the fine alignment of the lens array.

4. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module includes an angle closed-loop control unit. The angle closed-loop control unit monitors angle changes in real time during the lens array pressing and mounting process, and automatically adjusts the angle parameters of the motion execution module according to the monitoring results to compensate for angle drift during the mounting process.

5. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second visual coarse alignment module includes a dual-camera edge extraction unit. The dual-camera edge extraction unit extracts the edge features of the prism mounting surface and the corresponding edge features of the lens array, calculates the parallelism and offset between the two edges, and feeds the calculation results back to the six-degree-of-freedom high-precision motion execution module for adjustment.

6. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first dispensing module and the second dispensing module include a continuous dispensing path control unit and a glue line integrity detection unit; the continuous dispensing path control unit is used to generate a continuous dispensing path without breaks, and the glue line integrity detection unit is used to detect the continuity of the glue line after dispensing is completed, and to control the dispensing module to automatically replenish glue when a break is detected.

7. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central control module has a built-in glue overflow coordination control unit. The glue overflow coordination control unit controls the dispensing parameters of the dispensing module and the mounting pressure and pressing speed parameters of the mounting execution module to achieve precise control of the glue overflow amount on the side of the product.

8. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first pre-curing module and the main curing module together form a graded curing system; the first pre-curing module uses a low-power curing light source to achieve rapid positioning and curing of the adhesive layer, and the main curing module uses a high-power uniform surface light source to achieve complete curing of the adhesive layer.

9. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second online detection module includes an ultrasonic void detection unit and a visual overflow detection unit; the ultrasonic void detection unit is used to detect void defects inside the adhesive layer, and the visual overflow detection unit is used to detect the width and uniformity of overflow on the side of the product.

10. The real-time coupling loss detection and alignment system for coaxial light of a prism and lens array according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a data traceability module, which is used to assign a unique identifier to each product and record all process parameters and test data throughout the entire product production process, so as to realize quality traceability throughout the entire product life cycle.

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