Six-degrees-of-freedom alignment of two-dimensional array components by use of off-axis linear Fresnel zone plates

A novel six-degrees-of-freedom (six-DOFs) alignment technique for assembling two-dimensional array components is presented. The technique uses off-axis linear Fresnel zone plates on one component that are combined with alignment targets on the other. The technique is compact and sensitive to all six DOFs; it was used to package an array of microlenses with a 32 x 32 array of GaAs multiple-quantum-well modulators flip-chip bonded to a 9 mm x 9 mm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor chip. By use of interference fringes to control the tilt misalignment, the worst-case misalignment of the microlenses relative to the chip is calculated to be as follows: lateral = 3.0 mum, rotational = 0.023 degrees , longitudinal = 13 mum, and tilt = 0.022 degrees . We also propose alternative implementations of the technique, including one that uses on-chip photodetectors to automate this six-DOF alignment technique.