METHOD OF COATING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE OPTICAL COMPONENTS SIMULTANEOUSLY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of processing (coating, for example) a plurality of (rod-shaped) optical components simultaneously because the optical components are processed in most cases in a unit of some thousands in such processing as polishing and coating, thus individual handling of such components greatly influences a cost. SOLUTION: A method of processing a plurality of optical components simultaneously includes a process of providing a plate structure with first and second opposed plate faces and the plurality of optical components retained within a sacrificial matrix material. Each optical component includes first and second component faces coinciding with, respectively, the first and second plate faces. A portion of the matrix material is dissolved in order to recess the matrix relative to at least the first component faces. With a remainder of the matrix retaining the components in their initial spatial relationships, a single, continuous substrate is adhered to the plurality of first component faces protruding relative to the matrix. The remainder of the matrix material is then dissolved such that the substrate to which the first component faces are adhered retains the optical components. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT