Techniques for designing optical devices that can be manufactured in volume are disclosed. An optical assembly is build individually and includes a first tube with one end being polished to a slanted angle and attached with a filter. Because of the slanted angle, a predefined angle of incidence can be defined. The assembly is then bonded to a substrate on which other components or more such assemblies are bonded to form an integrated piece. Depending on implementation, the first tube may include no other element, a lens, or a lens and a fiber pigtail that are encapsulated. In the case that the first tube includes no other element or only a lens, a second tube is provided to include a fiber pigtail and a lens, or simply a fiber pigtail. One of the advantages of having two tubes is the underlying mechanism providing a lateral adjustment between the two tubes.