JP2000292642A - Optical component module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical component module with moisture-proof treatment applied, facilitating the manufacture and enabling to reduce the price. SOLUTION: An optical fiber module has at least one opening 24, and is provided with an exterior container 20 comprising a metal foil sheet member 22 or a sheet member 22 coated with a polymer material, and a case formed beforehand, an optical part 30 contained in the container 20, and an optical fiber 40 connected to the optical part 30 and led outward through the opening 24. The opening 24 is joined while the optical fiber 40 is inserted through the opening 24, and is sealed by fusing the polymer material on the optical fiber module.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical component module used in an optical communication system or the like, and more particularly, to an optical component module having excellent weather resistance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The rapid increase in communication capacity accompanying the spread of the Internet and the like in recent years has made increasing the capacity of communication equipment an urgent issue. In a current optical fiber communication system, an optical signal transmitted from a transmission side is transmitted through an optical fiber line while being regenerated and amplified by a repeater including a photoelectric converter on the way. For example, an optical fiber amplifier is an optical component that amplifies an optical signal as it is, and can be replaced with a conventional repeater that requires optical-to-electrical conversion, thereby increasing the relay distance of a trunk line system and a submarine transmission system. Expected.
In addition, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM: Wavelength Division Mu)
In an optical communication system using a plurality of signal wavelengths such as ltiplexing, it is possible to amplify a plurality of signal wavelengths within an amplification band at a time. Can be configured,
It is recognized as an indispensable optical component in the structure of the future optical communication system.

As such an optical fiber amplifier, an optical fiber amplifier (EDFA: Erbium-doped Fib) in which erbium is added as a rare earth ion to the core of a quartz fiber.
er Amplifier) has already been put to practical use and has been introduced in some backbone transmission and submarine transmission commercial systems.
Flatness of amplification gain is required as an amplification characteristic required for an optical fiber amplifier for WDM communication. A fluoride EDFA using a fluoride fiber has been proposed as an optical fiber amplifier having such excellent gain flatness characteristics. ing. However, fluoride fibers are inferior to quartz fibers in terms of weather resistance, so it is important to ensure reliability for the practical use of fluoride EDFAs. In particular, optical component modules with humidity resistance measures are needed. It is.

[0004] On the other hand, an arrayed waveguide diffraction grating (AWG: Arrayed Wave) is a key device supporting a WDM system.
-guide Grating), it is necessary to insert a half-wave plate made of a polymer material at an intermediate position of the arrayed waveguide in order to eliminate the polarization dependence due to the birefringence of the waveguide. It is necessary to eliminate the temperature dependence by mounting a polymer material with a negative temperature coefficient of refractive index in the middle of the waveguide to eliminate the center wavelength shift due to the temperature dependence of the refractive index. For example, it is necessary to use a polymer material in order to enhance the functions of the AWG. However, since these polymer materials are inferior to quartz glass in weather resistance, in order to ensure the reliability of the AWG to which such a new function is added, it is necessary to provide an optical component module which has taken measures against humidity. .

[0005]

By the way, as a reliability standard of an optical component, for example, it is required to satisfy a bell core specification (TA-NWT-001221) specified by Bell core company. According to this specification, 75
5,000 ° C. in an environment of 90 ° C. and 90% relative humidity, or −40 ° C.
Five cycles of a temperature / humidity cycle of 75 ° C. and 90% relative humidity are performed, and it is required that characteristics such as a loss value and reflection do not change before and after the test.

[0006] On the other hand, some fluoride glasses or polymer materials are susceptible to chemical corrosion of the surface due to the reaction with atmospheric moisture and water molecules, or their transmission characteristics are degraded by absorbing moisture. I have to worry. Therefore, in order to ensure the reliability of an optical component using these materials, it is essential to develop a product that is provided with moisture proof measures. Further, in order to operate as an optical component, input / output by an optical fiber is required, and it is necessary to develop a product which is provided with a moisture proof measure while securing the input / output of the optical fiber.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an optical component module which can be easily manufactured and can be reduced in cost.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an optical component module according to the first aspect of the present invention has at least one opening and an outer container made of a sheet material; An optical component housed in the container, and an optical fiber connected to the optical component and led out of the opening, are joined together with the opening penetrating the optical fiber, and It is characterized by being sealed.

An optical component module according to a second aspect of the present invention has at least one opening, and has an outer container formed of a sheet material and a preformed case, and is housed in the container. Optical component, and an optical fiber connected to the optical component and led out of the opening, and the opening is joined with the optical fiber inserted, and sealed. It is characterized by the following.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the optical component module according to the first or second aspect, the sheet material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, platinum, silver and copper. It is characterized by comprising at least one kind of metal foil and a polymer material layer provided on at least the surface on the side where the opening is formed.

Here, the thickness of the metal foil of the sheet material is 50
It is desirable that it is not more than μm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the optical component module according to the second or third aspect, the preformed case is made of aluminum, gold, silver, platinum, copper, nickel, titanium, chromium. , At least one metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium and zinc,
Alternatively, it is characterized by comprising an alloy composed of two or more kinds and a polymer material layer provided on at least a surface on a side where the opening is formed.

Here, the thickness of the metal of the preformed case is desirably 50 μm or more.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the optical component module according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the sealing is performed by fusion.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the optical component module according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the inside of the sealed container is evacuated or dried. Is filled.

Here, in the case of vacuum evacuation, the degree of vacuum is desirably 600 mmHg or less. As a dry gas, an inert gas such as helium, nitrogen, or argon can be used, but dry air or oxygen may be used. It is desirable that the degree of drying be −40 ° C. or less as a dew point.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the optical component module according to any one of the third to sixth aspects, the polymer material layer is made of a thermoplastic polymer material having a low moisture permeability. It is characterized by the following.

Here, as the polymer material which is thermoplastic and has a low moisture permeability, polyolefin, fluororesin, polyester and chlorine resin can be exemplified.

An optical component module according to claim 8 is the optical component module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the optical fiber is an oxide fiber, and the optical component is required to have moisture resistance. It is an optical component.

Here, examples of the oxide fiber include a quartz fiber, a silica-based multi-component fiber, and a tellurite fiber.

Optical components requiring moisture resistance include optical amplification components comprising non-quartz optical fibers such as fluoride fibers, chalcogenide fibers, mixed halide fibers, and phosphoric acid fibers, and quartz waveguides. Planar lightwave circuit (PLC: Pl)
anner Lightwave Circuit), polymer PLC, optical components such as optical multiplexer / demultiplexer, filter, isolator, optical modulator, optical switch, or light receiving element, semiconductor laser,
It may be a semiconductor amplifier or another semiconductor optical component.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an optical component module which has been subjected to a moisture proof measure while securing input and output with an optical fiber. That is, using a sheet material containing a metal foil or a molded case containing a metal foil as an outer container is effective in keeping the inside of the container in a dry atmosphere because water molecules cannot pass through the metal foil. There is. In addition, using a sheet material or a molded case made of a metal foil coated with a polymer material makes it possible to firmly join a joint between sheet materials or a joint between a sheet material and a molded case by fusion. In addition to this, it is effective to form a joint in a form in which the sheet material is in close contact with the outer periphery of the optical fiber without damaging the sandwiched optical fiber. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a light-weight and small-sized optical component module which is provided with a moisture proof measure, which is effective in facilitating the production and reducing the price.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show an optical component module 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The optical component module 10 has at least one opening, an exterior container 20 made of a sheet material, an optical component 30 housed in the container 20, and connected to the optical component. And an optical fiber 40 led out of the unit, and the opening is joined and sealed with the optical fiber 40 inserted therethrough.

In the optical component module 10 according to the first embodiment, the outer container 20 is fused to the two rectangular sheet members 22 with the three sides of the rectangular sheet members 22 remaining open. In a state where the optical fiber 40 is led out from the outside 24, one side forming the opening 24 is fused.

The sheet material 22 is provided on the base material layer 22A by the inner surface layer 2.
2B and a surface layer 22C. A metal foil such as an aluminum foil is provided on the base layer 22A.
A polymer material is used for the surface layer 22C. As the base material layer 22A, in addition to the aluminum foil,
Gold, platinum, silver, and copper foils can be used. The thickness of the foil is desirably 50 μm or less. 50 μm
This is because if the value exceeds the above, the conformability deteriorates when the optical fiber 40 is joined in a state where the optical fiber 40 is inserted into the opening 24.

As the polymer material constituting the sheet member 22, polyolefin, fluororesin, chlorine resin, polyester, polyamide, and polyimide can be used. As the inner surface layer 22B, polyolefin, It is preferable to use a material having low hygroscopicity, such as a fluororesin type, a polyester type, and a chlorine resin type. As the surface layer 22C, a material having a higher softening temperature than the material used for the inner surface layer 22B is used. This is to prevent the surface layer 22C from being melted first at the time of fusion.

The method of providing the polymer material on the base material layer 22A is not particularly limited, and a method of thermocompression bonding a film of the polymer material to the base material layer 22A or dissolving the polymer material in a solvent for coating is used. Alternatively, vapor deposition may be used.
Furthermore, it is also possible to form a multimer (polymer) by applying a monomer (monomer) to the base material layer 22A and then performing a chemical reaction. In addition, in the case of the surface layer 22C, in addition to the above, a film of a polymer material can be attached with an adhesive. Further, the thickness of the polymer material is desirably 50 μm or more. If the thickness is smaller than 50 μm, the fusion may be insufficient when the optical fiber 40 is fused with the optical fiber 40 inserted through the opening 24.

Next, in this embodiment, the optical component 30 is
This is an optical fiber amplifier using a fluoride fiber 32, and is configured by winding a fluoride fiber 32 of a predetermined length (for example, 20 m) around a bobbin 34. In the present embodiment, an optical fiber made of quartz glass, that is, a quartz fiber 40, is connected to both ends of the fluoride fiber 32 via a joint 50.

Here, the fluoride fiber refers to a fiber made of a multi-component glass containing fluorine as an anion. The fluoride glass has an anion of F (fluorine) and a cation of Zr (zirconium). , Na (sodium), Ba (barium), La (lanthanum) and the like, and its softening temperature is about 300 ° C. On the other hand, the quartz glass which is the base of the quartz fiber is an oxide glass containing Si (silicon) as a cation and 0 (oxygen) as an anion, and has a softening temperature of 1700.
It is about ° C.

Therefore, when connecting the fluoride fiber 32 and the quartz fiber 40, as shown in FIG.
The fluoride fiber 32 and the quartz fiber 40 are respectively fixed in the V groove 54 of (usually Pyrex glass) using an ultraviolet curable resin, and after the connection end surface is optically polished, the mutual core position is determined by the connection device. The cores are aligned so that they coincide with each other, and the two glass substrates 52 are connected by bonding using an ultraviolet curable resin.

The optical component 30 with the quartz fiber 40 prepared as described above is housed in the outer container 20, and the quartz fiber 40 is led out from the opening 24.
The optical component module 10 is configured by heating the opening 24 with a heat sealer and fusing one side. The details of the fused state are shown in FIG.
Is fused so as to surround the quartz fiber 40, and the inside of the container 20 is sealed.

Before heating with a heat sealer,
The inside of the container 20 may be evacuated or filled with a dry gas.

In the above embodiment, the outer container 2
Although the two sheet materials 22 are used to construct 0, a bag-shaped container may be prepared first by folding one sheet material and fusing the two sides leaving an opening. .

Next, FIG. 4 shows an optical component module 10 'according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the optical component module 10 'according to the second embodiment, the outer container 2
0 ′ is different from the previous embodiment in that it is composed of a case 22 ′ formed in advance and one sheet material 22. Therefore, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be avoided. This is the same throughout the present specification.

The preformed case 22 ′ is formed with a flange 26 around the case 22 ′.
Similarly, the base layer 22A 'is provided with an inner layer 22B' and a surface layer 22C '. The base layer 22A' is provided with a metal foil such as an aluminum foil, and the inner layer 22B 'and the surface layer 22C'. Uses a polymer material. As the base material layer 22A ', besides aluminum foil, gold, silver,
A foil of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, copper, iron, nickel, titanium, chromium, magnesium, and zinc, or an alloy of two or more metals can be used. The relationship between the polymer material layers constituting the inner surface layer 22B 'and the surface layer 22C' is the same as in the case of the sheet material 22 described above. However, in the case of the preformed case 22 ′, it is not necessary to consider its deformation,
By making the thickness of the foil 2A 'larger than that of the sheet material 22 and applying another protective film, the surface layer 22C' of the polymer material can be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the optical component 30 with the quartz fiber 40 is accommodated in a case 22 ′ formed in advance, and the sheet material 22 is placed on a flange 26 around the case 22 ′. Then, in a state where the quartz fiber 40 is led out from the opening 24, the periphery including the opening 24 is heated and fused by a heat sealer, thereby forming the optical component module 10 '.

FIG. 5 shows an optical component module 10 "according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The optical component module 10" according to the third embodiment is similar to the optical component module 10 "according to the second embodiment. The optical component module 10 ′ in the form is further housed in a storage container 60, and a resin 62 is
Is further improved in weather resistance.

The storage container 60 has an insertion hole 64 in its side wall.
Is formed, and the quartz fiber 40 is led out through the insertion hole 64.

FIG. 6 shows an optical component module 100 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the optical component module 100 according to the fourth embodiment, the outer container 2
First, one sheet material 22 is folded, and one side of the inner surface layer 22 is left, leaving openings 240 and 240 at both ends.
B is formed into a cylindrical shape by fusing, and an athermalized array type waveguide diffraction grating (AWG) is housed therein as the optical component 300. In the present embodiment, a 32-core tape-shaped quartz fiber 400 is connected to one end of an arrayed waveguide diffraction grating 300 via a joint 500, and a single-core nylon-coated quartz fiber 40 is connected to the other end. They are connected via a joint 50. Then, the 32-core tape-shaped quartz fiber 400 is led out from the opening 240 at one end, and the single-core nylon-coated quartz fiber 40 is led out from the opening 240 at the other end, and these openings 240 are heated by a heat sealer. Then, the optical component module 100 is configured.

Next, FIG. 7 shows an optical component module 100 'according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The optical component module 100 ′ according to the fifth embodiment is different from the optical component module 100 according to the fourth embodiment in that the container 6 further includes:
The inside of the housing container 600 is filled with a resin 620 to fill the gap inside the housing container 600, so that the weather resistance is further improved.

The storage container 600 has a through hole 6 in its side wall.
40, 642 are formed, and 32 are inserted through the insertion holes 640.
A core tape-shaped quartz fiber 400 is led out through the insertion hole 642 to a single-core nylon-coated quartz fiber 40.

[0043]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

(Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, a fluoride fiber 32 is used as an optical component.
0 m is wound around the fiber bobbin 34, and both ends of the fluoride fiber 32 are connected to the above-mentioned (Japanese Patent Application No. 10-155028).
Fiber 40 by the V-groove connection method
The one connected to was prepared. As a storage container, polyethylene terephthalate (P)
Two sheets of ET) coated with polypropylene on one side were prepared, and a cylindrical storage container was prepared by fusing the surfaces of the polypropylene with a heat sealer in advance. The prepared optical fiber bobbin is stored in a cylindrical storage container, and two quartz fibers 40 connected by a V-groove connection method are taken out of one of the opened openings to the outside of the storage container. Were welded in a state of being sandwiched. Next, insert the exhaust nozzle connected to the vacuum pump from the other opening,
With the exhaust nozzle sandwiched by the heat sealer,
The inside of the storage container was evacuated to 100 mmHg, the exhaust nozzle was pulled out from the opening, and at the same time, the heat sealer was energized to fuse the opening to complete the storage container (FIG. 1).

With this method, a fluoride fiber module as a packaged optical component module was subjected to a temperature-humidity cycle test at -40 to 75 ° C. and a relative humidity of 90%. No change was observed in the characteristics of

Comparative Example 1 A fluoride fiber bobbin similar to that of Example 1 was prepared. Further, a box-shaped aluminum metal container was prepared, and the fluoride fiber bobbin was housed inside the metal container. The quartz fiber connected by the V-groove connection method is taken out from a hole having a diameter of 1 mm opened in the side wall of the metal container, and the gap between the quartz fiber and the take-out hole is filled with an epoxy-based adhesive.
The aluminum lid was adhered to the metal container body with an epoxy adhesive and fixed with screws. The fluoride fiber module packaged by such a method was subjected to a temperature-humidity cycle test at −40 to 75 ° C. and a relative humidity of 90%. As a result, an increase in loss was observed during the test. When the packaged module was disassembled after the end of the test, it was confirmed that the inside of the package was eroded by the moisture penetrating into the inside of the package and the surface became cloudy.

Example 2 A fiber 20 m was wound around a fiber bobbin as in Example 1, and both ends of the fluoride fiber were connected to a quartz fiber by a V-groove connection method. As a storage container, a sheet material coated with polyethylene terephthalate on one side of aluminum foil and polyethylene on the other side,
A molded container with a flange coated with polyethylene on one side of a thick aluminum foil and nylon on the other side was prepared. The fluoride fiber bobbin, the molding container, and the sheet material were brought into a chamber capable of evacuating the inside, and the fluoride fiber bobbin was stored in the molding container under a nitrogen gas atmosphere. The two quartz fibers connected by the V-groove connection method were taken out of the container from the upper part of the container, the quartz fiber was sandwiched by a sheet material, the lid was closed, and a heat sealer matching the shape of the flange of the container was set. The inside of the chamber was evacuated, and when the degree of vacuum reached 100 mmHg, electricity was supplied to the heat sealer to fuse the polyethylene coating surfaces of the sheet material and the flange of the molding container (FIG. 4).

With respect to the fluoride fiber module packaged by such a method, -40 to 40
As a result of conducting a temperature-humidity cycle test at 75 ° C. and 90% relative humidity, no change was observed in characteristics such as loss value and reflection before and after the test.

In addition, similar results can be obtained when the polymer material shown in Table 1 is used as the coating material for the inner surface of the molded container containing the aluminum foil and the inner surface of the sheet material to be fused. did it. Table 1 shows measured values of the time until the dew point inside the fluoride fiber module prepared by the method of the present embodiment deteriorates to −40 ° C. Also, when the metal foil of the molding container is made of one or more alloys selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, silver, platinum, nickel, titanium, iron, chromium, magnesium, and zinc, Similar results could be obtained. After evacuating the interior of the storage container, nitrogen gas was filled up to 500 mmHg and sealed, and the same result was obtained for the fluoride fiber module completed.

[0050]

[Table 1]

(Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, Embodiment 2 will be described.
The first storage container of the optical component module containing the fluoride fiber therein, which is manufactured in the above, is stored in the separately prepared second storage container, and the optical fiber taken out of the first storage container is stored in the second storage container. 1mm opened on the side wall of the storage container
The fluoride fiber module was completed by taking out the outside of the second storage container from the hole of φ and filling the gap between the first and second storage containers with an epoxy resin (FIG. 5).

When the reliability test was performed by leaving the fluoride fiber module mounted by such a method in an atmosphere of 75 ° C. and 90% relative humidity for 5000 hours, loss and reflection of the module before and after the test were observed. No change was seen.

In addition, similar results could be obtained when a silicon-based or urethane-based resin was used as a filler for filling the gap between the first and second storage containers. Also, a large container is prepared as the second storage container,
The same result could be obtained when the storage container was embedded in the second storage container using an epoxy-based, silicon-based, urethane-based resin, or the like.

Embodiment 4 In this embodiment, an array type waveguide diffraction grating (AWG) which is made athermal by mounting a polymer material in the middle of the waveguide is prepared. Also,
In the same manner as in Example 1, a storage container formed of a sheet material containing an aluminum foil and previously formed in a tubular shape was prepared. The prepared AWG and the storage container were brought into the chamber used in Example 2, the AWG was stored in the storage container in a nitrogen gas atmosphere, and a 32-core tape glass of quartz glass was taken out from one opening. Was taken out from one side of the container, and both ends of the storage container were set on a heat sealer. The inside of the chamber was evacuated, and when the degree of vacuum reached 100 mmHg, electricity was supplied to the heat sealer so that the openings at both ends of the storage container were fused with the optical fiber interposed therebetween (FIG. 6).

AWG implemented by such a method
The module was subjected to a temperature-humidity cycle test at -40 to 75 ° C. and a relative humidity of 90%. As a result, no change was observed in characteristics such as loss value and reflection before and after the test. Similar results could be obtained when the storage container was formed using a molded container containing an aluminum foil and a sheet material.

(Embodiment 5) In this embodiment, Embodiment 4 will be described.
The first storage container of the optical component module containing AWG therein is housed in a separately prepared second storage container, and the optical fiber taken out of the first storage container is stored in the second storage container. The module was completed by taking out the fiber from the second container through the fiber outlet provided in the side wall of the container and filling the gap between the first and second containers with an epoxy resin (FIG. 7).

AWG implemented by such a method
The module is placed in an atmosphere at 75 ° C. and 90% relative humidity for 5 minutes.
When a reliability test was performed by leaving the module for 000 hours, no change was observed in the loss and reflection of the module before and after the test. In addition, similar results could be obtained when a silicon-based or urethane-based resin was used as a filler for filling the gap between the first and second storage containers. Also, the second
A similar result can be obtained when a large storage container is prepared and the first storage container is embedded in the second storage container using an epoxy-based, silicon-based, urethane-based resin, or the like. did it.

Embodiment 6 In this embodiment, a hybrid PLC having an athermalized AWG and a semiconductor laser or a semiconductor amplifier mounted on a silicon substrate was prepared. In addition, as a storage container, a sheet material with polypropylene coated on one side of aluminum foil and polyvinylidene chloride on the other side and a molded container with a flange coated with polypropylene on one side of thick aluminum foil and nylon on the other side Was prepared. Hybrid P
The LC and the storage container were brought into the chamber, the hybrid PLC was stored in the molding container, and the input / output optical fibers and the conductors connected to the electrode terminals were taken out of the molding container. The molded container was covered with a sheet material so as to sandwich the optical fiber and the lead wire taken out by the flange portion, and a heat sealer was set in accordance with the shape of the flange portion. The inside of the chamber is evacuated and the degree of vacuum is 100
When the pressure reached mmHg, the heat was applied to the heat sealer to fuse the polypropylene coated surfaces of the sheet material and the flange of the molding container.

The optical component module of the hybrid PLC packaged by such a method was subjected to a temperature-humidity cycle test at -40 to 75 ° C. and 90% relative humidity. As a result, characteristics such as loss value and reflection before and after the test were obtained. Did not change.

[0060]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since an optical component module that ensures reliability even at high temperature, high humidity, or low temperature can be provided, the reliability of the entire system including an optical fiber connected to the optical component module can be improved. Therefore, there is an advantage that the cost and performance of the optical communication system can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a part (A) of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion (B) of FIG. 1, showing a state before connection for explanation.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view conceptually showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view conceptually showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view conceptually showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view conceptually showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 10 ', 100, 100' Optical component module 20, 20 ', 200 Container 22 Sheet material 22' Preformed case 24, 240 Opening 30, 300 Optical component 40, 400 Optical fiber 50, 500 Connection

Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kazuo Fujiura 3-19-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Makoto Shimizu 3-192-2, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Within Telephone Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yasutake Oishi F-term within NTT Electronics Corporation 20-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (reference) 2H037 AA01 BA31 DA12 DA17 DA36

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An exterior container having at least one opening and made of a sheet material, an optical component housed in the container, connected to the optical component, and led out from the opening. An optical component module, comprising: an optical fiber, wherein the opening is joined with the optical fiber inserted, and the optical fiber is sealed. 2. An exterior container having at least one opening and comprising a sheet material and a preformed case, an optical component housed in the container, and connected to the optical component, An optical component module comprising: an optical fiber led out from an opening; and the opening is bonded and sealed with the optical fiber inserted. 3. The sheet material, wherein the sheet material is at least one kind of metal foil selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, platinum, silver and copper, and a polymer provided on at least a surface of the side on which the opening is formed. The optical component module according to claim 1, further comprising a material layer. 4. The preformed case is made of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, silver, platinum, copper, iron, nickel, titanium, chromium, magnesium and zinc, or two or more metals. 4. The optical component module according to claim 2, wherein the optical component module is composed of an alloy consisting of: and a polymer material layer provided on at least a surface on which the opening is formed. 5. 5. The optical component module according to claim 1, wherein the sealing is performed by fusion. 6. The optical component module according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the sealed container is evacuated or filled with a dry gas. 7. The optical component module according to claim 3, wherein the polymer material layer is a polymer material that is thermoplastic and has low moisture permeability. 8. The optical component module according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is an oxide fiber, and the optical component is an optical component requiring moisture resistance.