JP3823825B2 - Method for producing polymer optical waveguide - Google Patents

Description

【００５６】
表１より明らかなように、実施例１及び２では１０,０００回連続印刷後においても高分子光導波路材の線幅の変化率が極めて小さく、印刷ラインのエッジがシャープで高分子導波路としての平坦性に優れているなど、印刷品質でもって印刷精度の優れた高分子導波路を作製することが出来た。
【００５７】
これに対してブランケットの表面に転移された高分子導波路材に紫外線を照射しなかった比較例１乃至２では１０,０００回連続印刷後における高分子導波路材の線幅の変化率が極めて大きくなった。また、ブランケットからガラスエポキシ基板への高分子導波路材の転移が不十分で、高分子導波路材がローラー上で堆積し転写しなくれるパイリングが生じたため、高分子導波路材の形状が乱れたり、ラインの直線性が悪くなった。こうして作製した高分子光導波路を波長６３３ｎｍのＨｅ−Ｎｅレーザ光を用い、伝送損失を調べたところ転移初期の時点でも６.０〜８.０ｄＢ/ｃｍと損失が大幅に増加していた。
【００５８】
【発明の効果】
本発明によれば、紫外線硬化タイプの高分子導波路材を転移工程に伴う形状の変化を防止でき、優れた印刷品質で光導波路形成ができる。また、印刷を繰り返しても優れた品質を維持することができる。従って、高分子光導波路の量産が容易となり、低コストでの提供を実現できる。
【００５９】
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】本発明の高分子光導波路の製造方法の工程を示す模式図である。
【図２】本発明の高分子光導波路の製造方法の工程を示す模式図である。
【図３】本発明の高分子光導波路の製造方法によって形成される光導波路の一例を示す断面図である。
【符号の説明】
１０・・・基板
１１・・・高分子導波路材
１２・・・下部クラッド
１３・・・コア
１４・・・上部クラッド
２１・・・ブランケット胴
２２・・・光源
２３・・・ブランケット
２４・・・紫外線遮断カバー
２５・・・凹版
２６・・・凹部[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for producing a polymer optical waveguide used for an opto-electric composite mounting substrate, and more particularly relates to a method for producing a polymer optical waveguide comprising a core and a clad having high productivity and low production cost and high accuracy. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
The LSI clock frequency of electronic computers tends to increase more and more, and now the one of the order of 1 GHz has appeared. As a result, if the electrical transmission in the conventional board or system is used as it is, the speed is limited, which is a cause of hindering the system performance. Such speed limitations were caused by the effects of high frequency attenuation due to electrical transmission, impedance mismatch, crosstalk, and ground noise. Furthermore, when the performance of terabit / second is required, in the case of electrical transmission, there is a problem that the allowable transmission distance in the board is shortened along with the increase in speed due to high-frequency attenuation due to dielectric loss and skin effect.
[0003]
In order to solve such a problem, it has begun to use an optical signal instead of an electric signal by replacing a part of an electric wiring made of copper on a printed board with an optical fiber or an optical waveguide. This is because the above-described adverse effects such as impedance mismatching can be ignored in optical transmission, and the allowable transmission distance does not depend on the transmission speed.
[0004]
An optical waveguide used to realize optical communication in a printed circuit board has a structure in which a core part through which an optical signal normally passes is embedded in a clad having a refractive index lower than that of the core part. The optical transmission is performed by a transmission / reception optical device such as a laser diode or a photodiode.
[0005]
Quartz has very good transparency as already demonstrated for optical fibers, and even when used as an optical waveguide on a printed circuit board, a low loss of 0.1 dB / cm or less is achieved at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. However, there are problems in manufacturing such as that it takes a long time to produce the optical waveguide, a high temperature is required at the time of production, and it is difficult to increase the area.
[0006]
On the other hand, the polymer optical waveguide can be formed at a low temperature, and it has become possible to use a material having high heat resistance such as polyimide. In order to apply polyimide as an optical material, it is important that the transparency is excellent and the refractive index can be freely controlled. As a material corresponding to this, a fluorinated polyimide disclosed in JP-A-7-239422 has been developed. The main method of manufacturing polymer optical waveguides represented by these polyimides is to use reactive ion etching at the time of waveguide (mainly core) pattern formation. , There was a drawback that could not make full use of the benefits to lower costs. Therefore, there has been a demand for a simple optical waveguide manufacturing method that takes advantage of the properties unique to polymer materials.
[0007]
In JP-A-8-118777, the direction in which the blanket rotates is inclined with respect to the intaglio in which the groove is formed, and the shape of the left and right is made asymmetrical compared to the case where the direction of rotation of the blanket and the direction of the groove coincide with each other. It shows the method of changing. However, as it is, it cannot be used as an optical waveguide, and processing necessary as an optical waveguide has been performed after the printing transfer process.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a polymer optical waveguide which is excellent in processability and inexpensive and solves the problems in the production of a polymer waveguide as shown in the prior art.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a polymer waveguide that achieves the above object, and the invention according to claim 1 is a method of manufacturing a polymer optical waveguide in which a core and a clad are provided on a substrate surface, The UV curable optical waveguide material filled in the recesses is transferred to the surface of the blanket, and the polymer optical waveguide material is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and then the polymer optical waveguide material is transferred from the blanket to the substrate surface to provide optical wiring. It is a manufacturing method of a polymer optical waveguide characterized by forming.
The invention according to claim 2 is the method for producing a polymer optical waveguide according to claim 1, wherein ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the back surface of the blanket and / or intaglio.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first step of transferring the ultraviolet curable waveguide material filled in the concave portion of the intaglio surface to the surface of the blanket, and the polymer optical waveguide material from the blanket to the surface of the substrate. It comprises a second step of transferring, characterized in that the first transferring step rotates with the blanket in contact with the surface of the intaglio, and the second transferring step rotates with the blanket in contact with the substrate surface. The method for producing a polymer optical waveguide according to claim 1 or 2.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments. In the method for producing a polymer optical waveguide of the present invention, the timing of irradiation with ultraviolet rays is the same as when the ultraviolet curable waveguide material filled in the concave portions of the intaglio is transferred to the surface of the blanket.
[0011]
As a method of irradiating ultraviolet rays, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a method of irradiating the polymer optical waveguide material 11 with ultraviolet rays from a light source 22 installed in the blanket cylinder 21 through the blanket cylinder 21 and the blanket 23. can give. In this case, it is necessary to use a material that transmits ultraviolet rays for the blanket cylinder 21. In FIG. 1, a white arrow indicates the irradiation direction of ultraviolet rays, and a reference numeral 24 indicates a cover that blocks ultraviolet rays. In this case, since the curing of the polymer optical waveguide material 11 proceeds from the interface with the blanket 23, the polymer optical waveguide material 11 is easily peeled off from the surface of the blanket 23 in the second transition process from the blanket 23 to the substrate. Even if the process is speeded up, aggregation of the optical waveguide material can be prevented and its shape can be maintained.
[0012]
Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a method of irradiating the polymer optical waveguide material 11 with ultraviolet rays through the intaglio 25 from the light source 22 installed on the back side of the intaglio 25 may be used. In this case, since the curing proceeds on the surface of the polymer optical waveguide material 11 transferred to the blanket 23, the curing of the surface of the polymer optical waveguide material 11 proceeds after the polymer optical waveguide material 11 peels off the concave portion of the intaglio. The time until the time is short, and the effect of preventing the aggregation of the optical waveguide material and maintaining its shape is more excellent.
[0013]
The light source 22 shown in FIG. 1 or 2 is set so that the blanket 23 can irradiate ultraviolet rays only at a position where the polymer optical waveguide material 11 is received from the intaglio 25. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 1, the cover 24 for blocking the ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source 22 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays only at a position where the blanket 23 receives the polymer optical waveguide material 11 from the intaglio 25. The size and orientation of the opening is adjusted. Further, in the case shown in FIG. 2, the size and direction of the opening of the cover 24 are adjusted in the same manner as described above, and the intaglio is accompanied with the rotation of the blanket 23 in the direction indicated by the black arrow in FIG. 25 and the substrate 10 are set so that they can move in the same direction as the blanket 23.
[0014]
In the present invention, as the ultraviolet irradiation method, the methods shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be used in combination. Irradiation conditions of ultraviolet rays vary depending on the type of the ultraviolet curable polymer optical waveguide material used, the thickness of the polymer optical waveguide material, and the like, but are set according to the degree of curing of the above-described waveguide material.
[0015]
For example, when irradiating ultraviolet rays from the back side of the blanket, the exposure amount (integrated light amount) of ultraviolet rays at the interface between the polymer optical waveguide material and the blanket is usually 50 to 1000 mJ / cm. ² , Preferably 100 to 500 mJ / cm ² Is appropriate. When the exposure amount exceeds the above range, curing proceeds not only in the vicinity of the interface between the polymer optical waveguide material and the blanket surface, but also in the entire polymer optical waveguide material, and the adhesiveness of the polymer optical waveguide material decreases. Therefore, there is a possibility that the transfer of the polymer optical waveguide material to the substrate which is the second transfer step becomes insufficient. On the other hand, when the exposure amount is below the above range, the effect of the present invention of preventing the change in the shape of the polymer optical waveguide material may not be obtained.
[0016]
On the other hand, when irradiating ultraviolet rays from the back surface of the intaglio, the exposure amount on the surface of the polymer optical waveguide material transferred to the blanket is usually 50 to 1000 mJ / cm. ² , Preferably 100 to 500 mJ / cm ² Is appropriate. When the exposure amount exceeds the above range, the adhesiveness of the surface portion of the ink is too low, and the transfer of the polymer optical waveguide material to the substrate surface, which is the second transfer step, becomes insufficient. There is a possibility that so-called piling in which the waveguide material 11 remains on the surface of the blanket 23 may occur. On the other hand, when the exposure amount is below the above range, the effect of the present invention of preventing the change in the shape of the polymer optical waveguide material may not be obtained.
[0017]
Next, the intaglio, blanket, substrate, polymer optical waveguide material and the like used in the present invention will be described in detail. The intaglio used in the present invention includes, for example, resins such as fluororesin, polycarbonate resin, polyethersulfone resin, polymethacrylic resin, or metals such as stainless steel, copper, low expansion alloy amber, soda lime glass, non-alkali glass, Glass such as quartz glass and low alkali glass is used. Among these, obtaining a soft glass such as soda lime glass is preferable for reproducing a fine pattern with high accuracy.
[0018]
When ultraviolet irradiation is performed from the back side of the intaglio, high ultraviolet transmittance is required. Specifically, the ultraviolet transmittance of the intaglio is preferably 50% or more. The ultraviolet transmittance does not need to satisfy the above range over the entire ultraviolet region of 200 to 400 nm, and only needs to satisfy the above range in the wavelength region of the irradiated ultraviolet rays.
[0019]
The concave part of the intaglio is produced according to the pattern of the optical waveguide. The depth of the recess is set in the range of 5 to 70 μm according to the thickness of the core or the clad. If the depth of the recess is less than the above range, it is not preferable because the thickness of the polymer optical waveguide required for the core or the clad cannot be obtained by one printing. On the other hand, when the depth of the recess exceeds the above range, the formed polymer optical waveguide becomes thick, and it tends to be difficult to reproduce the fine pattern with high accuracy.
[0020]
The pattern is usually formed as a stripe line having a rectangular core, and the width of the line, that is, the width of the recess is preferably 5 to 70 μm in the case of the core. On the other hand, in the case of a clad, the width of the concave portion increases depending on the number of core lines, but can be set in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm, for example. Moreover, when silicone rubber is used for the surface rubber layer of the blanket, the surface tension of the silicone rubber is usually as low as 15 to 25 dyn / cm, and it is difficult to accept the polymer optical waveguide material from the intaglio. It is also effective to reduce the surface tension of the recesses to about 5 to 20 dyn / cm by performing a surface treatment so that the waveguide material can be easily transferred. For this purpose, as a surface treatment, for example, a silicon-based coating layer such as silicone rubber or a fluorine-based resin coating layer made of ethylene tetrafluoride, hexafluoropropylene, vinylidene fluoride, or the like is formed on the surface of the recess. One example is the method.
[0021]
Examples of the method of filling the concave portion of the intaglio with the polymer optical waveguide material include a method of squeezing using a doctor blade, a method of injecting with a dispenser, a method of injecting with bubble jet (registered trademark), and a method of using screen printing. Can be mentioned.
[0022]
As the blanket used in the present invention, for example, one in which a rubber layer made of rubber such as silicone rubber or acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber is supported on the surface of a support such as a plastic film can be used. The blanket preferably has a smooth surface rubber layer in order to further improve the flatness of the core or clad surface. Moreover, when silicone rubber having a hardness (JIS A) of 20 to 80 is used as the surface rubber layer, the transition of the optical waveguide material to the substrate surface, which is the second transition process, is improved with the sharp edge of the line pattern. Can be done.
[0023]
When the irradiation of ultraviolet rays is performed from the back side of the blanket, the surface rubber layer and the support constituting the blanket and the blanket cylinder around which the blanket is wound are required to have a high ultraviolet ray transmittance. Specifically, the ultraviolet transmittance of the surface rubber layer and the support is preferably 50% or more. The ultraviolet transmittance does not need to satisfy the above-described range over the entire ultraviolet region of 200 to 400 nm, as long as the above conditions are satisfied in the wavelength region of the irradiated ultraviolet rays.
[0024]
Examples of the rubber that satisfies the above-mentioned range of the ultraviolet transmittance include silicone rubber not containing a filler such as silica, millable silicone rubber, RTV (room temperature curing) silicone rubber, and electron beam curable silicone rubber. Examples of the support that satisfies the above range of ultraviolet transmittance include plastic films such as acrylic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and methyl methacrylate.
[0025]
A metal such as copper, aluminum, and stainless steel is usually used for the blanket cylinder for winding the blanket. However, as described above, when the blanket cylinder is required to transmit ultraviolet rays, for example, soda lime glass or methacrylic acid is used. A blanket cylinder made of a hard plastic film such as an acrylic resin such as methyl acid may be used.
[0026]
As a substrate for transferring the polymer waveguide material from the blanket in the second transfer step, a glass epoxy substrate on which electrical wiring is formed, a film-like flexible polyimide substrate, soda glass, borosilicate glass, or silicon wafer may be used. it can.
[0027]
The polymer optical waveguide material used in the present invention is a varnish-like resin that is reactively cured by ultraviolet irradiation. Examples of the ultraviolet curable polymer optical waveguide material include those composed of a photopolymerizable oligomer (UV prepolymer), a photopolymerizable monomer (UV monomer), and a photopolymerization initiator. As the UV prepolymer, for example, epoxy acrylate, aliphatic cyclic epoxy resin, bisphenol type epoxy resin, brominated epoxy resin, urethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, polyether acrylate, polyol acrylate, alkyd acrylate and the like can be used. As the UV monomer, for example, an acrylic monomer such as a monofunctional acrylate, a bifunctional acrylate, a trifunctional acrylate, or a tetrafunctional acrylate can be used. Examples of the photopolymerization initiator include aromatic diazonium salts such as benzoin, acetophenone, peroxide, thioxanthone, p-methoxybenzenediazonium hexafluorophosphate, and aromatic sulfonium salts such as triphenylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate. It is done. It is characterized by comprising an ultraviolet curable resin having these compositions as constituent elements.
[0028]
Optical transmission loss in an optical waveguide is influenced by material-specific factors such as infrared vibration absorption harmonics and scattering loss due to Rayleigh scattering due to density and concentration fluctuations. Among these, in order to suppress fluctuations in the solid due to thermal motion, the above resin that is three-dimensionally cured by ultraviolet rays or the like is preferable to the linear polymer. In addition, the refractive index of the polymer optical waveguide that is cured by ultraviolet rays can be freely controlled by changing the molecular structure and composition. Thus, the core material and the clad material of the optical waveguide are set so as to have a refractive index difference suitable for the wavelength of optical transmission.
[0029]
The structure of the optical waveguide of the present invention may be the same as that of an optical waveguide patterned and manufactured by a known method such as reactive ion etching, and examples thereof include a slab type, a ridge type, and a buried type.
[0030]
The ultraviolet light source in the present invention is selected according to the ultraviolet irradiation conditions such as the wavelength and intensity of the ultraviolet light to be irradiated, and usually a mercury lamp, a halogen lamp, etc. can be used.
[0031]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on examples.
[0032]
Example 1
After filling the concave portion 26 of the intaglio 25 with the polymer optical waveguide material 11 as the lower clad, it is transferred to the surface of the blanket 23, and the blanket from the ultraviolet light source 22 installed in the blanket cylinder 21 as shown in FIG. 23 and the blanket cylinder 21, the polymer optical waveguide material 11 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays (low pressure mercury lamp, wavelength 254 nm, illuminance 1500 mW / cm ² ). Next, the waveguide member 11 was transferred from the blanket 23 to the surface of the substrate 10 to print the lower clat.
[0033]
Soda lime glass (length 100 × width 100 mm) was used for the intaglio 25 substrate. The concave portion formed on the surface of the intaglio 25 has a depth of 30 μm, a width of 10 mm, and a length of 50 mm. As the blanket 23, a support made of a polyethylene film having a thickness of 0.3 mm was coated with a silicone rubber having a hardness of 60 degrees so as to have a total thickness of 1.0 mm. As the substrate 10, a glass epoxy substrate (length 100 mm × width 100 mm) was used.
[0034]
The following ultraviolet curable resin was used for the polymer optical waveguide material 11.
Phenol novolac type epoxy acrylate molecular weight 5000; manufactured by Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd. 16.25 parts by weight
Photopolymerizable monomer; dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate: 13.75 parts by weight
Photopolymerization initiator; 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-morpholinophenyl) -butanone-1... 4.0 parts by weight
4,4-diethylthioxanthone 0.75 parts by weight
2,4 diethylthioxanthone 0.25 parts by weight
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether: 65 parts by weight
Were sufficiently mixed to obtain a composition of a polymer waveguide material for ultraviolet curing type lower clad of the present invention.
[0035]
In the above printing, the exposure amount of ultraviolet rays at the interface between the polymer optical waveguide material 11 and the blanket 23 is 200 mJ / cm. ² Met. After the lower clad was printed and formed, drying was performed at 200 ° C. for 10 minutes to form the lower clad 12. The refractive index was 1.5125 (FIG. 3 (a)).
[0036]
On the glass epoxy on which the lower cladding is formed, the concave portion 26 of the intaglio 25 is filled with the polymer optical waveguide material 11 as the core in the same manner as described above, and then transferred to the surface of the blanket 23 as shown in FIG. Ultraviolet light (low pressure mercury lamp, wavelength 254 nm, illuminance 1500 mW / cm) from the ultraviolet light source 22 installed in the blanket copper 21 to the polymer optical waveguide material 11 through the blanket 23 and the blanket copper 21. ² ). Subsequently, the optical waveguide material 11 was transferred from the blanket 23 onto the lower clad 12 formed to be transferred from the surface of the glass epoxy substrate 10 to form the core 13.
[0037]
For the intaglio 25, soda lime glass having a recess with a depth of 40 μm, a width of 40 μm, and a length of 50 mm was used. The following ultraviolet curable resin was used for the polymer waveguide material as the core material.
[0038]
Bisphenol A type epoxy acrylate molecular weight 5000; Showa Polymer Co., Ltd .... 18.25 parts by weight
Photopolymerizable monomer; Bisphenol A EO-modified (n = 2) diacrylate ... 13.75 parts by weight
Photopolymerization initiator; 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-morpholinophenyl) -butanone 1... 4.0 parts by weight
4,4-diethylthioxanthone 0.75 parts by weight
2,4 diethylthioxanthone 0.25 parts by weight
Cyclohexanone: 63 parts by weight
[0039]
Were sufficiently mixed to obtain a composition of a polymer waveguide material for an ultraviolet curable core of the present invention. In the above printing, the exposure amount of ultraviolet rays at the interface between the polymer optical waveguide material 11 and the blanket 23 is 200 mJ / cm. ² Met. After the core was printed, the core 13 was formed by drying at 200 ° C. for 10 minutes (FIG. 3B). The refractive index was 1.5331.
[0040]
The polymer optical waveguide material 11 used as the lower clat is filled in the concave portion 26 of the intaglio 25 on the electric wiring board on which the lower clad pattern and the core pattern are sequentially formed, and then transferred to the surface of the blanket 23. In addition, ultraviolet light (low pressure mercury lamp, wavelength 254 nm, illuminance 1500 mW / cm) is applied to the polymer optical waveguide material 11 from the ultraviolet light source 22 installed on the blanket copper 21 through the blanket 23 and the blanket copper 21. ² ). Next, the waveguide material 11 was transferred from the blanket 23 on the pattern in which the lower crate 12 and the core 13 were sequentially formed, and printed as the upper clad 14.
[0041]
The concave portion formed on the surface of the intaglio 25 has a depth of 30 μm, a width of 10 mm, and a length of 50 mm. For the polymer optical waveguide material 11, the ultraviolet curable polymer waveguide material composition used as the lower clat was used. After the upper clad is printed and formed, drying is performed at 100 ° C. for 10 minutes, and the upper clad layer is heated and dried to complete the formation of the upper clad 14 to fabricate a buried type polymer optical waveguide (see FIG. 3 (c)).
[0042]
With respect to the above examples, the change rate of the line width of the polymer optical waveguide between the initial printing and after 10,000 continuous printings was observed with an electron microscope. The maximum value of the error (printing accuracy) between the position of the polymer optical waveguide printed on the substrate and the position of the concave portion of the intaglio corresponding to the polymer optical waveguide was obtained, and the rate of change of the polymer optical waveguide material (%) Was ± 0.1% or less, and the printing accuracy was 3 μm.
[0043]
When the transmission loss was examined for the thus prepared polymer optical waveguide using a He—Ne laser beam having a wavelength of 633 nm, it was a low loss of 0.3 dB / cm. Further, the surface of the polymer optical waveguide was completely smooth, and no aggregates were observed in the film.
[0044]
(Example 2)
After filling the concave portion 26 of the intaglio 25 with the polymer optical waveguide material 11 used in the first embodiment, it is transferred to the surface of the blanket 23 and the ultraviolet ray disposed on the back side of the intaglio 25 as shown in FIG. The polymer optical waveguide material 11 was irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the light source 22 through the intaglio 25. Next, this polymer optical waveguide material 11 was repeatedly transferred from the blanket 23 to the surface of the glass epoxy substrate 10 (FIG. 2), thereby producing an embedded polymer optical waveguide.
[0045]
The intaglio 25, the polymer optical waveguide material 11, and the blanket 23 used above are all the same as in the first embodiment. The ultraviolet light source 22 includes a low-pressure mercury lamp (wavelength 254 nm, illuminance 1000 mW / cm ² )It was used. Note that the cumulative amount of ultraviolet light on the surface of the polymer optical waveguide material 11 transferred to the blanket 23 in the transfer step is 80 mJ / cm. ² Met.
[0046]
The polymer optical waveguide was completed by performing heating in the same manner as in Example 1 for each transition process of the lower cladding 12, the core 13, and the upper cladding 14.
[0047]
With respect to the above examples, the change rate of the line width of the polymer waveguide between the initial printing and after 10,000 continuous printings was observed with an electron microscope. In addition, when the maximum value of the error (printing accuracy) between the position of the polymer waveguide printed on the substrate and the position of the concave portion of the intaglio corresponding to the polymer waveguide was determined, the rate of change of the polymer waveguide material (%) Was ± 0.1% or less, and the printing accuracy was 3 μm.
[0048]
When the transmission loss was examined for the thus prepared polymer optical waveguide using a He—Ne laser beam having a wavelength of 633 nm, it was a low loss of 0.3 dB / cm.
[0049]
Further, the surface of the polymer optical waveguide was completely smooth, and no aggregates were observed in the film.
[0050]
(Comparative Example 1)
After filling the concave portion 26 of the same intaglio plate 25 with the polymer optical waveguide material 11 as in Example 1, the polymer optical waveguide material 11 is transferred from the concave portion 26 of the intaglio plate 25 to the surface of the blanket 23, and then exposed to ultraviolet rays. Then, the lower cladding of the polymer waveguide was printed by transferring the polymer optical waveguide material 11 from the blanket 23 to the glass epoxy substrate 10.
[0051]
The intaglio 25 is the soda lime glass (length 100 × width 100 mm) used in Example 1. The pattern of the recesses formed on the surface of the intaglio 25 was the same as in Example 1. As the blanket 23, a support made of a PET film having a thickness of 0.3 mm was coated with a silicone rubber having a hardness of 50 degrees to have a total thickness of 1.0 mm. The substrate used in Example 1 was a glass epoxy substrate.
[0052]
The polymer optical waveguide material 11 was prepared by dissolving fluorinated polyamide in dimethylacetamide at a solid content ratio of 25% and adjusting the viscosity to 77 dPa · s (OPI N3305-7H25 manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.).
[0053]
(Comparative Example 2)
In the production of the polymer optical waveguide, the same polymer optical waveguide material, blanket, intaglio, substrate and the like were used as in Example 1, and the polymer optical waveguide was produced without performing the exposure step with ultraviolet rays. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the transition of the polymer optical waveguide material 11 was performed 10,000 times, and the change rate of the line width of the polymer waveguide between the initial transition and after the 10,000th continuous transition was observed with an electron microscope. . Further, the maximum value of the error (printing accuracy) from the position of the pattern printed on the electric wiring board was obtained.
[0054]
Table 1 shows the results of the rate of change (%) in line width and printing accuracy (μm) of the polymer waveguide material. The signs + and-in the rate of change of the line width of the ink are the same as the previous time.
[0055]
[Table 1]

[0056]
As is apparent from Table 1, in Examples 1 and 2, the rate of change in the line width of the polymer optical waveguide material is extremely small even after continuous printing 10,000 times, and the edge of the printing line is sharp and a polymer waveguide is obtained. It was possible to fabricate polymer waveguides with excellent printing accuracy, such as excellent flatness.
[0057]
In contrast, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in which the polymer waveguide material transferred to the surface of the blanket was not irradiated with ultraviolet light, the rate of change in the line width of the polymer waveguide material after 10,000 continuous printings was extremely high. It became bigger. In addition, the transition of the polymer waveguide material from the blanket to the glass epoxy substrate was insufficient, and the polymer waveguide material was deposited on the roller, causing a pile that could not be transferred. Or the linearity of the line has deteriorated. When the transmission loss was examined for the polymer optical waveguide manufactured in this manner using a He—Ne laser beam having a wavelength of 633 nm, the loss was greatly increased to 6.0 to 8.0 dB / cm even at the initial stage of the transition.
[0058]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the change of the shape accompanying an ultraviolet curing type polymeric waveguide material with a transfer process can be prevented, and optical waveguide formation can be performed with the outstanding print quality. In addition, excellent quality can be maintained even when printing is repeated. Accordingly, mass production of the polymer optical waveguide is facilitated, and provision at a low cost can be realized.
[0059]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the steps of a method for producing a polymer optical waveguide of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the steps of a method for producing a polymer optical waveguide of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an optical waveguide formed by the polymer optical waveguide manufacturing method of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... Board
11 ... polymer waveguide material
12 ... Lower cladding
13 ... Core
14 ... upper clad
21 ... Blanket cylinder
22 ... Light source
23 ... Blanket
24 ... UV blocking cover
25 ... Intaglio
26 ... recess

Claims (3)

A method for producing a polymer optical waveguide in which a core or a clad is formed on a substrate surface, wherein an ultraviolet curable optical waveguide material filled in a concave portion on an intaglio plate surface is transferred to a blanket surface, and at the same time , the polymer optical waveguide material A method for producing a polymer optical waveguide, comprising: irradiating the substrate with ultraviolet rays, and then transferring the polymer optical waveguide material from the blanket to the substrate surface to form an optical wiring.   2. The method for producing a polymer optical waveguide according to claim 1, wherein ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the back surface of the blanket and / or intaglio.   The first transition consists of a first step of transferring the UV curable waveguide material filled in the recesses of the intaglio surface to the surface of the blanket and a second step of transferring the polymer optical waveguide material from the blanket to the surface of the substrate. 3. The polymer light guide according to claim 1, wherein the step is rotated while the blanket is in contact with the surface of the intaglio, and the second transfer step is rotated while the blanket is in contact with the substrate surface. A method for manufacturing a waveguide.

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