CA2256585A1 - Structure for connecting optical fibers to optical waveguide - Google Patents

Structure for connecting optical fibers to optical waveguide Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2256585A1
CA2256585A1 CA 2256585 CA2256585A CA2256585A1 CA 2256585 A1 CA2256585 A1 CA 2256585A1 CA 2256585 CA2256585 CA 2256585 CA 2256585 A CA2256585 A CA 2256585A CA 2256585 A1 CA2256585 A1 CA 2256585A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
optical
waveguide device
optical fibers
waveguide
optical waveguide
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2256585
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Byong-Gwon You
Yeong-Gyu Lee
Tae-Hyung Rhee
Hyung-Jae Lee
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd filed Critical Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Publication of CA2256585A1 publication Critical patent/CA2256585A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/30Optical coupling means for use between fibre and thin-film device

Abstract

An optical fiber and waveguide connection structure including optical fibers, an optical waveguide device whose plane including a waveguide core stands out over the surface of a substrate, and an arrangement platform which is placed so that the center of each of the optical fibers can face the center of the waveguide core of the optical waveguide device, and has depressed grooves for the optical fibers and a depressed groove for the prominent portion of the optical waveguidedevice. According to this structure, an optical source, an optical detector, etc. are not used to connect the optical fibers to the optical waveguide based on a passive arrangement structure, thus reducing the costs. Also, a rapid connection is achieved.

Description

CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 STRUCTURE FOR CONNECTING OPTICAL FIBERS TO OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure in which an optical fiber and an 5 optical waveguide are connected to each other, and more particularly, to an optical fiber and optical waveguide connection structure in which optical fibers and an optical waveguide are passively connected to each other on an arrangement plafform.
2. Description of the Related Art In general, an optical fiber array block module comprised of an array of optical fibers, as many as the number of inpuVoutput waveguides of an optical waveguide device, is fabricated to combine the optical waveguide device with theoptical fibers. The optical fiber array block module is formed by mounting an optical fiber on a block having V-shaped grooves of uniform intervals, coating an 15 adhesive on the optical fiber, fixing the optical fiber with a coverlet, and polishing the cross-section of the block. The inpuVoutput cross-section of the optical waveguide device undergoes a polishing process to reduce a junction loss occurring when coupled to the optical fiber array block module. After light is waveguided to an input optical fiber of the optical fiber array block module, the 20 optical waveguides are accurately arranged such that a maximum output beam can be emitted from the output end of the waveguide. While the maximum output beam is emitted from the waveguide output end, the optical fiber array block module and the optical waveguide device are fixed and finally coupled.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional optical waveguide device and a conventional 25 optical fiber array block module. Here, the arrangement of optical waveguide devices 100 and an optical fiber array block module 110 is shown in a state justbefore being combined with one another. Three-dimensional coordinates on the lower part of FIG. 1 are illustrated to show the direction of a beam to be irradiated via the input end of the optical fiber array block module 110 and the arrangement 30 direction of each module. When the beam irradiated via the input end slips out of CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 the output end of the optical fiber array block module 110 via the optical waveguide device 100, an arrangement position with a minimum loss is found, to thus complete the combination.
As described above, when the optical fiber array block module 110 and the 5 optical waveguide device 100 are combined in an active arrangement manner, an optical source for emitting light is required, and a device such as an optical detector for loss calculation must be included. Also, it takes much time and effort to adjust the direction of arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber and optical waveguide connection structure in which an optical waveguide device and an optical fiber array block are combined in a passive arrangement manner so that they can be rapidly connected to each other without a separate optical source.
Accordingly, to achieve the above object, there is provided an optical fiber and waveguide connection structure comprising: optical fibers; an optical waveguide device whose plane including a waveguide core stands out over the surface of a substrate; and an arrangement platform which is placed so that the center of each of the optical fibers can face the center of the waveguide core of the optical waveguide device, and has depressed grooves for the optical fibers and a depressed groove for the prominent portion of the optical waveguide device.
Preferably, when the optical waveguide device is mounted on the arrangement plafform, a non-prominent substrate portion serves as a coverlet of the optical fibers to be mounted on the arrangement platform.
It is preferable that the arrangement platform further comprises a supporter for supporting an optical fiber portion extending from the depressed grooves when the optical fibers are mounted on the depressed grooves.
It is preferable that on the arrangement platform, the height from the surface of the groove etched to a depth where the prominent portion of the waveguide device can fit to the center of the waveguide core when the waveguide device is put into the depressed groove is the same as the radius of the cross-section of each of the optical fibers.

CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 It is preferable that in the optical waveguide device, the height from the substrate to the center of the optical waveguide device is the same as the radius of the optical fiber cross-section.
To achieve the above object, there is provided an optical fiber and waveguide connection structure comprising: optical fibers; an optical waveguide device whose plane including a waveguide stands out over the surface of a substrate; and an arrangement platform which is placed so that the center of each of the optical fibers can face the center of the waveguide core of the optical waveguide device, has V-caved grooves for the optical fibers and a depressed groove for the prominent plane of the optical waveguide device, and includes a supporter for supporting an extending portion of each of the optical fibers when the optical fibers are mounted on the V-shaped grooves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above object and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional optical waveguide device and a conventional optical fiber array block module;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical fiber and optical waveguide connection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an optical fiber and optical waveguide connection structure according to another embodiment of the present invention;
and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an optical fiber and optical waveguide connection structure according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG 2, an optical fiber and optical waveguide connection structure includes optical fibers 200, an optical waveguide device 210, and an arrangement plafform 220. FIG. 2 shows an optical fiber 201 to be connected to the input portion of the optical waveguide device 210 and optical fibers 202 CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 installed at a portion to which a signal passed through the optical waveguide device 210 is output. The number of optical fibers 202 at the output portion depends on the number of branches of the optical waveguide device 210. The optical waveguide device 210 is etched until a prominent portion 211 including the 5 core of an optical waveguide stands out over the surface of a substrate 212. The arrangement platform 220, on which the optical fibers 200 and the optical waveguide device 210 are arranged and connected, has depressed grooves 222 for arranging the optical fibers 200 and a depressed groove 221 for housing the prominent portion 211 of the optical waveguide device 210, formed on a substrate10 having a predetermined thickness. The depth of the depressed grooves for arranging the optical fibers 200 must be equal to or a little smaller than the diameter of the cross-section of the optical fibers. The depth of the depressed groove 221 into which the prominent portion 211 of the optical waveguide device 210 is to be put is the same as those of the depressed grooves for the optical fibers 200. When the optical fibers 200 and the optical waveguide device 210 arearranged and connected to each other on the arrangement plafform 220, the center of each optical fiber, i.e., the center of the core of each optical fiber must accurately contact the center of the optical waveguide device 210, i.e., the center of the optical waveguide core. Such a connection must be properly calculated in advance upon etching the depression of the arrangement plafform, to thus accomplish accurate etching. The substrate 212 of the optical waveguide device 210 serves as a coverlet for fixing the optical fibers 200 to the optical waveguide device 210 on the arrangement platform 220.
When the optical fibers 200 and the optical waveguide device 210 are mounted and connected to each other on the arrangement plafform, the optical fibers 200 is fixed by the substrate 212 of the optical waveguide device 210, i.e., a substrate portion 212 which is not etched from the optical waveguide device 210.The prominent portion 211 of the optical waveguide device 210 is inserted into the depression 221 of the arrangement plafform 220. Here, the height from the substrate 212 of the optical waveguide device 210 to the center of the waveguidecore must be equal to the radius of the cross-section of the optical fibers 200.FIG. 3 shows an optical fiber and optical waveguide device connection structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, comprising CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 optical fibers 300, an optical waveguide device 310, and an arrangement platform320. The optical fibers 300 and the optical waveguide device 310 are the same as described in FIG. 2. In the arrangement plafform 320, an arrangement part 322for connecting the optical fibers 300 to the optical waveguide device 310 exists on 5 a plate 321 for supporting the optical fibers, in contrast to FIG. 2. The depth of the depression of the arrangement part 322 is the same as described in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 shows an optical fiber and optical waveguide device connection structure according to still another embodiment of the present invention, comprising optical fibers 400, an optical waveguide device 410, and an arrangement platform 420. The optical fiber 400 and the optical waveguide device410 are the same as described in FIG. 2. The arrangement plafform 420 is comprised of a plate 421 for supporting the optical fibers 400 and an arrangement part 422. The arrangement part 422 has a V-etched groove (V groove) for mounting the optical fibers 400 and a depression into which the prominent portion 15 of the optical waveguide device 410 is to be fit. The etching depths of the Vgrooves 423 and the depressed groove 424 for the optical waveguide must be smaller than or equal to the diameter of the cross-section of each of the optical fibers 400. The height of the prominence 411 of the optical waveguide device 410must be controlled so that the height from the surface of a substrate 412 to the20 center of the waveguide core can be the same as the radius of the cross-section of the optical fibers 400. The total height of the prominence 411 of the opticalwaveguide device 410 must be a little smaller than the diameter of the cross-section of the optical fibers 400.
The characteristics and fabrication method of components for realizing 25 FIGS. 2 through 4 will now be described. A connection of the optical fibers to the optical waveguide device depending on the combination of the components will be described as follows. First, the arrangement platform 220, as a basic block in which the optical fibers 200 and the optical waveguide device 210 are arranged, is characterized in that it has a groove 221 for mounting the optical waveguide 30 device and grooves 222 for mounting optical fibers at an input and output portion at predetermined intervals. Anisotropic etching of a silicon substrate can be used to fabricate the arrangement platform 220. The arrangement plafform 220 of FIG.
2 is manufactured by forming an etch mask pattern of Si3N4, or other material on a CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 silicon wafer excluding portions on which a waveguide device chip and an opticalfiber are to be mounted, and etching the pattern using an etch solution of KOH or other solution. The arrangement plafform 420 of FIG. 4 is the case of manufacturing the silicon wafer using the anisotropic etch method. The optical waveguide devices 210, 310 and 410 of FIGS. 2 through 4 have the edge removed to a predetermined depth so as to be accurately seated, respectively, onthe arrangement platforms 220, 320 and 420. Such an optical waveguide device is realized by etching the edge of the optical waveguide device using a dry-etchmethod such as reactive ion etching (RIE) or by cutting the edge to a predetermined depth using an accurate grinder. Here, the cross-section of an input and output optical waveguide, i.e., the cross-section of an optical waveguide to be connected to optical fibers at an input and output portion, must be accurately processed to minimize optical loss upon connecting the optical fiber to the optical waveguide. Here, the optical fiber also has an accurately-cut cross-section to minimize optical loss when coupled to the cross-section of the input and output optical waveguide.
The coupling between the components of FIGS. 2 through 4 will now be described. In FIGS. 2 through 4, when the optical fiber, the optical waveguide device, and the arrangement platform are coupled to one another, the optical fibers are inserted into the grooves for mounting the optical fibers on the arrangement plafform, and the optical waveguide device is put into the groove for the optical waveguide device on the arrangement plafform, thereby completing thecoupling. Here, the cross-sections of the optical fibers and optical waveguide meet and correspond to each other, and particularly, the optical fibers and the optical waveguide core meet so as to have the same center. When the optical fibers are mounted on the grooves of the arrangement plafform, about 20 to 30,umof the optical fibers protrudes from the surface extending from the grooves for mounting the optical fibers on the arrangement plafform. When the optical waveguide device is mounted on the arrangement plafform, a removed portion (e.g., a portion of the substrate 212 of FIG. 2) of the edge of the optical waveguide device serves as a plate for fixing the optical fibers. The diameter of a typical optical fiber is 125~m, so the depth of the groove for mounting an optical fiber on the arrangement plafform is about 95 to 105,um. In this way, the substrate CA 022~6~8~ l998- l2- l8 portion being the etched-out edge of the optical waveguide device is mounted on the optical fibers on the arrangement plafform upon coupling. When the radius ofeach of the optical fibers is 62.5,um, the center of the waveguide device core must be 62.5,um high from the substrate surface of the optical waveguide device, i.e., 5 from where the prominent portion begins to stand out, in order to match the center of the core of the optical waveguide device with the center of the optical fiber.
Therefore, the optical fibers and the optical waveguide device are arranged upward and downward, i.e., in the direction where an optical signal travels, on the arrangement platform. The left-to-right length of the prominence-shaped plate of10 the optical waveguide device based on the input and output portion of the optical waveguide core must be equal to the left-to-right length of the depression groove of the arrangement platform, i.e., the length of a direction perpendicular to the direction in which an optical signal travels. Also, the optical waveguide devicemust be manufactured in advance so that the center of its input and output portion 15 core can face the input and output portion of each of the optical fibers, thereby allowing arrangement of the optical fibers and optical waveguide device in rightand left directions. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the arrangement plafform plate for supporting the optical fibers prevents damage to the optical fiber due to removal of an optical fiber coating layer, when the optical fibers are mounted on the grooves 20 on the arrangement plafform. The aforementioned connection structure between optical fibers and an waveguide device is achieved using a passive arrangement method instead of an active arrangement method of attaching optical fibers to anoptical waveguide device, and thus does not require an optical source, an optical detector, an accurate arrangement device, etc., which are necessary for active 25 arrangement connection.
According to the present invention, an optical source, an optical detector, etc. are not used to connect the optical fiber to the optical waveguide based on a passive arrangement structure, thus reducing the costs. Also, a rapid connectioncan be achieved.

, ~ .. . . , . ~ .,_ . , .

Claims (6)

1. An optical fiber and waveguide connection structure comprising:
optical fibers;
an optical waveguide device whose plane including a waveguide core stands out over the surface of a substrate; and an arrangement platform which is placed so that the center of each of the optical fibers can face the center of the waveguide core of the optical waveguide device, and has depressed grooves for the optical fibers and a depressed groove for the prominent portion of the optical waveguide device.
2. The optical fiber and waveguide connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the optical waveguide device is mounted on the arrangement platform, a non-prominent substrate portion serves as a coverlet of the optical fibers to be mounted on the arrangement platform.
3. The optical fiber and waveguide connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement platform further comprises a supporter for supporting an optical fiber portion extending from the depressed grooves when the optical fibers are mounted on the depressed grooves.
4. The optical fiber and waveguide connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the arrangement platform, the height from the surface of thegroove etched to a depth where the prominent portion of the waveguide device can fit to the center of the waveguide core when the waveguide device is put into the depressed groove is the same as the radius of the cross-section of each of the optical fibers.
5. The optical fiber and waveguide connection structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the optical waveguide device, the height from the substrate to the center of the optical waveguide device is the same as the radius of the optical fiber cross-section.
6. An optical fiber and waveguide connection structure comprising:

optical fibers;
an optical waveguide device whose plane including a waveguide stands out over the surface of a substrate; and an arrangement platform which is placed so that the center of each of the optical fibers can face the center of the waveguide core of the optical waveguide device, has V-caved grooves for the optical fibers and a depressed groove for the prominent plane of the optical waveguide device, and includes a supporter for supporting an extending portion of each of the optical fibers when the optical fibers are mounted on the V-shaped grooves.
CA 2256585 1997-12-31 1998-12-18 Structure for connecting optical fibers to optical waveguide Abandoned CA2256585A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR97-82056 1997-12-31
KR1019970082056A KR19990061766A (en) 1997-12-31 1997-12-31 Optical fiber and optical waveguide device connection structure

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2256585A1 true CA2256585A1 (en) 1999-06-30

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CA 2256585 Abandoned CA2256585A1 (en) 1997-12-31 1998-12-18 Structure for connecting optical fibers to optical waveguide

Country Status (7)

Country Link
JP (1) JP3065300B2 (en)
KR (1) KR19990061766A (en)
CN (1) CN1118715C (en)
CA (1) CA2256585A1 (en)
DE (1) DE19860862A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2773222B1 (en)
GB (1) GB2332956A (en)

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KR20040026989A (en) * 2002-09-27 2004-04-01 전자부품연구원 Package module of optical waveguide device by using passive alignment device and method of manufacturing the same
KR20040042672A (en) * 2002-11-15 2004-05-20 전자부품연구원 Package module of optical waveguide device by using passive alignment device and method of manufacturing the same
JP4938209B2 (en) * 2003-05-20 2012-05-23 住友大阪セメント株式会社 Waveguide type optical element and output light monitoring method
JP4225179B2 (en) * 2003-10-17 2009-02-18 株式会社日立製作所 Optical element mounting substrate and manufacturing method thereof
KR100584115B1 (en) * 2003-12-24 2006-05-30 전자부품연구원 Light splitter and method of manufacturing the same
CN100458481C (en) * 2004-06-16 2009-02-04 日立化成工业株式会社 Optical waveguide structure, optical-waveguide-type optical module and optical fiber array
CN103091775A (en) * 2012-12-31 2013-05-08 孙麦可 Rapid continuing type planar optical waveguide component
WO2016197332A1 (en) * 2015-06-09 2016-12-15 华为技术有限公司 Optical fiber connector

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR19990061766A (en) 1999-07-26
FR2773222A1 (en) 1999-07-02
CN1221888A (en) 1999-07-07
FR2773222B1 (en) 2002-08-02
DE19860862A1 (en) 1999-07-15
CN1118715C (en) 2003-08-20
GB2332956A (en) 1999-07-07
JPH11248963A (en) 1999-09-17
JP3065300B2 (en) 2000-07-17
GB9827896D0 (en) 1999-02-10

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