N * N photoswitch based on the silicon micro mechanical technology
Technical field
The present invention relates to a kind of N * N photoswitch based on the silicon micro mechanical technology, more precisely relate to a kind of piezoelectric that uses and make N * N photoswitch that driver is made in conjunction with silicon micromachining technique, and for employed Piexoelectric actuator of the switching that realizes light path and coupling arrangement.Belong to optical communication field.
Background technology
Mechanical optical switch is widespread use in optical communication network, is switching time, physical dimension (volume is little, port number is many) to the at first requirement of photoswitch, secondly is cross-talk, extinction ratio, driving power, return loss, Polarization Dependent Loss.The rise of all optical network, fast, the scale array light switch of a large amount of speed of needs requires device to have higher operating rate, low-loss and long serviceable life on technical indicator; Volume is little, requires higher integrated level; Utilize the novel photoswitch of silicon micro mechanical fabrication techniques, volume is little, in light weight, energy consumption is low, can make in enormous quantities, reduces cost.The present existing a lot of successful product of silicon micro mechanical photoswitch research, but all be the technology that has adopted static driven or Electromagnetic Drive inclination micro mirror
As Fig. 1 is 2 * 2 micro-mechanical-optical switchs of surface micro fabrication techniques, adopts optical fiber 102 directly to be coupled static driven, mobile micro mirror 101.Fig. 2 is a kind of structure of CN99808037.3 report, by can directed reverberator 201,202, and be made up of its reflector array of forming 203,204, and each reverberator all is associated with an independent output optical fibre 205.Every input optical fibre 206 and output optical fibre 205 have all adopted the lens of focused beam.
Adopt the direct coupling of optical fiber to cause the operating distance of input and output port short, make the volume of mirror little, stroke is short, is not suitable for doing large-scale array of photoswitch.Though and employing CN99808037.3 can realize the light exchange of N * N, but owing to adopted collimating apparatus free space optical coupling structure, require the precision of reverberator rotational angle very high, usually to adopt the control of negative feedback servo circuit, owing in light path, have two catoptrons, and error signal has only one, thereby can't determine it is the problem of that catoptron, cause the difficulty of feedback, can't use module, operation cost is improved.Other adopts two reverberators to cause operating distance very long, brings and inserts the loss increasing, and assembly difficulty improves.
Summary of the invention
The objective of the invention is to overcome the shortcoming that exists in the prior art, propose a kind of N * N photoswitch, also promptly use a kind of piezoelectric to make driver based on the silicon micro mechanical technology.At first make 2N 1 * N (or N * 1) photoswitch, input-output optical fiber with 1 * N (or N * 1) photoswitch adopts the direct welding of full syndeton then, the making that also is about to N * N photoswitch is decomposed into the making of 2N 1 * N or N * 1 optical switch element earlier, thereby simplify production process greatly, reduce manufacture difficulty.
A kind of N based on the silicon micro mechanical fabrication techniques * N photoswitch is characterized in that:
(1) it is by light reflection Drive Layer, and three layers of formation of optical transport layer and optically-coupled layer are by welding realization light N * N switch of optical fiber;
(2) it is to adopt gluing or bonding techniques is made one by the multi-disc same piece of silicon to the input-output optical fiber array board as the coupling layer of N * N photoswitch, optical fiber is inserted again;
(3) N * N light closes and utilizes GRIN Lens or lens arra, and as optical transport layer, its position is corresponding with the fiber array on the input and output array board;
(4) reflection unit of piezoelectric rods driving constitutes light reflection Drive Layer.
The present invention 1 * N or N * 1 photoswitch is to adopt piezoelectric as reflection unit, and it is little to have overcome static driven power, the shortcoming that stroke is short.As everyone knows, piezoelectric is simple in structure owing to having, processing easily, and response speed is fast, the bearing capacity height, energy consumption is hanged down advantages such as control circuit is simple, can be used for the driving of photoswitch.The present invention has adopted four Piezoelectric Driving rods to control the optional position of catoptron, makes input light reflex to output port.Present piezoelectric can reach 1% stroke, i.e. the long material of 100 μ m is after applying voltage, the stroke of 1 μ m will be produced, stack up as identical materials, can decide stroke according to the design of light path, thereby determine the number of plies of material many layers.The stroke of piezoelectric is determined by formula (1);
Wherein L represents two spacings that drive between the rod of diagonal line,
θ represents the angle that drive unit rotates,
Formula can obtain the stroke of the Piezoelectric Driving rod 308 of needs thus, thereby can determine the quantity of Piezoelectric Driving material.
Stack the present invention for the multi-layer piezoelectric material has adopted back-to-back mode, be about to piezoelectric and be divided into two parts, wherein a part adopts the forward polarization, another part adopts reverse polarization, piezoelectric intersection with two kinds of different polarization modes superposes then, and identical polarity is leaned on mutually, promptly the positive pole of a layer of piezo-electric material stacks mutually to the positive pole of another layer of piezo-electric material, the negative pole of one layer of piezo-electric material and the negative pole of another layer of piezo-electric material stack, form the polyphone on the electricity, parallel-connection structure mechanically.Each layer is linked to be a utmost point more respectively with drawing, and piezoelectric is extended simultaneously or contraction simultaneously, as the precision driving of catoptron.
Polishing is all passed through on the two sides of catoptron, steam gold as the reflection horizon in one side, it is silicon-silicon bonding that another side adopts the silicon micro mechanical technology, the surface bond of catoptron and reflection unit is in the same place, constitute two reflection units, also can use epoxy resin glue or ultra-violet curing glue, the surface of catoptron and drive unit is fused.
The end of Piezoelectric Driving rod is processed into one spherical, use silicon micromachining technique---dry etching, four bellmouths are made on surface at silicon chip, and the non-adjacent taper hole line of the status requirement of taper hole is in the position of quadrature, and intersect at center (figure four) formation upper cover plate.Do four same bellmouths with the relevant position of same method on another silicon chip, and taper hole is formed lower cover from the cone tip part break-through with the method for wet etching, the driving rod that performs is inserted lower cover, upper cover plate is buckled according to corresponding position, connection of cover plate can adopt epoxide-resin glue or bonding techniques to fuse about this again.
This shows that the present invention adopts silicon micro mechanical fabrication techniques optical fiber array plate as the optically-coupled layer, lens arra (optical lens or GRINLENS) is as optical transport layer, the reflection unit array that piezoelectric rods drives constitutes light reflection Drive Layer, the basic boom of having formed N * N photoswitch, each 1 * N photoswitch is separate, adopt full ways of connecting, realize N * N photoswitch by the welding of tail optical fiber or the connection of optical patchcord.
Concrete method for making of the present invention sees for details in the embodiment to be described.
The invention has the advantages that to reduce the photoswitch volume greatly, reduce N * N photoswitch assembly difficulty, enlarge the capacity of photoswitch, thereby be easy to realize the light exchange of N * N.
Description of drawingsFig. 1 is that the electrostatic force of available technology adopting drives the 2X2 photoswitch that the mirror surface micro mechanical technology is made.The 101st, micro mirror, the 102nd, optical fiber, the 103rd, slipping block.The invention of Fig. 2 CN99808037.3, the N that provides * N micro-mechanical-optical switch synoptic diagram.Fig. 3 is a structural drawing of the present invention; 3a wherein; 3b is respectively two kinds of difformity lens drawings; 3c is the drive unit rotation diagram, 3d be fiber array synoptic diagram Fig. 4 be connected mode figure Fig. 5 of drive unit be connected mode figure Fig. 6 of piezoelectric be the present invention make N * N torsional mode spatial optical switches the structural drawing figure of concrete structure Fig. 7 N * N photoswitch in 301 fiber arrays, 302 clamper 303 overcoats, 304 packing rings, 305 protective sleeves, 306 lens (optical lens or GRIN LENS), 307 reflection units, 308 Piezoelectric Driving rod, 309 battery lead plates, 310 trim rings, 311 electrodes 312 from axle optical fiber 313 input optical fibres 401 lower covers 402 upper cover plates 403 catoptrons 501 negative electrodes 502 piezoelectric 503 positive electrodes, 601 optical fiber array plates, 602 optical transport layers, 603 lens arras (optical lens or GRIN LENS) 604 light reflection Drive Layer 605 reflector arrays
Embodiment
Further set forth this substantive distinguishing features and obvious improvement below in conjunction with accompanying drawing
The installation of the integral body of Fig. 3 a, 3b statement 1 * N photoswitch.At first condenser lens (or lens) 306 usefulness glue are fixed in the protective sleeve 305, with packing ring 304 it are compressed then.In addition the fiber array 301 that performs is placed on earlier in the overcoat 303, and fixes with an amount of glue in the junction.Then the condenser lens 306 that has protective sleeve 305 is put into overcoat 303.And fix with an amount of glue at sidewall.Then light is reflected Piexoelectric actuator and put into, just be stuck on the other end step of overcoat 303, compress with trim ring 310 again.
The present invention to the reflection drive unit making the time, because the magnitude of voltage that the logical circuit of piezoelectric 502 can be remembered, therefore when mounted, although fiber array 301 or condenser lens 306 have an amount of deviation, for each concrete photoswitch, the logical circuit of piezoelectric 502 can write down different magnitudes of voltage, promptly can control the different reflection angle of catoptron 307.Therefore, the present invention has relaxed the tolerance of fiber array 301 and condenser lens 306 for the installation of integral body, has improved production efficiency.
Present embodiment has adopted 502 stacks (Fig. 5) of 100 identical piezoelectrics, realized total stroke of 100 μ m, concrete structure is connected on the electricity book as shown in Figure 5, and mechanically Bing Lian structure is the positive pole of each piezoelectric and positive pole stacks negative pole and negative pole stacks.The present invention adopts is that central optical fiber 313 with array fibre is an input optical fibre, and with it as optical axis (Fig. 3 d), when light becomes the quasi-parallel light beam through its light after the GRIN Lens 306, pass through the reflection of catoptron 403 again.
Present embodiment has adopted silicon micromachining technique-silicon-silicon bond to close or silicon-glass bonding, makes light reflection drive unit.Using this technology is that catoptron 403 and reflection unit 307 are fused, the catoptron 403 that formation can two dimension be rotated, and the line of non-adjacent driving rod 308 is in the position of quadrature, thereby has realized that two rotation axiss are orthogonal, and intersects at the center.Four drive the flexible separate of rod 308, thereby make the rotation of two orthogonal axes not interrelated, and the position of catoptron 403 is the synthetic of two axle position of rotation, thereby have realized the reflection (Fig. 4) of any space angle.
The present invention 1 * N or N * 1 photoswitch has adopted GRIN Lens 306 that input optical fibre 313 end faces are placed on the focal plane place of lens, and (Fig. 3 a), input optical fibre 313 is on optical axis.Like this, when light becomes directional light through behind the condenser lens 306, after catoptron 403 reflections, export from output optical fibre 312 ports.Adopt selfoc lens array or lens arra for N * N photoswitch, as optical transport layer 602.
(Fig. 3 a), the end face of input-output optical fiber array 301 will be processed into sphere, adopt the inclination of the output chief ray that globe lens was brought with compensation, and the curvature of sphere will be by the material and the radius-of-curvature decision of institute's employing lens to adopt spherical lenses as condenser lens 306.
The clamper 302 that input-output optical fiber array 301 passes through adopts silicon micromachining technique, adopt corroding method at the array hole that silicon chip erosion is gone out many about 125 μ m diameters, again with a plurality of identical silicon chips, be bonded together, then input-output optical fiber is inserted one by one, and use the epoxide-resin glue hydropexis, form fiber array.The input-output optical fiber of 1 * N photoswitch adopts square formation to arrange, and during as N=8, can line up 3 * 3 square formation, makes input optical fibre as central optical axis (figure seven).
The present invention makes N * N array of photoswitch (as shown in Figure 6).N * N array of photoswitch is the gordian technique that realizes full light exchange.Adopt the micro mechanical technology of silicon to make optical fiber array plate 601.Surperficial subregion at silicon chip erodes away fiber array, divides a plurality of zones, and each intra-zone is a fiber array.The silicon chip that multi-disc is identical adopts gluing or bonding techniques is made of one, again optical fiber is inserted, form the optically-coupled layer of input-output optical fiber array board 601 as N * N photoswitch, adopt selfoc lens array 603 as optical transport layer 602, its position is corresponding with the fiber array zone on the input-output optical fiber array board 601.Light is reflected mobile device all be fixed on formation Drive Layer 604 on the plate base.Each 1 * N optical switch element is separate, does not produce association.Output optical fibre is connected first output of other each unit according to the output of first unit, the output of second unit connects second output of other each unit, and the like, couple together with wire jumper or fusing mode, will constitute the full connection of N * N photoswitch.