JP2000019344A - Optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to simplify the wiring of optical fibers and to improve a packaging density by connecting the optical fibers for input and output in proximity to a waveguide chip and constituting these fibers in such a manner that the fibers are drawn out in the same direction from the waveguide chip. SOLUTION: The two optical fiber ribbons 9 on the input side and output side are adjacently connected to the end face of the waveguide chip 7 and are so constituted that these fiber ribbons are drawn out in the same direction. Namely, the waveguide chip 7 is reinforced by adhering a glass block 10 thereto and a fiber array 11 aligned and arranged to hold the two optical fiber ribbons 9 executing incidence and exit is adhered to the glass block 10 and the waveguide chip 7, by which a waveguide layer 6 and the two optical fiber ribbons 9 are optically connected. The two optical fiber ribbons 9 are adjacently drawn out in the same direction in the manner described above, by which the wiring is simplified and the space required for the wiring is restricted to the one side surface side of the waveguide chip 7 and, therefore, the packaging density is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an optical module in which an optical fiber is connected to a planar lightwave circuit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in optical communication, an optical module has been developed in which an optical fiber is connected to a planar lightwave circuit in which a large number of optical waveguide circuits are integrated on a flat substrate. For example, in order to increase the transmission capacity of optical frequency multiplexing communication, an optical module capable of multiplexing and demultiplexing light having a wavelength interval as small as possible is required, and as such an optical module, an array waveguide diffraction grating is used. Things are known.

This optical module is, for example, shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), a waveguide chip 7 is bonded onto a heat equalizing plate 8 so that heat transfer is good. The waveguide chip 7 includes an arrayed waveguide 3 composed of a plurality of channel waveguides 2 having slightly different optical path lengths between adjacent waveguides on a substrate 1 made of silicon, quartz, sapphire, or the like. A waveguide layer 6 having first and second slab waveguides 4 and 5 is laminated. In addition, the heat equalizing plate 8
This is provided to make the temperature distribution of the waveguide chip 7 uniform so that the optical path length difference in the array waveguide 3 is not affected by the temperature change. In this waveguide chip 7, when light of multiple wavelengths is incident on the array waveguide 3 via the first slab waveguide 4, diffracted light corresponding to the optical path length difference is transmitted to the second slab waveguide. The light is emitted to the wave path 5 and the light of multiple wavelengths is split. On the other hand, conversely, when various lights having different wavelengths are incident on the array waveguide 3 via the second slab waveguide 5, these lights become
The light is multiplexed in accordance with the optical path length difference and emitted to the first slab waveguide 4.

[0004] Optical fiber tape 9 for inputting and outputting light
Is a fiber array 11 on the waveguide layer 6 of the waveguide chip 7.
Connected through. 7, the connecting portions 7 a and 7 b of the waveguide chip 7 with the optical fiber tape 9 are provided on the opposite end faces of the waveguide chip 7. A glass block 10 is bonded and reinforced to these connection portions 7a and 7b, and a fiber array 11 made of, for example, glass, which is arranged and arranged with an optical fiber tape 9 therebetween, is bonded to the glass block 10 and the waveguide chip 7. Then, the waveguide layer 6 and the optical fiber tape 9 are optically connected. Further, the fixed component 12 with the optical fiber tape 9 inserted thereinto is fixed to the fixed portion 8
The optical fiber tape 9 is bonded to and fixed to the optical fiber tape 9 so that no external force acts on the connection portion of the optical fiber tape 9 with the waveguide chip 7.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional optical module, the connecting portion 7 of the optical fiber tape 9 is used.
a, 7b and fixed portions 8a, 8b are arranged so as to face both sides of the waveguide chip 7 and the heat equalizing plate 8, and the optical fiber tape 9 is drawn out in the opposite direction. In the optical module having such a structure, there is a problem that wiring of the optical fiber tape becomes complicated, and a space for wiring is required around the optical module, and there is a limit in improving the mounting density.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. In an optical module comprising an input and output optical fibers connected to a waveguide of a waveguide chip, the input module comprises: And output optical fibers
It is characterized by being connected to the waveguide chip in close proximity and being pulled out from the waveguide chip in the same direction.

As described above, when the input and output optical fibers are closely connected to the waveguide chip and pulled out from the waveguide chip in the same direction, the wiring of the optical fiber becomes simple, and Since the space required for the fiber wiring is limited to a part of the side surface of the waveguide chip, the mounting density is improved.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view of an embodiment of an optical module according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the same parts as those described with reference to FIG. 4 are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the present embodiment, the heat equalizing plate 8
The waveguide chip 7 is adhered on the upper side so as to improve heat transfer. The waveguide chip 7 is made of, for example, zirconia,
An array waveguide 3 comprising a plurality of channel waveguides 2 having slightly different optical path lengths between adjacent waveguides on a substrate 1 made of quartz, sapphire, etc .;
Slab waveguides 4 and 5 are laminated.

The present embodiment is different from the conventional example in that two optical fiber tapes 9 on the input side and the output side are connected adjacently to the end face of the waveguide chip 7 and are pulled out in the same direction. That is. That is, the glass block 10 is bonded to the waveguide chip 7 to reinforce it, and the arrayed fiber array 11 sandwiching the two optical fiber tapes 9 for inputting and outputting is combined with the glass block 10 and the waveguide chip 7.
To optically connect the waveguide layer 6 and the two optical fiber tapes 9. In addition, the fixing part 12 with the two optical fiber tapes 9 inserted therein is adhered and fixed to the fixing part 8b of the casing (not shown), and an external force is applied to the connecting part of the optical fiber tape 9 with the waveguide chip 7. It does not work.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the two optical fiber tapes 9 on the input side and the output side are adjacent to each other and are drawn out in the same direction, the wiring of the optical fiber tape 9 is simplified. Further, since the space required for wiring the optical fiber tape 9 is limited to one side of the waveguide chip 7, the mounting density is improved. Further, each of the glass block 10, the fiber array 11, and the fixed component 12
And the two optical fiber tapes 9 are connected and fixed, so that the number of parts is reduced.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of another embodiment. In this embodiment, two optical fiber tapes 9 on the input side and the output side are connected adjacently to the end face of the waveguide chip 7 and pulled out in the same direction as in the above embodiment. However, unlike the above embodiment, the waveguide chip 7 is provided with two glass blocks 10, and the two optical fiber tapes 9 are connected to the waveguide chip 7 by separate fiber arrays 11, and are separated from each other. It is fixed to the heat equalizing plate 8 by a fixing part 12.
In this embodiment, the channel waveguide 2 is a slab waveguide 4,
It bends about 90 ° between 5 and the connecting portion 7a. Therefore, for example, even if the output light leaks from the slab waveguide 4, the direction of the leaked light deviates from the connection portion 7a, so that the output characteristics are not adversely affected.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of still another embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, two optical fiber tapes 9 each including one glass block 10, a fiber array 11 and a fixing part 12 are provided. Are connected and fixed.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, the wiring of the optical fiber is simplified, and the space required for the wiring of the optical fiber is limited to a part of the side surface of the waveguide chip. There is an excellent effect that is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of an embodiment of an optical module according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of yet another embodiment.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a plan view and a front view of a conventional optical module, respectively.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 2 Channel waveguide 3 Array waveguide 4, 5 Slab waveguide 6 Waveguide layer 7 Waveguide chip 7a, 7b Connection part 8 Heat equalizing plates 8a, 8b Fixed part 9 Optical fiber tape 10 Glass block 11 Fiber array 12 Fixed parts

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshihiko Ota 2-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term within Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. 2H037 BA24 CA06 DA16

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical module comprising input and output optical fibers connected to a waveguide of a waveguide chip, wherein the input and output optical fibers are connected to the waveguide chip in close proximity. An optical module which is drawn out of the waveguide chip in the same direction.