JP2000352639A - Optical fiber array - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical fiber array in which optical fibers are aligned with high accuracy. SOLUTION: This optical fiber array 1 is provided with the structure wherein the prescribed number of V groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 to which optical fibers 4 are fixed by optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4 are laminated in V grooves 2 provided on the surface of the substrates at a prescribed interval, and optical fiber pressing members 7-1 to 7-4 or 8-1 to 8-4 are provided between mutually laminated V groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber array in which optical fibers are two-dimensionally arranged with high precision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, optical fiber arrays in which optical fibers are two-dimensionally arranged with high precision at end faces using V-grooves are known in various shapes. For example, considering a 16-fiber optical fiber array having four fibers × four stages, the manufacturing method was as follows. First,
As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the right angle jig 3
Paste on 2. In this case, the substrates are attached to the processing jig 32 so that the surfaces of the substrates 31-1 to 31-4 become the same as much as possible. Next, by forming the V-grooves 33 at predetermined intervals, the reference surface 34-1 attached to the processing right-angle jig 32 is formed.
-34-4 to each V-groove 33 and substrate 31-
The thicknesses of 1-31-4 are the same in this lot.

After that, as shown in FIG.
By pressing the reference surfaces 34-1 to 34-4 of 1-1 to 31-4 onto a plane perpendicular to the bottom surface of the laminating right angle jig 35 and stacking them via an adhesive, the substrates 31-1 to 31-31 are stacked. 4
After the positions of the upper and lower V-grooves 33 were matched, as shown in FIG. 5, an optical fiber 36 was inserted into the V-groove 33 and a lid 37 was adhered and fixed to produce an optical fiber array 38. In the conventional optical fiber array described above, since the upper substrate presses and fixes the optical fiber on the lower substrate, it is actually very difficult to perform the stacking operation while setting the optical fiber. It was because.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, the V-groove 33 is made larger (deeper) in view of a clearance that allows the optical fiber 36 to be inserted after lamination.
Must be processed beforehand. Normally, the diameter of the optical fiber 36 has an accuracy of about ± 2 μm. Therefore, in consideration of the error and the insertion workability, the clearance of about 4 to 5 μm is set to V, for example.
It is provided in the groove 33. Therefore, when the optical fiber 36 is inserted into the V-groove 33 to produce an optical fiber array, as shown in FIG.
There has been a problem that the optical fiber 36 is displaced and an optical fiber array in which the optical fibers are aligned with high accuracy cannot be obtained.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber array in which optical fibers are aligned with high precision and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0006]

An optical fiber array according to the present invention has a structure in which a predetermined number of V-groove substrates in which optical fibers are fixed by optical fiber pressing members are laminated on V-grooves provided on the substrate surface at predetermined intervals. And a storage portion for storing the optical fiber pressing member is provided between the V-groove substrates stacked on each other.

[0007]

In the above-described configuration, a V-groove substrate is prepared in which an optical fiber is fixed in advance in a V-groove by an optical fiber pressing member, and the V-groove substrate is laminated with the optical fiber pressing member stored in the storage portion. Because we are making an array,
Even without providing a clearance in the V-groove, the optical fiber can be held in contact with the V-groove and pressed down from above by an optical fiber pressing member, and the displacement of the optical fiber due to the clearance can be eliminated. Preferably, the upper surface and the lower surface of the V-groove substrate, which are stacked on each other, come into contact with each other, so that the displacement of the optical fibers in the thickness direction can be eliminated, and as a result, an optical fiber array in which the optical fibers are aligned with high precision can be obtained. it can.

In the present invention, a housing is provided on the upper surface of the V-groove substrate, and an optical fiber pressing member is housed in the housing so that the upper surface of the optical fiber pressing member does not protrude from the upper surface of the V-groove substrate. Or by providing a storage section on the lower surface of the V-groove substrate so that the protruding optical fiber holding member of the lower V-groove substrate can be stored in this storage section.
Without the optical fiber pressing member protruding, the interval in the thickness direction of the optical fiber array can be stacked to be the thickness of the V-groove substrate. Of course, as long as the optical fiber pressing members can be accommodated between the V-groove substrates stacked on each other, any configuration may be adopted.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an example of an optical fiber array according to the present invention. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the optical fiber array 1 of the present invention has the coating layer 4 a in the V-groove 2 provided on the substrate surface at a predetermined interval using the optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4. Four V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 obtained by bonding and fixing the optical fibers 4 are stacked and bonded and fixed so that the surfaces of the four V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 overlap each other, and further the uppermost V-groove substrate 5-4 It has a structure in which a lid 6 is bonded and fixed thereon.
The size of the V-groove 2 is set so that the head of the optical fiber 4 is slightly protruded from the V-groove 2 when the optical fiber 4 is actually mounted. It is preferable that the size be such that it can be adhered and fixed while being pressed with a pressure.

FIG. 1A shows an example in which recessed storage sections 7-1 to 7-7 are formed on the upper surfaces of the respective V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4.
-4 are provided, and V-grooves 2 are provided on the surfaces of the storage portions 7-1 to 7-4.
And the optical fiber 4 is fixed in the V-groove 2 by the optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4, so that the upper surfaces of the optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4 are V-groove substrates 5- 1
The example which comprised so that it may not protrude from the upper surface of 5-4 is shown. Further, in the example shown in FIG.
Recessed storage portions 8-1 to 8-4 are provided on the lower surfaces 2 to 5-4 and the lower surface of the lid 6, and the lower V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 are provided.
The optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4, which fix and project the optical fiber 4 in the V-groove 2 on the upper surface of the V-groove substrate, can be stored in the storage portions 8-1 to 8-4 when stacking the V-groove substrates. An example configured as such is shown.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to the present invention in the order of steps. In this example, FIG.
The process for manufacturing the optical fiber array 1 having the structure shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2. First, similarly to the example described in the manufacturing method of the conventional example, the processing lamination reference surface 1 is attached to the processing right angle jig.
Substrate 11-1 set based on 2-1 to 12-4
To 11-4, as shown in FIG.
Is formed with high precision. The tip of the deep V groove 13 is the final V
It is necessary to set the position of the groove 3. Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the optical fiber 4 is set, the deep V-groove 13 is formed so that the V-groove 3 is formed such that the upper portion of the optical fiber 4 slightly projects.
The V-groove 3 is formed by processing and removing the ridge portion.

Thereafter, the optical fibers 4 are set in the V-grooves 3 for each of the substrates 11-1 to 11-4, and are bonded and fixed using the optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4. 2
As shown in (c), V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 in which optical fibers 4 are fixed in V-grooves 3 are formed. Finally, similarly to the example described in the conventional manufacturing method, the V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5--5 are set on the lamination right-angle jig with reference to the processing lamination reference surfaces 12-1 to 12-4. 4 are stacked with an adhesive, and the lid 6 is bonded and fixed on the V-groove substrate 5-4 to obtain the optical fiber array 1 of the present invention having the structure shown in FIG.

The V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5 in the present invention
The fixing with the adhesive of No. -4 takes a structure in which the upper surface and the lower surface of the V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 as a preferred embodiment are directly in contact with each other without an adhesive therebetween. It is preferable to perform the measurement at some other site. FIG.
(A)-(c) is a figure which shows an example of the fixing method by the adhesive agent in this invention. This example shows an example of the optical fiber array 1 having the structure shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, adhesive injection holes 21-1 to 21-4 are formed at both end portions of the V-groove 2 of the V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4,
After laminating the grooved substrates 5-1 to 5-4, the adhesive pouring holes 21 are formed.
An example in which an adhesive is poured into and fixed to -1 to 21-4 is shown. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, an adhesive is poured into gaps 22-1 to 22-4 between the optical fiber pressing members 3-1 to 3-4 and the storage units 8-1 to 8-4. The example which carried out adhesion fixation is shown. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 3C, the notch 2 is formed on the side surface of the V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 that abuts.
3-1 to 23-4 are formed, and the cutouts 23-1 to 23-4 are formed.
23-4 shows an example in which an adhesive is poured into and fixed to 23-4. Of course, these methods can be used in combination.

In the above-described manufacturing method of the present invention, the positional relationship of the optical fiber 4 in each of the V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4 is determined in the same manner as in the prior art. Since it can be positioned by processing the V-groove 3 using it, and the distance between the optical fibers 4 in the vertical direction, that is, the thickness direction, is determined by the thickness of the V-groove substrates 5-1 to 5-4.
Again, positioning can be conventionally performed by performing surface processing using the processed lamination reference surfaces 12-1 to 12-4. Therefore, there is no need to check the clearance for inserting the optical fiber, and the accuracy is improved. In addition, if there is an actual error in the optical fiber diameter, the position of the spectral fiber will be shifted.However, since there is no need to provide a clearance from the beginning for safety, the risk of occurrence of the error is reduced accordingly. can do.

For example, if the clearance error is 4 μm in the conventional example and 2 μm due to other factors, while there is no clearance error in the example of the present invention, a general single-mode optical fiber for communication is used. In this case, the optical connection loss is about 6 dB in the conventional example, whereas the loss at this time is about 0.7 dB in the example of the present invention, and it can be seen that the loss can be greatly reduced.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a V-groove substrate in which an optical fiber is fixed in a V-groove by an optical fiber pressing member in advance is prepared, and the optical fiber pressing member is stored in the storage section. The optical fiber array is manufactured by laminating the V-groove substrates in a state in which the optical fiber is in contact with the V-groove and can be fixed by pressing the optical fiber from above with the optical fiber pressing member without providing a clearance in the V-groove. The positional deviation of the optical fiber due to the above can be eliminated.
Further, in the thickness direction, the optical fibers are stacked so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the V-groove substrate stacked on each other are in contact with each other, so that the displacement of the optical fiber in the thickness direction can be eliminated. As a result, an optical fiber array in which optical fibers are arranged with high precision can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an example of an optical fiber array of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing an optical fiber array according to the present invention for each manufacturing process.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of bonding and fixing with an adhesive according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional method for manufacturing an optical fiber array.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of an example of a conventional optical fiber array.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an error caused by a conventional clearance.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 optical fiber array, 2 V groove, 3-1 to 3-4
Optical fiber holding member, 4 Optical fiber, 5-1
5-4 V-groove substrate, 7-1 to 7-4, 8-1 to 8-4
Storage section

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. V-grooves provided on a substrate surface at predetermined intervals,
A light having a structure in which a predetermined number of V-groove substrates to which optical fibers are fixed by optical fiber pressing members are laminated, and a storage portion for storing the optical fiber pressing member is provided between the V-groove substrates laminated to each other. Fiber array. 2. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the V-groove substrate is laminated so that an upper surface and a lower surface of the V-groove substrate are in contact with each other.