JP2005202229A - Optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply conduct positioning with respect to an optical element and to easily change a connecting point when a multiple optical waveguide fiber that is constituted by a plurality of optical fibers (optical waveguides) is to be connected to a housing (a substrate). <P>SOLUTION: Projected parts 73 and 75 are formed on a housing 70 and recessed parts 72 and 74 formed on an optical waveguide 50 are engaged into the projected parts 73 and 75. Moreover, a positioning section 84 is formed on the housing 70 and a light emitting element 86 is positioned to the projected part 73 by the positioning section 84. Thus, only by positioning and mounting the light emitting element 86 to the positioning section 84 and by engaging and connecting the recessed part 72 of the optical waveguide 50 to the projected parts 73 and 75 of the housing 70, the optical axis of the light emitting element 86 and the optical axis of an optical waveguide core 66 of the optical waveguide 50 are aligned with each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical module in which an optical waveguide and a light receiving element or a light emitting element are connected.

  In recent years, the demand for large-capacity and high-speed data transmission is increasing due to the spread and development of information transmission means such as the Internet. In order to transmit a large amount of data at high speed, an optical fiber capable of transmitting and receiving an optical signal with a large amount of information with a small transmission loss is known.

  In an optical module in which this optical fiber is mounted on a substrate together with an optical element (such as a light emitting diode or a light receiving diode), it is necessary to align the optical fiber and the optical element so as to be concentric. As this alignment method, for example, after mounting the optical element on the substrate, the optical fiber is moved so that the strongest light is incident on the optical fiber while driving the optical element. There is an active alignment that adjusts the position by moving the fiber.

  However, since the alignment work in this active alignment is performed manually, the cost is high. In order to reduce the cost, it is required that the alignment operation is simplified or can be manufactured without alignment.

  Therefore, a concave shape for positioning the optical fiber is formed on the substrate on which the optical fiber is mounted, and the optical fiber is engaged and fixed in each of the concave shapes, and the height of the core of the optical fiber and the light receiving and emitting points of the optical element A technique that simplifies the alignment work by optically connecting the same height is disclosed (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  However, since these form a concave shape for positioning the core of the optical fiber on the substrate to be mounted, in the case of a bundle of optical fibers, it is necessary to form concave shapes on the substrate by the number of optical fibers. This increases the manufacturing cost of the substrate and contributes to an increase in cost as a whole.

Moreover, since these fix an optical fiber to the board | substrate to mount, when changing a connection point, you have to peel an optical fiber from a board | substrate. As a result, it is difficult to change the connection point, and it is very difficult to handle when there are many opportunities to change the connection point.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-38124 (term 3 and FIG. 2) JP-A-8-313746 (4th term, Fig. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-287926 (Section 19, FIG. 2)

  In the present invention, in consideration of the above fact, when connecting a multi-core optical waveguide fiber composed of a plurality of optical fibers (optical waveguides) to a housing (substrate), it can be easily positioned with respect to the optical element, and the connection point can be changed. The purpose is to make it easier.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a light-emitting element that transmits an optical signal or a light-receiving element that receives an optical signal, a housing on which the light-emitting element or the light-receiving element is mounted, and a connector is connected to, An optical waveguide core that transmits an optical signal of the light emitting element or transmits an optical signal to the light receiving element, and the optical waveguide core is configured by an optical waveguide that transmits and receives an optical signal between the optical waveguide core of the connector In the optical module, the housing has a convex portion that engages a concave portion formed in the optical waveguide, and the light emitting element or the light receiving element is positioned with respect to the convex portion, and the optical axis of the optical waveguide core And a positioning portion having the optical axis of the light emitting element or the light receiving element as a concentric core.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the housing has a convex portion, and the concave portion formed in the optical waveguide is engaged with the convex portion. Further, a positioning part is formed in the housing, and the light emitting element or the light receiving element is positioned with respect to the convex part by the positioning part.

  As a result, the light emitting element or the light receiving element is positioned and attached to the positioning portion, and the optical axis of the light emitting element or the light receiving element is connected to the optical waveguide of the optical waveguide simply by engaging the concave portion of the optical waveguide with the convex portion of the housing. It can be concentric with the optical axis of the waveguide core. Therefore, alignment work for matching the optical axis of the optical waveguide core with the optical axis of the light emitting element or the light receiving element is not required, and the manufacturing cost of the optical module can be kept low.

  Further, by connecting a connector to an optical module in which a housing is provided with a light emitting element or a light receiving element and an optical waveguide, light from the optical waveguide core of the connector enters the optical waveguide core of the optical module. Yes. Accordingly, when changing the connection point, it is only necessary to remove the connector from the optical module, so that the connection point can be easily changed.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the positioning portion supports the light emitting element or the light receiving element at three points.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the light emitting element or the light receiving element is supported at three points by the positioning portion, thereby positioning the light emitting element or the light receiving element with respect to the convex portion of the housing. Thus, by supporting the light emitting element or the light receiving element at three points, the light emitting element or the light receiving element can be positioned with high accuracy with respect to the convex portion.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the recess is formed in parallel with the extending direction of the optical waveguide core.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the concave portion is formed in parallel with the extending direction of the optical waveguide core, so that the convex portion of the housing engaged with the concave portion is also formed in the extending direction of the optical waveguide core. That is, the convex portion is formed along the direction in which the optical waveguide core is inserted into the housing. Thus, a shape for forming the convex portion is created in the mold for forming the insertion port into which the optical waveguide core is inserted, and the shape can be removed in the same direction as the direction of forming the insertion port. Can be molded with a mold. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the housing can be kept low.

  The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the recess is formed in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the concave portion is formed in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core so that the concave portion is engaged with the convex portion of the housing, the optical waveguide core is Positioning is performed in the extending direction of the optical waveguide core. As a result, when connecting the connector and the housing, there is no need to align the end face of the optical waveguide core against the end face of the optical waveguide core of the connector, so the end face of the optical waveguide core is damaged and optical connection loss is reduced. There is no worry of increasing.

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that at least two of the recesses are formed in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core and in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core. Yes.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, at least two concave portions are formed in the extending direction of the optical waveguide core and the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core, so that the concave portion is related to the convex portion of the housing. When combined, the optical waveguide core is positioned in the extending direction of the optical waveguide core and in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core. As a result, only by connecting the optical fiber to the connector, the optical axis of the optical waveguide core and the optical axis of the optical waveguide core of the connector coincide with each other, so that alignment work becomes unnecessary. For this reason, the connection work is not complicated, and the cost can be kept low.

  Further, when the connector is connected to the optical fiber, it is not necessary to align the end face of the optical waveguide core of the optical fiber against the end face of the optical waveguide core of the connector, so that the end face of the optical waveguide core of the optical fiber is not damaged. Therefore, there is no worry that the optical connection loss increases.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the optical waveguide in which a plurality of optical waveguide cores are provided in the width direction of the optical waveguide, the concave portion is formed on at least one of the surfaces in the vertical direction of the optical waveguide. It is characterized by that.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, in the optical waveguide in which a plurality of optical waveguide cores are formed along the width direction of the optical waveguide, the concave portion is formed on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide is engaged with the housing on the surface having a large area. Therefore, the optical waveguide core can be stably engaged with the housing.

  The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that the recess has a rectangular cross section.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the processing of the mold for forming the recesses is facilitated by making the cross-sectional shape of the recesses rectangular. This leads to a reduction in manufacturing cost.

  The invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that the recess has a substantially V-shaped cross section.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the concave portion of the optical waveguide is engaged with the V-shaped convex portion of the housing by making the cross-sectional shape of the concave portion substantially V-shaped, the concave portion becomes 2 in the convex portion. Since it is supported by the surface, it is easy to obtain the alignment accuracy.

  In addition, in the case of a substantially V-shaped recess as compared with a rectangular recess, it is not necessary to cut and taper the mold for forming the recess. As a result, the mold structure is simplified, and the incidence of molding defects such as mold release defects can be reduced, leading to a reduction in manufacturing costs.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the optical waveguide includes an optical waveguide core that transmits an optical signal, and a plate-like clad portion that surrounds the optical waveguide core. The optical waveguide core and the clad portion At least one of these is formed of a polymer compound.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in an optical waveguide configured by an optical waveguide core that transmits an optical signal and a plate-like cladding portion that surrounds the optical waveguide core, at least one of the optical waveguide core and the cladding portion. Is formed of a polymer compound without being formed of a silicon substrate, a glass substrate, or the like, so that the material cost can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, by using a polymer compound, for example, a plastic material, it becomes easy to obtain an arbitrary shape when molding the optical waveguide core and the clad portion.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, when connecting a multi-core optical waveguide fiber composed of a plurality of optical fibers (optical waveguides) to the housing, it can be easily positioned with respect to the housing and the connection point can be easily changed. .

Initially, the manufacturing process of the optical waveguide of this invention is demonstrated in order of a process using FIG.
1) Step of preparing a mold that is formed from a cured resin layer of a mold-forming curable resin and has a concave portion corresponding to the core convex portion. The production of the mold is a convex corresponding to the optical waveguide core (hereinafter referred to as “core”). However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the following, a method using the master will be described.
<Preparation of master>
A conventional method such as a photolithography method or an RIE method can be used without particular limitation for producing the master 10 (shown in FIG. 1A) on which the convex portions 12 corresponding to the core are formed. In addition, the method (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-10240) for producing an optical waveguide by the electrodeposition method or the photo-deposition method previously filed by the present applicant can also be applied to produce the master 10.

The size of the convex portion 12 corresponding to the core formed on the master 10 is generally about 5 to 500 μm square, preferably about 40 to 200 μm square, and is appropriately determined according to the use of the optical waveguide. For example, in the case of a single mode optical waveguide, a core of about 10 μm square is generally used, and in the case of a multimode optical waveguide, a core of about 50 to 100 μm square is generally used. An optical waveguide having a larger core of about μm square is also used.
<Production of mold>
Next, a process for producing the mold 20 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (B), a mold-forming curable resin is applied or cast onto the surface of the master 10 produced as described above corresponding to the core 12 as shown in FIG. 1B. The layer 20a is formed, and if necessary, a drying treatment is performed to cure the curable resin layer 20a. Then, by separating the cured curable resin layer 20a from the master 10, the mold 20 in which the concave portion 22 corresponding to the convex portion 12 is formed is produced.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, the mold 20 is provided with an inlet 26 for filling the recess 22 with the core-forming curable resin, and an outlet 28 for discharging the resin from the recess 22. Formed by punching.

  In addition to the configuration in which the entrance 26 and the discharge port 28 are previously provided in the mold 20 by punching, various methods can be used. As another method, for example, after forming a cured resin layer of a curable resin for forming a mold on a master, a mold is prepared by peeling the curable resin layer from the master, and then the recesses are exposed at both ends of the mold. And a method of forming the inlet and the outlet by cutting into two. Thus, the formation method of the entrance 26 and the discharge port 28 is not particularly limited.

  By providing the inlet 26 and the outlet 28 communicating with the concave portion 22 of the mold 20 at both ends of the concave portion 22, the inlet 26 can be used as a liquid (resin) reservoir, and the outlet 28 has a vacuum suction pipe therein. By inserting, the inside of the recess 22 can be connected to a vacuum suction device. It is also possible to connect the inlet 26 to the core-forming curable resin injection pipe and pressurize and inject the resin from the inlet 26 into the recess 22. When there are a plurality of recesses 22, the discharge port 28 may be provided corresponding to each recess 22, or may be provided with one hole that communicates with each recess 22 in common.

  The thickness of the cured resin layer is appropriately determined in consideration of the handleability of the mold 20, but generally about 0.1 to 50 mm is appropriate. Further, by performing release treatment such as application of a release agent on the master 10 in advance, the curable resin layer 22a can be easily peeled from the master 10 and the peeling of the master 10 and the mold 20 is promoted.

  As the mold forming curable resin, the cured product can be easily peeled off from the master 10, the mold 20 (repetitively used) has a certain level of mechanical strength and dimensional stability, and is a hard resin that maintains the shape of the recess 22. It is preferable that it has thickness (hardness) and has good adhesion to the clad substrate 30 described later. Various additives can be added to the mold-forming curable resin as necessary.

  The mold-forming curable resin can be applied or cast onto the surface of the master 10, and the protrusions 12 corresponding to the individual cores formed on the master 10 must be accurately transferred. Therefore, it is preferable to have a viscosity below a certain limit, for example, about 500 to 7000 mPa · s. (Note that the “mold-forming curable resin” used in the present invention also includes a resin that becomes a rubber-like body having elasticity after curing.) In addition, the solvent is used for viscosity adjustment, and the adverse effect of the solvent. Can be added to the mold-forming curable resin to such an extent that does not occur.

  The curable resin for mold formation is a curable organo, which becomes silicone rubber (silicone elastomer) or silicone resin after curing from the viewpoints of peelability, mechanical strength / dimensional stability, hardness, and adhesion to the clad substrate. Polysiloxane is preferably used. The curable organopolysiloxane preferably contains a methylsiloxane group, an ethylsiloxane group, or a phenylsiloxane group in the molecule. Further, the curable organopolysiloxane may be a one-component type or a two-component type used in combination with a curing agent, and may be a thermosetting type or a room temperature curable type (for example, one that is cured by moisture in the air). ) Or other types of curing (such as ultraviolet curing).

  As curable organopolysiloxane, what becomes silicone rubber after hardening is preferable. As the silicone rubber after curing, what is usually called liquid silicone rubber (“liquid” includes those having a high viscosity such as a paste) is used. The liquid silicone rubber is preferably a two-pack type used in combination with a curing agent. Among them, the addition type liquid silicone rubber is preferably used because the surface and the inside are cured uniformly and in a short time, and there are no or by-products, and the mold release property is excellent and the shrinkage rate is small.

  Among liquid silicone rubbers, liquid dimethylsiloxane rubber is particularly preferred from the viewpoints of adhesion, peelability, strength and hardness controllability. In addition, a cured product of liquid dimethylsiloxane rubber generally has a refractive index as low as about 1.43. Therefore, a mold formed using this is used as it is as a clad layer without being peeled off from the clad substrate. Can do. In this case, it is necessary to devise such that the mold, the filled core forming resin, and the clad substrate are not peeled off.

  The viscosity of the liquid silicone rubber is 500 from the viewpoint of accurately transferring the convex portion 12 corresponding to the core and facilitating defoaming by reducing the mixing of bubbles, and forming a mold having a thickness of several millimeters. The thing of about -7000 mPa * s is preferable, Furthermore, the thing of about 2000-5000 mPa * s is more preferable.

  Further, the surface energy of the mold 20 is in the range of 10 dyn / cm to 30 dyn / cm, particularly 15 dyn / cm to 24 dyn / cm, so that the adhesion with the base film and the penetration rate of the curable resin for core formation From the point of view, it is preferable.

  The shear rubber hardness of the mold 20 may be 15 to 80, and 20 to 60 is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of mold taking performance, maintenance of the concave shape, and peelability.

  The surface roughness (root mean square roughness (RMS)) of the mold 20 is 0.5 μm or less, preferably 0.1 μm or less, more preferably 0.05 μm or less, so that the optical waveguide characteristics of the formed core are obtained. The optical loss can be greatly reduced. The surface roughness is preferably 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the light to be used, and when it is 1/10 or less, the waveguide loss due to the core surface roughness of the light becomes almost negligible.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the casting_mold | template 20 is a light transmittance in an ultraviolet region and / or a visible region. Since the mold 20 is light transmissive in the visible region, positioning can be easily performed when the mold 20 is brought into close contact with the clad substrate 30 (see FIG. 1D) in the step 2) described later. Further, it can be observed that the core-forming curable resin is filled in the concave portion 22 of the mold 20 in the step 3) described later, and the completion of filling can be easily confirmed.

  Further, it is preferable that the mold 20 is light transmissive in the ultraviolet region in order to perform ultraviolet curing through the mold 20 when an ultraviolet curable resin is used as the core-forming curable resin. Therefore, the transmittance of the mold 20 in the ultraviolet region (300 nm to 400 nm) is preferably 80% or more.

  Curable organopolysiloxanes, especially liquid silicone rubbers that become silicone rubbers after curing, have excellent contradictory properties of adhesion to the clad substrate 30 and peelability, have the ability to transfer nanostructures, silicone rubber and clad Even when the base material 30 is brought into close contact, it is possible to prevent even the liquid from entering. The mold 20 using such silicone rubber transfers the shape of the master 10 with high accuracy and adheres firmly to the clad substrate 30. For this reason, it becomes possible to efficiently fill the core forming resin only in the recesses 22 between the mold 20 and the clad substrate 30. Further, the clad substrate 30 and the mold 20 can be easily peeled off. Therefore, an optical waveguide whose shape is maintained with high accuracy can be manufactured from the mold 20 very simply.

Further, when the cured resin layer, particularly the cured resin layer has rubber elasticity, a part of the cured resin layer, that is, a part other than the part to which the convex portion 12 of the master 10 is transferred can be replaced with another rigid material. The handling property of the mold 20 is improved.
2) The process of making the clad substrate 30 adhere to the mold 20 The clad substrate 30 is stuck to the mold 20. As the clad substrate 30, a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a plastic substrate or the like can be used without limitation. By using a polymer compound such as a plastic substrate for the clad substrate 30, it is easy to obtain an arbitrary shape when the clad portion is molded.

  Moreover, what coated these base materials with resin for refractive index control is also used. The clad substrate 30 has a refractive index smaller than 1.55 and more preferably smaller than 1.50. In particular, the refractive index of the core 32 (see FIG. 1F) needs to be smaller than 0.01. Further, the clad substrate 30 is preferably flat, excellent in adhesion to the mold 20, and in the case where the both are brought into close contact with each other, there is no void other than the concave portion 22 of the mold 20.

  Among plastic substrates, optical waveguides using flexible film substrates can be used as couplers, optical wiring between boards, optical demultiplexers, and the like. Depending on the application of the optical waveguide to be produced, the film base material has optical properties such as refractive index, light transmission, mechanical strength, heat resistance, adhesion to the mold, flexibility (flexibility) Etc. are selected.

  Materials for the film base include acrylic resins (polymethyl methacrylate, etc.), alicyclic acrylic resins, styrene resins (polystyrene, acrylonitrile / styrene copolymers, etc.), olefin resins (polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene / propylene, etc.) Copolymer), alicyclic olefin resin, vinyl chloride resin, vinylidene chloride resin, vinyl alcohol resin, vinyl butyral resin, arylate resin, fluorine-containing resin, polyester resin (polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate) Etc.), polycarbonate resin, cellulose di- or triacetate, amide resin (aliphatic, aromatic polyamide, etc.), imide resin, sulfone resin, polyether sulfone resin, polyether ether ketone resin, polyphenylenes Fido resins, polyoxymethylene-based resin or a mixture of resins, and the like.

  When the film substrate is not very good in adhesion to the mold 20 and the core 32, treatment with an ozone atmosphere and ultraviolet irradiation treatment with a wavelength of 300 nm or less may be performed to improve the adhesion between the mold 20 and the core 32. desirable.

  In addition, as the alicyclic olefin resin, those having a norbornene structure in the main chain and those having a norbornene structure in the main chain and an alkyloxycarbonyl group in the side chain (the alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or cyclohexane) And those having a polar group such as an alkyl group). Among them, an alicyclic olefin resin having a norbornene structure in the main chain and a polar group such as an alkyloxycarbonyl group in the side chain has a low refractive index (refractive index is around 1.50, core 32, clad group It has excellent optical characteristics such as a difference in the refractive index of the material 30) and high light transmittance, is excellent in adhesion to the mold 20, and is excellent in heat resistance.

  In order to secure a difference in refractive index from the core 32, the refractive index of the film substrate is preferably smaller than 1.55, and preferably smaller than 1.53.

  The thickness of the film substrate is appropriately selected in consideration of flexibility, rigidity, ease of handling, and the like, and is generally preferably about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

3) Step of filling the concave portion 22 of the mold 20 with the clad substrate 30 in close contact with the core-forming curable resin, as shown in FIG. 1 (D), the core is provided at the entrance 26 formed at one end of the concave portion 22. The forming curable resin is injected, and suctioned under reduced pressure from the discharge port 28 formed at the other end of the recess 22, and the recess 22 is filled with the core forming curable resin.

  The method for filling the concave portion 22 with the core-forming curable resin is not limited to the above method. For example, the entrance 26 is filled with a small amount of core-forming curable resin by utilizing a capillary phenomenon, or the core-forming curable resin is pressure-filled from the entrance 26 into the recess 22, or the recess 28 is provided with a recess. There is a method of filling the concave portion 22 with the core-forming curable resin by, for example, vacuuming the inside of the chamber 22 or performing both pressure filling and vacuum suction. When using pressure filling and vacuum suction together, it is preferable to synchronize them. As a result, with the mold 20 being stably fixed, the pressure is gradually increased in the pressure filling, and the pressure is gradually decreased in the vacuum suction, so that the curable resin for core formation is made faster. The reciprocity law to inject can be made compatible. Further, when the concave portion 22 is filled with the core-forming curable resin by utilizing the capillary phenomenon, the inside of the concave portion 22 is preferably decompressed to about 0.1 to 100 kPa in order to promote filling. Furthermore, in order to promote filling, in addition to reducing the pressure in the recess 22, it is also an effective means to lower the viscosity by heating the core-forming curable resin filled from the inlet 26 of the mold 20. is there.

  As the core-forming curable resin, resins such as ultraviolet curable, radiation curable, electron beam curable, and thermosetting can be used. Of these, ultraviolet curable resins and thermosetting resins are preferably used. As the ultraviolet curable resin or thermosetting resin for forming the core, an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting monomer, an oligomer, or a mixture of a monomer and an oligomer is preferably used. Moreover, epoxy type, polyimide type, and acrylic type ultraviolet curable resin are preferably used as the ultraviolet curable resin. Thus, by forming the core with a polymer compound without forming it with a silicon substrate, a glass substrate or the like, the material cost can be kept low, leading to a reduction in manufacturing cost. Moreover, it becomes easy to obtain arbitrary shapes by molding the core with a polymer compound such as ultraviolet curable, radiation curable, electron beam curable, or thermosetting resin.

  The core-forming curable resin is required to have a low viscosity in order to fill the voids (recesses 22) formed between the mold 20 and the clad substrate 30. By setting the viscosity of the curable resin to 10 to 2000 mPa · s, preferably 100 to 1000 mPa · s, and more preferably 300 to 700 mPa · s, the filling speed is increased, and a core having a high accuracy is obtained. Loss can be reduced.

  In addition, in order to reproduce the original shape of the convex portion 12 corresponding to the core formed on the master 10 with high accuracy, it is necessary that the volume change before and after curing of the curable resin is small. For example, a reduction in volume causes waveguide loss. Accordingly, it is desirable that the curable resin has a volume change as small as possible, and a resin having a volume change of 10% or less is used. Preferably, the volume change is in the range of 0.01 to 4%. Lowering the viscosity of the curable resin using a solvent is preferably avoided if possible because the volume change before and after curing is large. In a material having a volume shrinkage of 0.01% or less or a material that expands in volume, the peeling efficiency from the mold 20 decreases, and surface degradation such as surface breakage occurs when peeling from the mold 20. This is not preferable because the smoothness of the optical waveguide decreases and the optical waveguide loss increases.

  In order to reduce the volume change (shrinkage) after curing of the core-forming curable resin, a polymer can be added to the resin. The polymer is preferably compatible with the core-forming curable resin and does not adversely affect the refractive index, elastic modulus, and transmission characteristics of the resin. In addition to reducing the volume change by adding a polymer, the viscosity and the glass transition point of the cured resin can be highly controlled. Examples of the polymer include acrylic, methacrylic acid, and epoxy polymers, but are not limited thereto.

  The refractive index of the cured product of the core-forming curable resin is preferably in the range of 1.2 to 1.6, more preferably in the range of 1.4 to 1.6, and the refractive index of the cured product falls within the range. Resins having different refractive indexes are used.

The refractive index of the cured product of the core-forming curable resin needs to be larger than that of the film base material (including the clad layer in the step 5 below) to be the base material 30 for clad. The difference in refractive index between the core and the clad (clad base material and clad layer) is 0.01 or more, preferably 0.05 or more.
4) Step of curing the filled core-forming curable resin In the step of 3), the core-forming curable resin filled in the recesses 22 is cured. In order to cure the ultraviolet curable resin, an ultraviolet lamp, an ultraviolet LED, a UV irradiation device or the like is used. Further, heating in an oven or the like is used to cure the thermosetting resin.
5) Step of peeling the mold 20 from the clad substrate 30 After the step 4), the mold 20 is peeled from the clad substrate 30. As shown in FIG. 1 (E), a cured resin portion is formed in the core 32, the entrance 26, and the exit 28 on the clad substrate 30 that has been peeled off. Then, as shown in FIG. 1 (F), the cured resin portion in the entrance 26 and the exit 28 is removed by grinding or the like. Thus, the core 32 (optical waveguide core) is obtained. The end surface of the core 32 has mirror smoothness.

Further, the mold 20 used in the steps 1) to 4) can be used as it is for the cladding layer as long as the conditions such as the refractive index are satisfied. In this case, it is not necessary to peel off the mold and it can be used as it is as the cladding layer. To do. In this case, the mold is preferably subjected to ozone treatment in order to improve the adhesion between the mold and the core material.
6) Step of forming a clad layer on the clad substrate 30 on which the core 32 is formed As shown in FIG. 1G, the clad layer 34 is formed on the clad substrate 30 on which the core 32 is formed. Form. As the clad layer 34, a film (for example, a clad base material used in the step 2) is used, a layer obtained by applying and curing a clad curable resin, a solvent for a polymer material Examples thereof include a polymer film obtained by applying a solution and drying. As the curable resin for cladding, an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin is preferably used. For example, an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting monomer, an oligomer, or a mixture of a monomer and an oligomer is used.

  In order to reduce the volume change (shrinkage) after curing of the curable resin for clad formation, a polymer (for example, methacrylic acid) that is compatible with the resin and does not adversely affect the refractive index, elastic modulus, and transmission characteristics of the resin. Can be added to the clad curable resin (ultraviolet curable resin or thermosetting resin).

  When a film is used as the clad layer 34, it is bonded using an adhesive. At this time, it is desirable that the refractive index of the adhesive is close to the refractive index of the film. As the adhesive to be used, an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin is preferably used. For example, an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting monomer, an oligomer, or a mixture of a monomer and an oligomer is used. In addition, a polymer similar to the polymer added to the clad layer 34 can be added to this film in order to reduce the volume change (shrinkage) after curing of the ultraviolet curable resin or the thermosetting resin.

The difference in refractive index between the clad substrate 30 and the clad layer 34 is preferably small, and the difference is within 0.1, preferably within 0.05, more preferably within 0.001 from the viewpoint of light confinement. Most preferably, the difference should be eliminated.
7) Step of curing the clad layer 34 The clad layer 34 obtained in the step 6) is obtained by applying and drying a solution of a clad curable resin and a polymer solution, followed by drying. The polymer film is bonded and cured using an adhesive or the like (ultraviolet curable resin or thermosetting resin) that bonds the base film for cladding. In order to cure the ultraviolet curable resin, an ultraviolet lamp, an ultraviolet LED, a UV irradiation device or the like is used. Moreover, in order to harden a thermosetting resin, the heating etc. in oven are performed.

Through the above steps, the optical waveguide 38 is formed.
8) Step of Forming Positioning Recess 36 in Optical Waveguide 38 As shown in FIG. 1 (H), the positioning recess 36 is machined on the clad substrate 30 of the optical waveguide 38 formed by the above steps. Formed by processing.

Note that the method for forming the positioning recess 36 is not limited to machining. For example, a concave shape may be formed when the clad substrate 30 is molded. In this case, as a method of forming the positioning recesses 36 in the cladding substrate 30, a mold having a convex shape is formed as in the above step 1), and the cladding substrate material is spin coated on the upper surface thereof. There is a method of applying by a method, then curing and peeling off. There is also a method of forming a convex shape by providing a convex shape on the rolling roll and pressing the clad substrate with the rolling roll.
<Production of optical module>
Next, a method for manufacturing an optical module will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the optical module 39 includes a housing 40 on which the optical waveguide 38 and the light emitting element 48 are placed. The housing 40 is formed by injection molding, transfer molding, injection molding, or the like, and an opening 44 for connecting the optical waveguide 38 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a stepped portion 47 is formed on the back side of the opening 44. Light emitting elements 48 are attached to the stepped portion 47 at the same pitch as the core 32. The light emitting element 48 is positioned against a convex portion 46 of the housing 40 to be described later by abutting against a plurality of positioning members 49 provided on the stepped portion 47.

  Here, the positioning member 49 has a columnar shape, a conical shape, a pyramid shape, an L shape, or the like. However, the shape of the positioning member 49 is not limited to these. Three positioning members 49 are provided so as to support two sides with respect to one light emitting element 48. Thereby, the light emitting element 48 can position the light emitting element 48 with respect to the convex portion 46 with high accuracy, but the three sides of the light emitting element 48 may be supported by the three positioning members 49.

  A light emitting element 48 is attached to the stepped portion 47, and an adhesive is poured between the stepped portion 47 and the light emitting element 48 to be bonded. Then, the light emitting element 48 is electrically connected to a driving device (not shown) that drives the light emitting element 48.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the opening 44 is formed with a convex portion 46 with high accuracy that engages with the concave portion 36 formed in the optical waveguide 38. The convex portion 46 is formed using an RIE method, a machining method with high surface accuracy, a photolithography method, or the like. The material used for the housing 40 is an epoxy resin, polyphenylene sulfide, or the like. When an inorganic glass powder such as quartz is added to these materials, the mechanical strength and the shape accuracy are increased.

  The concave portion 36 of the optical waveguide 38 is engaged with the convex portion 46 to position the optical waveguide 38 with respect to the housing 40. Then, an adhesive is poured between the side surface of the housing 40 and the side surface of the optical waveguide 38 to fix the optical waveguide 38 to the housing 40. As the adhesive, it is preferable to use an adhesive that does not apply a force such as bending or distortion to change the relative position of the optical waveguide 38 and the housing 40 by volume change (shrinkage). 1 (G)) is preferably used.

  Thus, by positioning the optical waveguide 38 with respect to the housing 40, the optical axis of the light emitting element 48 positioned with respect to the convex portion 46 of the housing 40 and the optical axis of the core 32 of the optical waveguide 38 coincide. .

  On the other hand, a pin hole 42 is formed in the connection surface of the housing 40, and one end of the pin 45 is inserted into the pin hole 42, and the other end of the pin 45 is inserted into the pin hole 43 of the connector 41 to be connected. As a result, the housing 40 is positioned and connected to the connector 41, and the optical axis of the core 32 of the optical waveguide 38 positioned in the housing 40 coincides with the optical axis of the optical waveguide 67 of the connector 41.

  Then, the housing 40 and the connector 41 are fixed using a spring clamp (not shown).

  In the present embodiment, the light emitting element 48 is used as the optical element member, but a light receiving element or the like may be used in addition to this.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Preparation of master>
After a thick film resist (manufactured by Micro Chemical Co., Ltd., SU-8) is applied to the silicon substrate 52 by spin coating, it is pre-baked at 80 ° C., exposed through a photomask, and developed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4A, eight core convex portions 54 (width: 50 μm, height: 50 μm, length: 150 mm, proximity width 250 μm) having a square cross section are formed. This is post-baked at 120 ° C. to produce a master for producing a core 56.
<Production of mold>
Next, after applying a release material to the master 56, as shown in FIG. 4B, a thermosetting liquid dimethylsiloxane rubber (manufactured by Dow Corning Asia Ltd .: SYLGARD 184, viscosity 5000 mPa · s) and a mold material are used. A mixture of the curing agents (molding material 58) is poured and cured by heating at 120 ° C. for 30 minutes. Then, the mold material 58 is peeled from the master 56, and as shown in FIG. 4C, a mold 60 (a mold thickness of 3 mm) in which a core recess 62 is formed is produced. Next, an entrance for filling the ultraviolet curable resin (see FIG. 1C) and an outlet for discharging the resin (ultraviolet curable resin) so that both ends of the core recess 62 are exposed. A discharge port was formed.

The mold 60 had a surface energy of 22 dyn / cm, a shear rubber hardness of 60, a surface roughness of 10 nm or less, an ultraviolet transmittance of 80% or more, and was transparent and well observed.
<Creating substrate for clad and optical waveguide core>
As shown in FIG. 4D, a clad base material 64 (manufactured by JSR Corporation, Arton film, refractive index 1.510) having a thick film of 188 μm that is slightly larger than the mold 60 is brought into close contact with the mold 60.

  Next, a few drops of UV curable resin (JSR Co., Ltd., PJ3001) with a viscosity of 1300 mPa · s is dropped at the entrance at one end of the mold 60, and as shown in FIG. The recess 62 is filled with an ultraviolet curable resin. Then, 50 mW / cm 2 of UV light is irradiated through the mold 60 for 5 minutes to cure the ultraviolet curable resin, and the mold 60 is peeled off from the clad substrate 64.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4F, a core 66 having the same shape as the convex portion 54 of the master 56 is formed on the clad substrate 64. In this embodiment, the refractive index of the core 66 is 1.591.
<Clad layer creation>
Next, as shown in FIG. 4G, a clad layer 68 is bonded to the surface of the clad substrate 64 on which the core 66 is formed. For the clad layer 68, an ultraviolet curable adhesive (manufactured by JSR Corporation) having a refractive index after curing of 1.510 which is the same as that of the clad substrate 64 is used. Then, 50 mW / cm 2 of UV light is irradiated through the mold 60 for 5 minutes to adhere the clad layer 68 to the clad substrate 64. In this way, the optical waveguide 50 is formed.
<Preparation of positioning recess>
Next, using a dicing saw (manufactured by DISCO Corporation, DAD321, blade width 0.10 mm), as shown in FIG. 4 (H), the optical waveguide 50 is positioned at 100 μm from the outermost core 66. Is ground in parallel with the extending direction of the core 66, and the dimension in the direction (width direction) orthogonal to the extending direction of the core 66 is set to 2 mm. Further, the core 66 is ground so that the dimension in the extending direction is 10 mm.

  4 (I) and FIG. 5 (A), the lower surface 50A of the optical waveguide 50 has a width of 0.1 mm centered on the center in the width direction, that is, 1 mm from the end in the width direction. A rectangular recess 72 having a depth of 0.1 mm is formed in the extending direction of the core 66.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, a rectangular shape having a width of 0.1 mm and a depth of 0.1 mm in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the core 66 at a position 1 mm from one end face of the optical waveguide 50. A recess 74 is formed. These concave portions 72 and 74 engage with convex portions 73 and 75 formed in the housing 70 described later, and position the housing 70 and the optical waveguide 50.
<Creation of optical module>
The housing 70 used in the optical module 80 is formed by a transfer molding method using an epoxy resin to which quartz glass powder is added. An opening 77 is formed in the housing 70 and is substantially U-shaped when viewed from one direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, a stepped portion 82 is formed on the back side of the opening 77. Light emitting elements 86 are attached to the stepped portion 82 at the same pitch as the core 66. The step portion 82 is provided with three cylindrical positioning members 84 each having a height of 0.1 mm and a diameter of 0.1 mm for each light emitting element 86. The light emitting element 86 has two sides. Is positioned against the convex portion 73 of the housing 70 by being abutted against the three positioning members 84.

  And the light emitting element 86 is adhere | attached on the housing 70 using a die bonder (West * BOND, Inc. 7200CR), and the drive device which drives the light emitting element 86 using a wire bonder (WEST * BOND, Inc. 7700E) Electrical connection is made (not shown).

  On the other hand, the optical waveguide 50 is fitted into the opening 77. At the center in the width direction of the opening 77 of the bottom surface 77A of the opening 77, a protrusion 73 having a width of 0.1 mm and a height of 0.1 mm along the extending direction of the core 66 of the optical waveguide 50 is rectangular. Is formed. Further, at a position 1 mm from one end face of the housing 70, a convex portion 75 having a rectangular cross section with a width of 0.1 mm and a height of 0.1 mm is formed in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the opening 77. ing.

  The concave portion 72 of the optical waveguide 50 is engaged with the convex portion 73 of the housing 70, and the concave portion 74 of the optical waveguide 50 is engaged with the convex portion 75 of the housing 70. Then, an ultraviolet curable adhesive (manufactured by JSR Co., Ltd.) is hung between the side surface of the opening 77 and the side surface of the optical waveguide 50, and the UV curable adhesive is irradiated with 50 mW / cm 2 of UV light for 5 minutes. Then, the optical waveguide 50 is fixed to the housing 70. Thus, by positioning the optical waveguide 50 with respect to the housing 70, the optical axis of the core 66 of the optical waveguide 50 and the optical axis of the light emitting element 86 coincide.

  A pin hole 42 is formed in the connection surface of the housing 70, and one end of the pin 45 is inserted into the pin hole 42, and the other end of the pin 45 is inserted into the pin hole 43 of the connector 41 to be connected. As a result, the housing 70 is positioned and connected to the connector 41, and the optical axis of the core 66 of the housing 70 matches the optical axis of the optical waveguide 67 of the connector 41.

  Then, the housing 70 and the connector 41 are fixed using a spring clamp (not shown).

  In the optical module 80 manufactured by this manufacturing method, the concave portions 72 and 74 and the convex portions 73 and 75 for positioning are provided in the extending direction of the core 66 and the direction orthogonal to the extending direction, so When the waveguides 50 are connected, if the concave portions 72 and 74 of the optical waveguide 50 are engaged with the convex portions 73 and 75 of the housing 70, the optical waveguide 50 extends in the extending direction of the core 66 with respect to the housing 70 and the core 66. Positioning is performed in a direction orthogonal to the stretching direction. Further, when the light emitting element 86 is attached to the housing 70, the light emitting element 86 is also positioned with respect to the housing 70 by abutting against a positioning member 84 formed on the step portion 82 of the housing 70.

  As a result, the light emitting element 86 is positioned and attached to the positioning portion 84, and the optical axis of the light emitting element 86 can be adjusted simply by engaging the concave portions 72 and 74 of the optical waveguide 50 with the convex portions 73 and 75 of the housing 70. The optical waveguide 50 can be concentric with the optical axis of the optical waveguide core 66. Therefore, alignment work for matching the optical axis of the optical waveguide core 66 and the optical axis of the light emitting element 86 is not necessary, and the manufacturing cost of the optical module 80 can be reduced.

  Further, by connecting the connector 41 to the housing 70, light from the optical waveguide 67 of the connector 41 enters the optical waveguide core 66 connected to the housing 70. Thus, when changing the connection point, the connector 41 may be removed from the housing 70 and connected to the optical fiber connector of the connection point at the change destination, so that the connection point can be changed easily.

  In the present embodiment, the concave portions 72 and 74 and the convex portions 73 and 75 have a rectangular cross-sectional shape. However, the tip shapes of these cross-sectional shapes may be V-shaped. Thus, when the concave portion of the optical waveguide 78 is engaged with the convex portion of the housing 70, the concave portion is supported by the convex portion on two surfaces, so that the alignment accuracy is easily obtained. In addition, in the case of a recess having a substantially V-shaped cross-section compared to a recess having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the die structure for forming the positioning recess does not need to be cut and tapered, thus simplifying the mold structure. The occurrence rate of molding defects such as mold release defects can be kept low.

First, in the same manner as in Example 1, the optical waveguide 150 is manufactured.
<Preparation of positioning recess>
In the same manner as in Example 1, using a dicing saw (manufactured by DISCO Corporation, DAD321, blade width 0.10 mm), the optical waveguide 150 is extended in the extending direction of the core 66 at a position of 100 μm from the outermost core 66. And the dimension in the direction (width direction) orthogonal to the extending direction of the core 66 is set to 2 mm. Moreover, it grinds so that the dimension of the extending | stretching direction of the core 66 may be 10 mm.

6A, on the upper surface 150A of the optical waveguide 150, the center in the width direction, that is, a position 1 mm from the end in the width direction, and a position 4 mm from one end face of the optical waveguide 150. Using a blade whose tip shape is V-shaped (tip angle 90 °), the recesses 152 and 154 having a width of 0.1 mm, a depth of 0.1 mm, and a tip angle of 90 ° are V-shaped, respectively. Form.
<Production of optical module>
As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the housing 156 used in the optical module 180 is opened so as to be substantially rectangular when viewed from one direction by an injection molding method using an epoxy resin to which quartz glass powder is added. A portion 158 is formed. The size of the opening 158 is such that the optical waveguide 150 can be fitted.

  Further, a convex portion 160 having a width of 0.1 mm, a height of 0.1 mm, and a tip angle of 90 ° is formed on the upper surface 158A of the opening 158 along the longitudinal direction of the opening 158. When the optical waveguide 150 is inserted into the opening 158, the concave portion 152 of the optical waveguide 150 is engaged with the convex portion 160 formed in the opening 158. As a result, the optical waveguide 150 is positioned in the width direction with respect to the housing 156.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, a stepped portion 162 is formed on the back side of the opening 158. Light emitting elements 166 are attached to the stepped portion 162 at the same pitch as the core 66. The stepped portion 162 is provided with a cylindrical positioning member 164 having a height of 0.1 mm and a diameter of 0.1 mm for each light emitting element 166. The light emitting element 166 has two sides. Is positioned against the convex portion 160 of the housing 156 by being abutted against the three positioning members 164.

  A substantially T-shaped recess 168 is formed in a substantially central portion of the upper surface 156 </ b> A of the housing 156 so as to penetrate the opening 158. A substantially T-shaped block 170 is fitted in the recess 168. A V-shaped convex portion 172 is formed on the lower surface 170 A of the block 170 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the core 66. The optical waveguide 150 is inserted into the opening 158 of the housing 156, and the block 170 is inserted into the concave portion 168. Are engaged with a recess 154 formed on the upper surface 150A of the optical waveguide 150 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the core 66. Thereby, the optical waveguide 150 is also positioned in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the core 66 with respect to the housing 156.

  An ultraviolet curable adhesive (manufactured by JSR Corporation) is injected between the housing 156 and the block 170 from the recess 168. Then, UV light of 50 mW / cm 2 is irradiated for 5 minutes to cure the ultraviolet light, and the optical waveguide 150 is fixed to the housing 156.

  In the optical waveguide 150 and the housing 156 manufactured by this manufacturing method, the opening 158 of the housing 156 has a substantially square shape, so that the strength of the opening 158 is increased and the housing 156 is bent even when the housing 156 is sandwiched by a spring clamp or the like. Is unlikely to occur. Thereby, since the optical waveguide 150 inserted into the opening 158 is not bent, the optical connection loss can be kept low.

  Further, the housing 156 and the optical waveguide 150 are positioned only in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the core 66, and the block 170 is fitted from the recess 168 of the housing 156, whereby the core 66 of the optical waveguide 150 is fitted to the housing 156. The positioning in the stretching direction is performed. As a result, the projection 160 may be formed only in the direction parallel to the extending direction of the core 66 in the opening 158 of the housing 156. Thereby, if the shape for forming the convex part 160 in the metal mold | die which forms the opening part 158 is created and it removes from one direction, the opening part 158 and the convex part 160 can be shape | molded. Therefore, since it can shape | mold with the metal mold | die with two directions, manufacturing cost can be restrained low.

<Creation of optical waveguide>
Similar to the first embodiment, the optical waveguide 190 is manufactured.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, one end of the optical waveguide 190 is cut at 45 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the core 66 using a dicing saw blade.

Concave portions 192 and 194 are formed on the lower surface 190A of the optical waveguide 190 as in the first embodiment. The optical waveguide 190 is positioned with respect to the housing 70 by engaging the concave portions 192 and 194 with the convex portions 73 and 75 of the housing 70.
<Creation of optical module>
The housing 70 used for the optical module 198 is formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8B, a stepped portion 82 is formed on the back side of the opening 77. An optical element member 182 is attached to the step portion 82. The optical element member 182 has a silicon substrate 184 of a size that can be attached to the step portion 82, and a surface emitting laser 186 and a light receiving element 188 are installed on the silicon substrate 184 in an array at the same pitch as the core 66. Has been.

  Further, the step portion 82 is formed with three regular triangular prism positioning members 196 having a height of 0.1 mm and a side length of 0.14 mm. The silicon substrate 184 has two sides abutting against the positioning member 196. It has been. Accordingly, the surface emitting laser 186 and the light receiving element 188 are positioned with respect to the convex portion 73 (see FIG. 7) of the housing 70.

  Then, the optical element member 182 is bonded to the housing 70 using a die bonder (WEST / BOND, Inc. 7200CR), and a surface emitting laser 186 and a light receiving device are used using a wire bonder (WEST / BOND, Inc. 7700E). Electrical connection is made to a driving device (not shown) for driving the element 188.

  Thereafter, the concave portions 192 and 194 of the optical waveguide 190 are engaged with the convex portions 73 and 75 of the housing 70, and the optical waveguide 190 is connected to the housing 70. Then, an ultraviolet curable adhesive (manufactured by JSR Co., Ltd.) is hung between the side surface of the opening 77 and the side surface of the optical waveguide 190, and the UV curable adhesive is irradiated with 50 mW / cm 2 of UV light for 5 minutes. And the optical waveguide 190 is fixed to the housing 70.

  As described above, the silicon substrate 184 on which the surface emitting laser 186 and the light receiving element 188 are installed is positioned and attached to the positioning portion 196, and the concave portions 192 and 194 of the optical waveguide 190 are engaged with the convex portions 73 and 75 of the housing. By simply connecting them, the optical axes of the surface-emitting laser 186 and the light receiving element 188 can be concentric with the optical axis of the optical waveguide core 66 of the optical waveguide 190.

  The light from the surface emitting laser 186 of the optical element member 182 emits light in the vertical direction, refracts at the end face 190B having an inclination of 45 ° of the optical waveguide 190, and enters the core 66. Further, the light from the core 66 is refracted at the end face 190 </ b> B of the optical waveguide 190 and enters the light receiving element 188.

  In this embodiment, the optical element (light emitting element, light receiving element) and the optical waveguide are arranged in the housing. However, the optical element and the optical waveguide are arranged on the mounting board, and the mounting board is used for positioning. It is good also as a structure which positions an optical element and an optical waveguide with respect to a housing by forming the recessed part of this and engaging with the convex part formed in the housing. At this time, by forming a convex portion for positioning the optical element on the mounting substrate, the optical element is positioned on the convex portion formed on the mounting substrate.

It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the optical waveguide which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the optical module which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the optical module which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (A) It is a front view, (B) It is side sectional drawing. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the manufacturing process of the optical waveguide which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the optical module which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the optical module which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing process of the optical module which concerns on 3rd Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the optical module which concerns on 3rd Example of this invention, (A) It is a front view, (B) It is side sectional drawing.

Explanation of symbols

38 Optical waveguide 40 Housing 41 Connector 44 Opening 46 Projection 48 Light emitting element 49 Positioning member 50 Optical waveguide 66 Core (optical waveguide core)
68 Clad layer (clad part)
70 Housing 72 Concave part 73 Convex part 74 Concave part 75 Convex part 77 Opening part 78 Optical waveguide 80 Optical module 84 Positioning member 86 Light emitting element 150 Optical waveguide 152 Concave part 154 Concave part 156 Housing 158 Opening part 160 Convex part 164 Positioning member 166 Light emitting element 168 Concave part 180 Optical module 182 Optical element member (light emitting element, light receiving element)
190 Optical waveguide 192 Recess 196 Positioning member 198 Optical module

Claims (9)

A light emitting element for transmitting an optical signal or a light receiving element for receiving an optical signal;
A housing to which the light emitting element or the light receiving element is mounted and to which a connector is connected;
An optical waveguide that is attached to the housing and includes an optical waveguide core that transmits an optical signal of the light emitting element or transmits an optical signal to the light receiving element, and the optical waveguide core transmits and receives an optical signal to and from the optical waveguide core of the connector When,
In the optical module composed of
The housing has a convex portion that engages with a concave portion formed in the optical waveguide, and the light emitting element or the light receiving element is positioned with respect to the convex portion, and the optical axis of the optical waveguide core and the light emitting element or An optical module, comprising: a positioning portion having a concentric optical axis of the light receiving element.   The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the positioning unit supports the light emitting element or the light receiving element at three points.   3. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed in parallel with an extending direction of the optical waveguide core.   3. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is formed in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core.   The at least two concave portions are formed in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core and in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the optical waveguide core. The optical module as described.   The optical waveguide in which a plurality of optical waveguide cores are provided in the width direction of the optical waveguide, wherein the recess is formed on at least one of the surfaces in the vertical direction of the optical waveguide. The optical module according to claim 5.   The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a rectangular cross section.   The optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the recess has a substantially V-shaped cross section.   The optical waveguide is composed of an optical waveguide core that transmits an optical signal and a plate-like clad portion that surrounds the optical waveguide core, and at least one of the optical waveguide core and the clad portion is made of a polymer compound. The optical module according to claim 6, wherein the optical module is formed.

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