JP2007101789A - Optical transmission module, its manufacturing method, optical transmission device, and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical transmission module which can reduce its manufacturing costs; and to provide its manufacturing method, an optical transmission device, and an electronic device thereof. <P>SOLUTION: This module has a first substrate, a second substrate perpendicularly connected to it, a surface emitting laser disposed on the first substrate, and a micro lens disposed on the second substrate. The surface emitting laser and the micro lens are arranged in a way that the optical axis of the laser passes through the micro lens. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical transmission module, a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module, an optical transmission device, and an electronic apparatus.

In recent years, surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which have lower power consumption than edge-emitting semiconductor lasers and are capable of high-speed operation, are attracting attention as the amount of communication data increases. As an advantage of the surface emitting laser, it can be easily inspected, and it is inexpensive as compared with the edge emitting semiconductor laser. A technique for forming a compact optical transmission module using such a surface emitting laser has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-246279 A

  By the way, the surface emitting laser emits a laser beam perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, and can be produced with a smaller area per element than the edge emitting semiconductor laser and can be easily arrayed.

  However, when a waveguide is disposed on the plane of the substrate, a surface emitting laser that emits laser light perpendicular to the plane of the substrate becomes difficult to use, resulting in an increase in manufacturing cost. That is, when a surface emitting laser and a waveguide are arranged on the plane of one substrate, the laser beam emitted perpendicularly to the substrate plane is reflected by reflecting the laser beam emitted from the surface emitting laser with a mirror. It is necessary to bend the direction of travel of 90 degrees. Here, the required arrangement of the mirrors causes an increase in manufacturing cost and a decrease in optical coupling efficiency.

  On the other hand, the waveguide type light receiving element has a core layer and a clad layer like an optical fiber. In the waveguide type light receiving element, light enters the core layer serving as a light absorption layer from the end face, and the light propagates in the horizontal direction in the core layer. As a result, the waveguide type light receiving element can obtain sufficient sensitivity even with a thin light absorption layer, and is excellent in high frequency characteristics. There is also a movement to develop a technique for optical connection without decreasing the optical coupling efficiency by continuously forming the core layer of the waveguide type light receiving element and the core layer of the optical waveguide. However, when an optical waveguide type light receiving element is manufactured alone and then coupled to an optical waveguide such as an optical fiber, the optical coupling process is not easy, and problems such as an increase in manufacturing cost and a decrease in optical coupling efficiency occur. .

  In particular, when the light absorption layer is thinned to increase the frequency, the light incident surface becomes extremely small. Therefore, the incident light spot must be squeezed as much as possible using a lens system. As a result, when configured as an optical transmission module, the mounting volume is increased, miniaturization is prevented, and the manufacturing cost is increased.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an optical transmission module, a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module, an optical transmission device, and an electronic device that can reduce manufacturing costs.
The present invention also provides an optical transmission module, a method of manufacturing an optical transmission module, an optical transmission device, and an optical transmission module that can be reduced in size and reduced in manufacturing cost while improving the optical coupling efficiency between the light emitting element or the light receiving element and the waveguide, etc. The purpose is to provide electronic equipment.

In order to achieve the above object, an optical transmission module of the present invention includes a first substrate and a substrate to which the first substrate is connected, and the planar direction of the first substrate is relative to the planar direction of the substrate. A second substrate connected so as to be orthogonal to each other, and an electro-optic element disposed on the first substrate, and an optical axis for light emission or reception is set in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the first substrate. And an optical member that is disposed on the second substrate and serves as a component of the light propagation path, the optical member having an optical axis set parallel to the plane of the second substrate. And the electro-optic element and the light transmission member are arranged so that the optical axis of the electro-optic element penetrates the light transmission member.
According to the present invention, the plane of the first substrate and the plane of the second substrate are connected at a right angle. Since the optical axis of the electro-optic element disposed on the first substrate is orthogonal to the plane of the first substrate, it is parallel to the plane of the second substrate. Accordingly, the present invention provides an optical transmission module having an optical coupling structure of an electro-optic element having an optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate and an optical member having an optical axis parallel to the plane of the second substrate. Can be provided at low cost. Further, according to the present invention, since the electro-optical element and the optical member can be optically coupled without using a mirror or the like, the optical coupling efficiency between the light-emitting element or the light-receiving element and the waveguide or the like is increased. Thus, an optical transmission module that can be reduced in size and reduced in manufacturing cost can be provided. For example, the distance from the connection location (end portion of the first substrate) between the first substrate and the second substrate to the electro-optic element is from the plane of the second substrate to the light transmission region of the optical member (for example, near the center of the microlens). By configuring so as to be within the height range, the electro-optical element and the optical member are optically coupled.

In the optical transmission module of the present invention, it is preferable that the electro-optical element is a surface emitting laser or a light receiving element.
In the optical transmission module of the present invention, it is preferable that the optical member is a microlens or a waveguide.
According to the present invention, an optical transmission module in which a surface emitting laser or light receiving element having an optical axis perpendicular to a substrate plane and a microlens or waveguide having an optical axis parallel to the substrate plane are optically coupled with high efficiency. Can be provided at low cost. Moreover, various light emitting elements and various light receiving elements can be applied as the electro-optical elements of the light transmission module according to the present invention. A waveguide type light receiving element or the like can also be applied as an optical member of the optical transmission module according to the present invention.

In the optical transmission module of the present invention, it is preferable that the first substrate is configured by breaking or bending the second substrate.
According to the present invention, the first substrate connected to the second substrate at a right angle can be easily manufactured by dividing or bending the second substrate at a predetermined position and using the divided portion or the bent portion as the first substrate. can do. Here, the connection location between the first substrate and the second substrate may be fixed with an adhesive or the like.

In the optical transmission module of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are connected by an insulating member having elasticity and insulation formed on the plane of the first substrate and the second substrate. Is preferred.
According to the present invention, for example, a film of an insulating member is formed on a plane of a second substrate, and then the first substrate is formed by splitting or bending the second substrate to form the first substrate. Can be configured to be connected by an insulating member. Further, when the second substrate is to be cracked, it is necessary to strongly press a jig for the cracking on the second substrate, but it is avoided that the insulating member acts as a cushioning material and adversely affects the second substrate. Can do. As the insulating member, polyimide or the like can be applied.

In the optical transmission module according to the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are formed on the planes of the first substrate and the second substrate and have elasticity and insulation, and the first insulating member. It is preferable that the wiring formed on the first insulating member is connected to the second insulating member having elasticity and insulation formed so as to cover at least the wiring.
According to the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are connected by a sandwich structure in which the wiring is sandwiched between the first insulating member and the second insulating member. Therefore, the present invention can provide an optical transmission module that has high optical coupling efficiency and can be downsized and reduced in manufacturing cost while being electrically connected between the first substrate and the second substrate.

In the optical transmission module of the present invention, it is preferable that the microlens is disposed on a base formed in a convex shape on a plane of the second substrate.
According to the present invention, by arranging the microlens on the base, a microlens having a shape close to a sphere can be easily manufactured using a droplet discharge method or the like. Therefore, the tolerance of optical axis adjustment between the electro-optical element and the optical member (microlens) can be increased. Therefore, the present invention can provide an optical transmission module that can reduce the manufacturing cost while increasing the optical coupling efficiency.

In the optical transmission module of the present invention, a portion where the base is convexly formed on the plane of the second substrate forms a ring shape, and the center point of the ring shape is on the central axis of the microlens. It is preferable that it is located in.
According to the present invention, since the microlens is arranged on the ring-shaped base, a microlens having a desired size and shape can be easily formed using a droplet discharge method or the like. Therefore, the present invention can provide an optical transmission module that can reduce the manufacturing cost while increasing the optical coupling efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object, an optical transmission module of the present invention includes a substrate and a plurality of microlenses arranged on the substrate, and each of the plurality of microlenses is at least another one. A branch microlens arranged so as to be optically coupled to the microlens and so that only the transmitted light of one microlens passes alone, and the transmitted light of at least two of the microlenses are combined And a trunk microlens arranged so as to pass therethrough.
According to the present invention, light can be transmitted between the microlenses. Further, by separating each microlens by a predetermined distance, the total amount of the constituent materials can be greatly reduced as compared with the case where the waveguide is configured by one longitudinal transparent member. In addition, the light incident on each of the plurality of branch microlenses can be emitted from each of the branch microlenses and incident on one trunk microlens. Therefore, the present invention can provide an optical transmission module that is suitable for, for example, wavelength division multiplexing communication and can be easily manufactured at low cost. The light incident on each branch microlens may have the same wavelength.

The optical transmission module of the present invention is a semiconductor substrate connected to the substrate, and the semiconductor substrate is connected so that the planar direction of the substrate is orthogonal to the planar direction of the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of electro-optical elements arranged on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the optical axes of light emission or reception are set in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the semiconductor substrate, and It is preferable that the plurality of electro-optic elements and the branch microlenses are arranged so that the optical axes of the plurality of electro-optic elements penetrate any one of the branch microlenses.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical transmission module that can execute optical coupling between each electro-optic element and each branch microlens simply and with high efficiency. Therefore, the present invention can provide an optical transmission module that is suitable for, for example, wavelength division multiplexing communication and can be easily manufactured at low cost. The light emitted or incident from each electro-optical element may have the same wavelength.

In the optical transmission module of the present invention, the microlens includes a spherical first member formed on the substrate and a second member arranged to cover the first member. Is preferred.
According to the present invention, the microlens can be composed of a core layer (first member) and a cladding layer (second member) like an optical fiber. Therefore, the present invention can provide an optical transmission module that has higher optical coupling efficiency and can be easily manufactured at low cost.

In order to achieve the above object, a method of manufacturing an optical transmission module according to the present invention includes a step of forming an electro-optic element having a light emitting or receiving optical axis positioned in a direction orthogonal to a plane of a substrate on the substrate, and the substrate. Forming an optical member having an optical axis parallel to the plane of the substrate on the substrate, and splitting or bending the substrate to make the side surface of the substrate L-shaped, so that the optical axis of the electro-optical element is And a step of changing the direction of the light transmitting member with respect to the electro-optical element so as to penetrate the light transmitting member.
According to the present invention, an optical transmission module having an optical coupling structure of an electro-optic element having an optical axis in a direction perpendicular to the plane of a substrate and an optical member having an optical axis in parallel to the plane of the substrate can be manufactured at low cost. Can be manufactured. In addition, according to the present invention, since the electro-optic element and the optical member can be optically coupled without using a mirror or the like, an optical transmission module that is more compact than the conventional one can be manufactured while increasing the optical coupling efficiency. can do.

In order to achieve the above object, an optical transmission device of the present invention includes the optical transmission module.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an optical transmission apparatus that has high optical coupling efficiency and can be downsized and reduced in manufacturing cost. In addition, the optical transmission module may be provided to provide TOSA (Transmitter Optical Sub-Assembly) and ROSA (Receiver Optical Sub-Assembly).

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the optical transmission device.
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the information transmission speed is very high, and the electronic device which can be reduced in size and manufacturing cost can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing referred to below, the scale of each component is appropriately changed and displayed for easy understanding of the drawing.

[First Embodiment]
1 to 4 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the optical transmission module according to this embodiment.

(Configuration of optical transmission module)
As shown in FIG. 4, the optical transmission module 10 of the present embodiment includes a first substrate 11a, a second substrate 11b, a surface emitting laser (electro-optical element) 30, and a micro lens (optical member) 35. Configured. The first substrate 11a and the second substrate 11b are connected so that the planar direction of the first substrate 11a is orthogonal to the planar direction of the second substrate 11b. In other words, the angle formed by the plane of the first substrate 11a and the plane of the second substrate 11b is about 90 degrees. This angle need not be exactly 90 degrees, but has a predetermined tolerance. The angle or the like may be set so that at least light emitted from the surface emitting laser 30 enters the microlens 35. The first substrate 11a and the second substrate 11b are made of, for example, a compound semiconductor and are formed of an n-type GaAs substrate or the like.

  The surface emitting laser 30 is an electro-optic element formed on the first substrate 11a. Instead of the surface emitting laser 30, another light emitting element or light receiving element may be arranged. However, the light emitting element or the light receiving element needs to have an optical axis for light emission or light reception set in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the first substrate 11a. A microlens 34 is formed on the light emitting surface of the surface emitting laser 30.

The surface emitting laser 30 includes a lower DBR (lower reflective layer) 12, an active layer 13, an upper DBR (upper reflective layer) 14, a current confinement layer 18, an insulating layer 19, a first electrode 20, And two electrodes 21. The lower DBR 12 is formed in the upper layer of the first substrate 11a. The lower DBR 12 is composed of a reflective layer in which layers having different refractive indexes are alternately stacked. For example, the lower DBR 12 includes 40 pairs of distributed reflective multilayer mirrors (DBR mirrors) in which n-type Al _0.9 Ga _0.1 As layers and n-type Al _0.15 Ga _0.85 As layers are alternately stacked. It is composed. The active layer 13 is formed in the upper layer of the lower DBR 12. The active layer 13 is composed of, for example, a 3 nm thick GaAs well layer and a 3 nm thick Al _0.3 Ga _0.7 As barrier layer, and the well layer is composed of three layers. Make up layer.

The upper DBR 14 is provided on the active layer 13. And upper DBR14 is comprised by the reflection layer which laminated | stacked the layer from which a refractive index differs alternately. For example, the upper DBR 14 includes 25 pairs of distributed reflective multilayer mirrors (DBR mirrors) in which p-type Al _0.9 Ga _0.1 As layers and p-type Al _0.15 Ga _0.85 As layers are alternately stacked. It is composed.

  The lower DBR 12 is made an n-type semiconductor by doping Si. The upper DBR 14 is made into a p-type semiconductor by doping C. The active layer 13 is not doped with impurities. Accordingly, the lower DBR 12, the active layer 13, and the upper DBR 14 constitute a pin diode, and constitute a resonator of the surface emitting laser 30. The active layer 13 and the upper DBR 14 in this resonator constitute a cylindrical column portion formed in a convex shape on the upper surfaces of the first substrate 11 a and the lower DBR 12. The lower DBR 12 may also have a convex shape, and a part of the upper side of the lower DBR 12 may be a part of the column part. The upper surface and the lower surface of the column portion become the laser light emission surface of the surface emitting laser 30.

  The insulating layer 19 is a layer for insulating the second electrode 21 from the lower DBR 12 and the active layer 13. For example, the insulating layer 19 is made of polyimide or the like. The first electrode 20 forms a cathode electrode of the surface emitting laser 30 and is electrically connected to the lower DBR 12. The second electrode 21 forms an anode electrode of the surface emitting laser 30 and is electrically connected to the upper DBR 14. The current confinement layer 18 forms an insulating region that restricts a flow path of current flowing through the active layer 13, and is formed on the active layer 13.

  The microlens 35 is an optical member disposed on the second substrate 11b. The microlens 35 is disposed on a base 31 that is formed in a convex shape on the plane of the second substrate 11b. The optical axis of the micro lens 35 is set parallel to the plane of the second substrate 11b. An optical waveguide or the like may be arranged instead of the microlens 35. However, the optical axis of the optical waveguide needs to be set parallel to the plane of the second substrate 11b.

  As described above, the surface emitting laser 30 and the microlens 35 are arranged so that the optical axis of the surface emitting laser 30 penetrates the microlens 35.

(Production method)
Next, a method for manufacturing the optical transmission module 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a surface emitting laser 30 and a base 31 are formed on a semiconductor substrate 11. The semiconductor substrate 11 is made of the same material as the first substrate 11a and the second substrate 11b. The distance between the surface emitting laser 30 and the base 31 on the semiconductor substrate 11 and the height of the base 31 are such that the optical axis of the surface emitting laser 30 and the optical axis of the microlens 35 are substantially the same as shown in FIG. It has been adjusted to match.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the microlens 34 is formed on the outgoing light surface of the surface emitting laser 30, and the microlens 35 is formed on the base 31. The microlenses 34 and 35 are preferably formed by a droplet discharge method in which the droplets 33 are discharged from the inkjet nozzle 32. The droplet 33 is a liquid containing the material for forming the microlenses 34 and 35. The droplets 33 have a predetermined viscosity, and are applied to the upper surfaces of the surface emitting laser 30 and the base 31 to form a hemisphere or a spherical shape by being applied to the upper surface of the surface emitting laser 30 and the base 31.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the blade 40 is pressed against a predetermined position 41 of the semiconductor substrate 11 while holding both ends (or one end) of the semiconductor substrate 11 with holding members (not shown). Thereby, the semiconductor substrate 11 is divided (or bent) at the predetermined position 41. Here, the semiconductor substrate 11 is divided into a substrate on the surface emitting laser 30 side (first substrate 11a in FIG. 4) and a substrate on the microlens 35 side (second substrate 11b in FIG. 4). They are connected by an insulating layer 19 that is an elastic member. The predetermined position 41 is adjusted so that the optical axis of the surface emitting laser 30 and the optical axis of the microlens 35 substantially coincide with each other in the state shown in FIG. The optical axis of the microlens 35 refers to the optical axis of light when the light emitted from the surface emitting laser 30 sequentially passes through the plurality of microlenses 35 in the state shown in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the first substrate 11a is raised in the direction of the arrow while holding the second substrate 11b. Then, the angle formed by the plane of the first substrate 11a and the plane of the second substrate 11b is set to about 90 degrees, and an adhesive is applied and hardened to the part that is broken so that the state is fixed. Thus, the optical transmission module 10 of the present embodiment is completed.

  Thus, according to the optical transmission module 10 of the present embodiment, the first substrate 11a and the second substrate 11b are connected so as to form a right angle, and the surface emitting laser 30 disposed on the first substrate 11a. The optical axis is parallel to the plane of the second substrate 11b. Therefore, the optical axis of the surface emitting laser 30 and the light of the microlens 35 are set in advance by setting the formation positions of the surface emitting laser 30 and the microlens 35 on the semiconductor substrate 11 and the predetermined position 41 which is a part to be divided. The axis is automatically aligned. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the optical transmission module 10 that can be reduced in size and reduced in manufacturing cost while increasing the optical coupling efficiency.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the insulating layer 19 which connects the 1st board | substrate 11a and the 2nd board | substrate 11b is an insulating member (for example, polyimide) which has elasticity and insulation. In this way, when the semiconductor substrate 11 is cracked, the blade 40, which is a jig for cracking, hits the insulating layer 19, and the insulating layer 19 acts as a cushioning material and adversely affects the first substrate 11a and the second substrate 11b. Can be avoided.

  Further, the optical transmission module 10 according to the present embodiment may include a configuration in which a wiring is formed on the insulating layer 19 at a predetermined position 41 and an insulating layer is formed so as to cover the wiring. If it does in this way, it will become the composition which connects the 1st substrate 11a and the 2nd substrate 11b by the sandwich structure which pinched the wiring with the insulating member. Therefore, it is possible to provide the optical transmission module 10 that has high optical coupling efficiency and can be downsized and reduced in manufacturing cost while being electrically connected between the first substrate 11a and the second substrate 11b.

  Further, in the optical transmission module 10 of the present embodiment, the microlens 35 is disposed on the base 31 formed in a convex shape on the plane of the second substrate 11b. Thus, by forming the microlens 35 on the base 31, a microlens having a shape close to a sphere can be easily manufactured using a droplet discharge method or the like. Therefore, the tolerance for optical axis adjustment between the surface emitting laser 30 and the microlens 35 can be further increased.

(Modification of the first embodiment)
5 to 8 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an optical transmission module according to a modification of the first embodiment. The optical transmission modules 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 are different from the base 31 of the optical transmission module 10 in FIG. 1 in the bases 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d.

  The optical transmission module 10A shown in FIG. 5 is obtained by photolithography and etching the second substrate 11b (semiconductor substrate 11 in FIG. 1) to form a convex base 31a. In this way, the shape and position of the base 31a can be easily and accurately formed. In addition, in the process of forming the surface emitting laser 30, the base 31a can be formed.

  In the optical transmission module 10B shown in FIG. 6, the base 31b is formed with a convex base 31c of polyimide, resin, semiconductor micro tile, or the like. For example, the optical transmission module 10B is manufactured by making only the polyimide base 31b using a mold and bonding the base 31b to a predetermined position of the second substrate 11b. A fine tile may be formed by performing a lift-off process on the semiconductor substrate, and the tile may be bonded to the second substrate 11b as a base 31b.

  The base 31c of the optical transmission module 10C shown in FIG. 7 is such that a portion formed in a convex shape on the plane of the second substrate 11b forms a ring shape. The ring-shaped center point of the base 31 c is located on the center axis of the microlens 35. In this way, the shape of the microlens 35 can be made closer to a sphere, and the arrangement tolerance for optical coupling can be further increased. In addition, since a part of the microlens 35 is located below the peak of the base 31c, it is possible to reduce the microlens 35 from popping out from the base 31c.

  The optical transmission module 10D shown in FIG. 8 is not formed by the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, but is manufactured without performing the bending process shown in FIGS. For example, the surface emitting laser 30 and the microlens 34 are formed on the first substrate 11a '. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the first substrate 11a 'is connected to the end of the second substrate 11b' formed as a substrate different from the first substrate 11a '. This connection may be performed by inserting the end of the first substrate 11a 'into a groove formed in the second substrate 11b', or may be performed using an adhesive. Next, a base 31d is formed on the second substrate 11b ', and a microlens 35 is formed on the base 31d to complete the optical transmission module 10D. As a method for forming the base 31d, any of the methods shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 may be used. The formation time of the micro lens 34 may be other than the above, and may be performed together with the formation process of the micro lens 35.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing an optical transmission module according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 9, the same components as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The optical transmission module 10E of the present embodiment is different from the optical transmission module of the first embodiment in that a plurality of surface emitting lasers VC1 to VC4 are provided on the first substrate 11a, and a plurality of branch micros is provided on the second substrate 11b. Lenses 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35f, 35h, 35i, 35j, 35k, 35l, 35m, 35n, 35o, 35q, 35r, 35s, 35t, 35u and a plurality of trunk microlenses 35e, 35g, 35p are provided. Is a point.

  Each of the surface emitting lasers VC1 to VC4 corresponds to the surface emitting laser 30 shown in FIG. Further, the surface emitting lasers VC1 to VC4 may have different wavelengths or emit light having the same wavelength.

Branch microlenses 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35f, 35h, 35i, 35j, 35k, 35l, 35m, 35n, 35o, 35q, 35r, 35s, 35t, 35u
Are arranged so as to be optically coupled with at least one other microlens and so that only the transmitted light of one microlens passes alone. For example, the branch microlens 35b is disposed so as to be optically coupled to the branch microlenses 35a and 35c, and is disposed so that only the transmitted light of the branch microlens 35a passes alone.

  The trunk microlenses 35e and 35g are arranged so as to be optically coupled with at least the other two microlenses, respectively, and are arranged so that the transmitted light of the at least two microlenses is combined. For example, the trunk microlens 35e is arranged so that the transmitted light of the branch microlens 35d and the transmitted light of the branch microlens 35d ′ are incident, and the two lights are combined and emitted toward the branch microlens 35f. Has been.

  The light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC1 passes through the branch microlenses 35a, 35b, and 35c and enters the trunk microlens 35e. The light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC2 passes through the branch microlenses 35i, 35k, and 35l and enters the trunk microlens 35e. In the trunk microlens 35e, the light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC1 and the light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC2 are combined and emitted toward the branch microlens 35f.

  The light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC2 passes through the branch microlenses 35m, 35n, and 35o and enters the trunk microlens 35p. The light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC4 passes through the branch microlenses 35r, 35s, 35t, and 35u and enters the trunk microlens 35p. In the trunk microlens 35p, the light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC3 and the light emitted from the surface emitting laser VC4 are combined and emitted toward the branch microlens 35q.

  In the trunk microlens 35g, the light emitted from the branch microlens 35f and the branch microlens 35q is combined and emitted toward the branch microlens 35h. Thereby, in the branch microlenses 35h and 35i, the lights emitted from the surface emitting lasers VC1, VC2, VC3, and VC4 are combined and propagated.

  Thus, according to the optical transmission module 10E of the present embodiment, wavelength division multiplexing transmission (WDM) is performed by setting the wavelengths of light emitted from the surface emitting lasers VC1, VC2, VC3, and VC4 to different wavelengths. can do. Moreover, since there is a space between the microlenses in the optical transmission module 10E, the total amount of the constituent materials can be greatly reduced as compared with the case where the waveguide is configured by one longitudinal transparent member. Further, according to the optical transmission module 10E of the present embodiment, each microlens can be formed by a droplet discharge method or the like, and the arrangement of each microlens can be easily changed. Therefore, the optical path can be easily changed by changing the arrangement of the microlenses. Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an optical transmission module that is suitable for wavelength division multiplex communication and can be easily manufactured at low cost.

  Further, in the optical transmission module 10E, the wavelengths of light emitted from the surface emitting lasers VC1, VC2, VC3, and VC4 may be the same. In this way, the intensity of the light propagating through the branch microlenses 35h and 35i is four times the emission intensity of the surface emitting lasers VC1, VC2, VC3, and VC4, so that high intensity light can be propagated.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an optical transmission module according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the position LL in FIG. 10 and 11, the same components as those of the optical transmission module shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The difference between the optical transmission module 10E of the present embodiment and the optical transmission module 10E of the second embodiment is that each surface emitting laser 35 is arranged in contact with or overlapping with the adjacent surface emitting laser 35, and Each microlens 35 includes a core layer (first member) 35A and a clad layer (second member) 35B.

  That is, each microlens 35 includes a spherical core layer 35A formed on the second substrate 11b, and a spherical cladding layer 35B formed to cover the core layer 35A. The base 31 includes a base 31A formed in a convex shape on the second substrate 11b and a base 31B formed in a convex shape on the upper surface of the base 31A. The core layer 35A is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the base 31B. The clad layer 35B is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the base 31A. The core layer 35A and the clad layer 35B can be formed by using a droplet discharge method, respectively.

  Thus, according to the optical transmission module 10F of the present embodiment, an optical waveguide similar to an optical fiber can be configured by the core layer 35A and the clad layer 35B of the plurality of microlenses 35. In addition, the optical transmission module 10F of the present embodiment can multiplex (or branch) a plurality of lights similarly to the optical transmission module 10E of the second embodiment, and is easy to design and manufacture. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an optical transmission module 10F that has higher optical coupling efficiency and can be easily manufactured at low cost.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an optical transmission module according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 12, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The light transmission module 10 </ b> G of this embodiment can be regarded as a replacement of the surface emitting laser 30 with the light receiving element 50 in the light transmission modules of the first to third embodiments.

  The light receiving element 50 is a waveguide type light receiving element. The light receiving element 50 includes a coating layer 51 formed on the second substrate 11 b, a cladding layer 52 formed on the coating layer 51, a core layer 53 formed on the cladding layer 52, and a core layer 53. The clad layer 54 is formed, and a cover layer 55 is formed on the clad layer 54. Therefore, the core layer 53 is sandwiched between the cladding layers 52 and 54, and the cladding layers 52 and 54 are sandwiched between the coating layers 51 and 55.

  In addition, the shape and arrangement of the base 31, the microlens 35, and the light receiving element 50 are set so that incident light of the microlens 35 is emitted from the microlens 35 and enters the core layer 53.

  According to the optical transmission module 10G of the present embodiment, the light receiving element 50 and the base 31 can be formed by a semiconductor process such as a photolithography process. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the optical axis alignment between the light receiving element 50 and the microlens 35 forming the waveguide can be performed easily and with high accuracy, and the compact and high performance optical transmission module 10G can be reduced. Can be provided at a cost.

[Optical transmission equipment]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an optical transmission apparatus including the optical transmission module 10 (or the optical transmission modules 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, and 10G) according to the embodiment of the present invention. The optical transmission device 200 connects electronic devices 202 such as a computer, a display, a storage device, and a printer to each other. The electronic device 202 may be an information communication device. The optical transmission device 200 may be one in which plugs 206 are provided at both ends of the cable 204. The cable 204 includes an optical fiber. The plug 206 contains the optical transmission module 10 (or the optical transmission modules 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, and 10G). The plug 206 may further incorporate a semiconductor chip.

  The plug 206 provided at one end of the cable 204 incorporates, for example, the optical transmission module 10 (transmitting unit) according to the above-described embodiment, and the plug 206 provided at the other end of the cable 204 is described above. The optical transmission module 10G (reception unit) according to the embodiment may be incorporated. By using two sets of such cables 204 and plugs 206, bidirectional communication can be performed. That is, the electrical signal output from the electronic device 202 is converted into an optical signal at the plug 206 at one end of the cable 204. This optical signal passes through the cable 204 and is converted into an electrical signal at the plug 206 at the other end of the cable 204. This electric signal is taken into the electronic device 202 to which the plug 206 at the other end is connected. Similarly, signal transmission in the reverse direction is also performed. Thus, according to the optical transmission device 200 according to the present embodiment, information can be transmitted between the electronic devices 202 using an optical signal.

[Usage of optical transmission equipment]
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a usage pattern of the optical transmission device illustrated in FIG. 13. The optical transmission device 212 corresponds to the optical transmission device 200 of FIG. The optical transmission device 212 connects the electronic devices 210. As the electronic device 210, a liquid crystal display monitor or a digital CRT (may be used in the fields of finance, mail order, medical care, education), a liquid crystal projector, a plasma display panel (PDP), a digital TV, a retail store A cash register (for POS (Point of Sale Scanning)), a video, a tuner, a game device, a printer, and the like can be given.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the specific materials and layers mentioned in the embodiment can be added. The configuration is merely an example, and can be changed as appropriate.

  For example, the optical transmission module according to the present invention can be widely applied to electronic devices using light. That is, as an application circuit or an electronic device including the optical transmission module according to the present invention, an optical interconnection circuit, an optical fiber communication module, a laser printer, a laser beam projector, a laser beam scanner, a linear encoder, a rotary encoder, a displacement sensor , Pressure sensor, gas sensor, blood blood flow sensor, fingerprint sensor, high-speed electrical modulation circuit, wireless RF circuit, mobile phone, wireless LAN, and the like.

It is a schematic cross section of a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section of a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section of a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section of a method for manufacturing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section which shows the modification of the optical transmission module of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic cross section which shows the modification of the optical transmission module of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic cross section which shows the modification of the optical transmission module of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic cross section which shows the modification of the optical transmission module of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the optical transmission module which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the optical transmission module which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of an optical transmission module same as the above. It is a schematic cross section which shows the optical transmission module which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the optical transmission apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the usage condition of an optical transmission apparatus same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G ... Optical transmission module, 11 ... Semiconductor substrate, 11a ... First substrate, 11b ... Second substrate, 19 ... Insulating layer (insulating member), 30 ... Surface light emission Laser, 31 ... base, 34, 35 ... micro lens, 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35f, 35h, 35i, 35j, 35k, 35l, 35m, 35n, 35o, 35q, 35r, 35s, 35t, 35u ... branches Micro lens, 35e, 35g, 35p ... stem micro lens, 35A ... core layer, 35B ... cladding layer, 40 ... blade, 50 ... light receiving element

Claims (14)

A first substrate;
A second substrate to which the first substrate is connected, the second substrate being connected such that the planar direction of the first substrate is orthogonal to the planar direction of the substrate;
An electro-optical element disposed on the first substrate, wherein an optical axis of light emission or reception is set in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate;
An optical member that is disposed on the second substrate and serves as a component of the light propagation path, the optical axis being set in parallel to the plane of the second substrate,
An optical transmission module, wherein the electro-optic element and the light transmission member are arranged so that an optical axis of the electro-optic element penetrates the light transmission member.   The optical transmission module according to claim 1, wherein the electro-optical element is a surface emitting laser or a light receiving element.   The optical transmission module according to claim 1, wherein the optical member is a microlens or a waveguide.   4. The optical transmission module according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is configured by breaking or bending the second substrate. 5.   2. The first substrate and the second substrate are connected to each other by having an insulating member having elasticity and insulation formed on the planes of the first substrate and the second substrate. 4. The optical transmission module according to any one of items 1 to 3.   The first substrate and the second substrate include an elastic and insulating first insulating member formed on a plane of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a wiring formed on the first insulating member. 4. The light according to claim 1, further comprising a second insulating member having elasticity and insulation formed so as to cover at least the wiring. 5. Transmission module.   The optical transmission module according to claim 1, wherein the microlens is disposed on a base formed in a convex shape on a plane of the second substrate. The base is a ring-shaped portion formed in a convex shape on the plane of the second substrate,
The optical transmission module according to claim 7, wherein a center point of the ring shape is located on a central axis of the microlens. A substrate,
A plurality of microlenses arranged on the substrate,
The plurality of microlenses are arranged so that each of the microlenses is optically coupled to at least one other microlens, and the branch microlens is arranged so that only the transmitted light of the one microlens passes alone. And a trunk microlens arranged so that the transmitted light of at least two of the microlenses is combined and passed therethrough. A semiconductor substrate connected to the substrate, the semiconductor substrate being connected such that the planar direction of the substrate is orthogonal to the planar direction of the semiconductor substrate;
A plurality of electro-optical elements arranged on the semiconductor substrate, the light-emitting or light-receiving optical axes being set in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the semiconductor substrate, and
10. The optical transmission according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of electro-optic elements and the branch microlenses are arranged so that an optical axis of each of the plurality of electro-optic elements penetrates any one of the branch microlenses. module.   The said micro lens is comprised by the spherical 1st member formed on the said board | substrate, and the 2nd member arrange | positioned so that the said 1st member may be covered, The Claim 9 or 10 characterized by the above-mentioned. The optical transmission module described. Forming an electro-optical element on the substrate in which an optical axis of light emission or reception is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate;
Forming on the substrate an optical member having an optical axis positioned parallel to the plane of the substrate;
By splitting or bending the substrate, the side surface of the substrate is L-shaped, and the direction of the light transmitting member relative to the electro-optical element is changed so that the optical axis of the electro-optical element penetrates the light transmitting member. A method of manufacturing an optical transmission module.   An optical transmission device comprising the optical transmission module according to claim 1 or the optical transmission module manufactured by using the optical transmission module manufacturing method according to claim 12. An electronic apparatus comprising the optical transmission device according to claim 13.

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