JP2007187871A - Polymer optical waveguide and method for manufacturing same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polymer optical waveguide on which optical elements are easily mounted and to provide a method for manufacturing the waveguide. <P>SOLUTION: The polymer optical waveguide includes a core 13 transmitting optical signals from an optical element 17 or optical signals to the optical element 17 on a substrate 11, a reflecting plane 16 formed on a slope which is one end face of the core 13 to reflect and bend the light propagating in the core 13 in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and an over clad 15 covering the substrate 11 including the core 13, wherein a hole 18 for fitting an optical element so as to dispose the optical element 17 is formed in the over clad 15 above the reflecting plane 16 and the optical element 17 is directly bonded to the upper face of the core 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a polymer optical waveguide formed of a polymer, in which an optical element is mounted, and a manufacturing method thereof.

  In recent years, application of polymer optical waveguides to optical interconnection has been attempted. In optical interconnection, a polymer optical waveguide having an optical path conversion function that bends the optical path sharply (for example, in a direction perpendicular to the substrate) is formed, and optical components such as a light source and a detector are mounted on the surface of the polymer optical waveguide. An optical module is used.

  In general, methods for producing a polymer optical waveguide include a method using dry etching, a method using pattern exposure and development, and a method using a mold.

  An optical element of a light source or a photodetector is provided on the upper surface of the polymer optical waveguide. For example, when a light source is provided as an optical element, the light source and the optical waveguide are arranged so that the light emitted from the light source is collected and incident on the optical waveguide. A lens is mounted between the end face of the lens to reduce the connection loss.

  In addition, a mirror for bending and propagating light propagating within the core in the optical waveguide perpendicularly to the substrate is formed in a concave shape, and the mirror itself has a condensing function (for example, Patent Document 1).

2001-141965

  In a conventional polymer optical waveguide, an optical element is provided on the cladding surface above the reflecting surface of the polymer optical waveguide. For example, when a light source is provided on the polymer optical waveguide, the thickness of the overcladding is the light source and the reflecting surface. The distance is separated by. For this reason, when the light emitted from the light source is reflected by the reflecting surface and is incident on the core, a lens is provided between the light source and the reflecting surface, and the light emitted from the light source is condensed by the lens so that the diameter of the emitted light does not expand. . Therefore, when an optical element is mounted on a polymer optical waveguide, a lens must be mounted together, and there is a problem that the optical module has a complicated configuration. Further, when the lens is provided, it is necessary to align the lens between the light source and the reflecting surface, and there is a problem that the manufacturing process of the optical module becomes complicated.

  In an optical waveguide that forms a reflecting surface (mirror) in a concave shape and collects and reflects light emitted from the light source without using a lens, a precise mirror shape is required, and a highly accurate mirror is formed. There is also a problem that it is difficult.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, shorten the distance between the reflection surface of the optical waveguide and the optical element provided on the upper surface of the polymer optical waveguide, and facilitate the mounting of the optical element. An object of the present invention is to provide a waveguide and a manufacturing method thereof.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that on a substrate, a core that propagates an optical signal from an optical element or an optical signal to the optical element, and one end face of the core are formed on an inclined surface. In a polymer optical waveguide comprising a reflecting surface that reflects light propagating through the core and bends and propagates in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and an overcladding that covers the substrate including the core, the overcladding includes the reflecting surface A polymer optical waveguide in which an optical element fitting hole for arranging the optical element is formed above the optical element, and the optical element is directly bonded to the upper surface of the core.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the polymer according to the first aspect, wherein an optical element support portion is provided below the optical element fitting hole, the height being the same as that of the core, and supporting the optical element. It is an optical waveguide.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a core that propagates an optical signal from an optical element or an optical signal to the optical element on a substrate, and light that propagates through the core by forming one end face of the core on an inclined surface. In a method of manufacturing a polymer optical waveguide comprising a reflective surface that is reflected and propagated in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, and an overcladding that covers the substrate including the core, the core is formed on the substrate, and the core One end face is formed into an inclined surface to form a reflective surface, an over clad is provided to cover the core and the reflective surface, and the optical element is disposed on the over clad above the reflective surface. This is a method for producing a polymer optical waveguide in which an optical element fitting hole is formed and the optical element is directly joined to the upper surface of the core.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an optical element support portion provided below the optical element fitting hole and supporting the optical element is formed with the core at the same height as the core, and the core and the optical element support portion are included. An ultraviolet curable resin is applied on the substrate, and the ultraviolet curable resin is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the ultraviolet curable resin to form an overclad, and the overclad is removed by removing the ultraviolet curable resin above the reflecting surface. The method of manufacturing a polymer optical waveguide according to claim 3, wherein the optical element fitting hole is formed in the base.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the polymer optical waveguide according to claim 3, wherein after the over clad is provided, the over clad above the reflecting surface is etched by reactive ion etching to form the optical element fitting hole. It is a manufacturing method.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily mount an optical element.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1A and 1B are diagrams showing a polymer optical waveguide according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1B is a top view.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a polymer optical waveguide 10 according to the present embodiment includes a substrate 11, an underclad 12 provided on the substrate 11, and a core provided on the underclad 12. 13, an optical element support 14 provided on both sides of the core 13, and an overcladding 15 that covers the undercladding 12 including the core 13 and the optical element support 14. One end of the core 13 is located on the end surface of the substrate 11, and the other end is located on the center side of the substrate 11.

  In the polymer optical waveguide 10, one end of the core 13 on the center side of the substrate is formed as an inclined surface, and the reflection surface 16 is configured to bend and propagate the light propagating through the core 13 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. The reflecting surface 16 is formed at approximately 45 ° (θ in FIG. 1A) with respect to the substrate 11 and is formed by a boundary surface between air and the core 13, and totally reflects an optical signal at the boundary surface. Let

  In the polymer optical waveguide 10, an optical element fitting hole 18 for fitting an optical element 17 such as a light source or a photodetector is formed in the over clad 15 above the reflecting surface 16.

  In the present embodiment, the size (area) of the optical element fitting hole 18 is formed to be approximately equal to the size of the optical element 17 mounted on the polymer optical waveguide 10, and above the reflective surface 16 and the reflective surface 16. It is formed through the surrounding overcladding 15.

  When the size of the optical element 17 fitted to the polymer waveguide 10 is 300 μm × 300 μm × 200 μm, the size of the optical element fitting hole 18 is 310 μm × 310 μm × 60 μm.

  The optical element support portion 14 is formed below the optical element fitting hole 18 and supports the optical element 17 fitted in the optical element fitting hole 18 at the same height as the core 13. Preferably it is formed. By forming the optical element support 14 at the same height as the core 13, the optical element 17 can be mounted immediately above (in close proximity to) the reflecting surface 16.

  The optical element 17 includes an optical element body such as a laser diode or a photodiode, and an optical element body in which the optical element body is housed in a package or the like.

  Examples of the substrate 11 include a glass epoxy substrate, a film substrate, a quartz substrate, and a soda glass substrate. The core 13, the underclad 12 and the overclad 15 are made of a polymer material such as an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin, and specifically, silicone resin, acrylic resin, polyimide, or the like is used.

  In the polymer optical waveguide 10 of the present embodiment, the underclad 12 is provided on the substrate 11 and the core 13 and the optical element support 14 are provided on the underclad 12. However, the underclad 12 may be omitted. Good.

  FIG. 1 shows an optical module including a polymer optical waveguide 10 according to the present embodiment and an optical element 17 fitted in the optical element fitting hole 18 of the polymer optical waveguide 10. An electrical wiring for energizing the optical element 17 may be formed on the upper surface of the overcladding 15 and the upper surface of the optical element support portion 14.

  The operation of the optical module will be described. When the optical element 17 is a light emitting element such as an LD, the optical signal emitted from the LD is totally reflected by the reflecting surface 16, the optical path is bent at a substantially right angle, and enters the core 13. When the optical element 17 is a light receiving element such as a PD, the optical signal propagating through the core 13 is totally reflected by the reflecting surface 16, its optical path is bent at a right angle, and is received by the light receiving element above the reflecting surface 16.

  According to the polymer optical waveguide 10 of the present embodiment, the distance between the optical element 17 and the reflecting surface 16 is shortened by forming the optical element fitting hole 18 in the overcladding 15 on the reflecting surface 16. Thereby, for example, the optical signal emitted from the LD, which is the optical element 17, reaches the reflecting surface 16 before the diameter of the optical signal is larger than the width of the core 13 (reflecting surface 16). The optical signal can be incident on the core 13 without increasing the loss of the optical signal without providing a lens in between. Therefore, when an optical module in which the optical element 17 is mounted on the polymer optical waveguide 10 is configured, a lens is not required, so that the optical element can be easily mounted.

  At the same time, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost for manufacturing the optical module can be reduced.

  In the polymer optical waveguide 10 of the present embodiment, the positional relationship between the reflecting surface 16 and the optical element fitting hole 18 is designed so that the optical axis of the optical element 17 passes through the center of the core 13. Passive mounting that aligns the optical element 17 only by fitting the optical element 17 into the optical element fitting hole 18 without causing the optical signal to enter only the core 13 to align the optical element 17 (alignment). It can be carried out.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the polymer optical waveguide 10 of this Embodiment is demonstrated.

  In the polymer optical waveguide 10 of the present embodiment, a core 13 is formed on a substrate 11, one end face of the core 13 is formed as an inclined surface to form a reflective surface 16, and the core 13 and the reflective surface 16 are formed. An over clad 15 is provided so as to cover it, and an optical element fitting hole 18 is formed in the over clad 15 for fitting the optical element 17 positioned above the reflecting surface 16.

  Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the polymer optical waveguide 10 will be described for each step with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (c) and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (e).

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the underclad 12 is formed flat on the substrate 11. In the present embodiment, the underclad 12 is formed, for example, by applying a liquid ultraviolet curable resin by spin coating and irradiating the applied ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays and curing it. The underclad 12 may be formed of a thermosetting resin, and after the thermosetting resin is applied on the substrate, it is heated and cured.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, a reflection surface forming member 21 for forming a reflection surface on the end surface of the core is provided on the under cladding 12. In the present embodiment, the reflecting surface forming member 21 is formed by injecting a thermoplastic resin into a mold having the shape and curing the thermoplastic resin. The reflecting surface forming member 21 has an inclined surface 22 inclined at approximately 45 ° with respect to the underclad 12 at one end thereof, and an end surface of a core formed later on the inclined surface 22 becomes a reflecting surface. Therefore, the reflecting surface forming member 21 is formed at the position where the inclined surface 22 is formed at the position of the reflecting surface to be formed later and at which the optical element support portion is not formed later on the under cladding 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, the core 13 and the optical element support 14 are provided on the underclad 12. The core 13 and the optical element support 14 are simultaneously formed using a direct exposure method.

  First, an ultraviolet curable resin is applied. A photomask on which the pattern of the core 13 and the optical element support 14 is formed is placed above the applied ultraviolet curable resin, and the ultraviolet curable resin is irradiated with ultraviolet rays through the photomask. In the resin irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the pattern portions of the core 13 and the optical element support portion 14 are cured, and other portions remain uncured. The core 13 and the optical element support part 14 are formed by developing the ultraviolet curable resin and removing the uncured portion.

  At this time, the end surface on the center side of the core 13 is formed on the inclined surface 22 of the reflecting surface forming member 21 and is formed on the reflecting surface 16 inclined approximately 45 °.

  The core 13 and the optical element support 14 may be formed using RIE (reactive ion etching) in addition to the direct exposure method, or a resin is applied to the mold having the shape of the core 13 and the optical element support 14. It may be formed by pouring and curing the resin.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the reflecting surface forming member 21 is removed. Since the reflective surface forming member 21 is formed of a thermoplastic resin, the reflective surface forming member 21 is removed by immersing in a solvent heated to 170 ° C. (for example, acetone).

  As shown in FIG. 3C, an ultraviolet curable resin is applied as an overcladding material 23 on the core 13, the optical element support 14 and the underclad 12, and an optical element fitting hole 18 is formed above the ultraviolet curable resin. A photomask 24 on which a pattern is formed is installed, and the overcladding material 23 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays through the photomask 24. In the present embodiment, a negative ultraviolet curable resin is used as the over clad material 23, and only the portion irradiated with the ultraviolet rays is cured to form the over clad 15. At this time, the portion where the optical element fitting hole 18 to be removed later with the developer is formed is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

  As shown in FIGS. 3D and 3E, the overcladding material 23 irradiated with ultraviolet rays is immersed in a developing solution, and the portion not irradiated with ultraviolet rays is removed, and an optical element fitting hole is formed in the overcladding 15. 18 is formed. Thereby, the polymer optical waveguide 10 is obtained.

  Further, an optical element 17 such as an LD or PD is fitted into the optical element fitting hole 18 of the obtained polymer optical waveguide 10 to obtain the optical module shown in FIG.

  Here, a method of disposing the detailed optical element 17 in the optical element fitting hole 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (d) and FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (f).

  First, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a metal film 41 for forming a wiring pattern is deposited on the upper surface of the polymer optical waveguide 10. In the present embodiment, copper is deposited as the metal film 41. The upper surface of the polymer optical waveguide 10 here is the surface of the over clad 15, the upper surface of the core 13 appearing in the optical element fitting hole 18, and the surface of the optical element support portion 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the metal film 41 is etched to form wiring patterns 42 (four in the figure). Each wiring pattern 42 is formed so as to pass from the end of the polymer optical waveguide 10 through the upper surface of the overcladding 15, through the wall of the optical element fitting hole 18, and to the upper surface of the optical element support portion 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a solder ball 43 coated with flux is placed on the wiring pattern. The solder ball 43 is placed on the wiring pattern 42 on the optical element support 14 in order to electrically connect the optical element 17 and the wiring pattern 42.

  As shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, the optical element 17 is fitted into the optical element fitting hole 18. At that time, the optical element 17 is held by suction with air tweezers, and the optical element 17 is placed on the solder ball 43. Since the optical element 17 is provided in alignment with the solder ball 43, the optical element 17 and the wiring pattern 42 are in electrical contact via the solder ball 43. Thereafter, the polymer waveguide 10 in which the optical element 17 is fitted is placed in a solder reflow furnace, the solder balls 43 between the optical element 17 and the wiring pattern 42 are heated and melted, and the optical element 17 and the polymer waveguide 10 are soldered. Then, the disposition of the optical element 17 in the polymer waveguide 10 is completed.

  The heating temperature in the solder reflow furnace varies depending on the type of material forming the solder balls 43. For example, when a tin-bismuth solder is used, about 150 ° C., when a lead-tin solder is used. When gold-tin solder is used at about 200 ° C., it is heated to about 280 ° C. for solder bonding.

  In addition to the solder melting of the solder balls 43 by a solder reflow furnace, the solder balls may be heated and soldered by applying ultrasonic waves to the solder balls. In solder bonding using ultrasonic waves, it is possible to heat only the solder balls 43 without heating the polymer waveguide 10, thereby preventing deformation of the polymer waveguide 10 or deterioration of the waveguide characteristics due to temperature rise. it can.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5E and 5F, after the solder bonding, the optical element 17 and the resin mold 44 covering the periphery thereof may be formed to seal the optical element 17 with resin. In the resin sealing method, a resin such as silicone is dropped on the surface of the optical element 17 so as to cover the optical element 17, and the dropped resin is cured by UV irradiation or thermosetting.

  The optical element 17 is disposed by bonding the optical element 17 on the optical element supporting portion 14 by solder bonding. Alternatively, the optical element 17 is bonded and fixed using a resin adhesive. The method will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (f) and FIGS. 7 (a) to 7 (f).

  First, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a metal film 41 for forming a wiring pattern is deposited on the upper surface of the polymer optical waveguide 10 (FIGS. 4A and 4B). Same as the process).

  As shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the metal film 41 is etched to form wiring patterns 51 (four in the figure). Each wiring pattern 51 is formed from the end of the polymer optical waveguide 10 to the vicinity of the optical element fitting hole 18 on the upper surface of the over clad 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 6E and 6F, a resin adhesive 52 is applied to the upper surface of the optical element support portion 14. The resin adhesive 52 is made of a thermosetting resin, and a resin having a refractive index smaller than that of the core 13 is preferably used. This is because light passes between the optical element 17 and the reflecting surface 16 of the core 13, and therefore, if the refractive index of the resin adhesive 52 spreading on the upper surface of the optical element support 14 is the same as or larger than the refractive index of the core 13, the loss is significant. This is because it becomes larger.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the optical element 17 is fitted into the optical element fitting hole 18. At that time, when the optical element 17 is held by suction with air tweezers and the optical element 17 is fitted into the optical element fitting hole 18, the optical element 17 is aligned. Thereafter, the polymer optical waveguide 10 is heated to a temperature at which the resin adhesive 52 is cured, the resin adhesive 52 is cured, and the optical element 17 is bonded and fixed to the polymer optical waveguide 10. Although the heating temperature and the heating time depend on the type of the resin adhesive 52, when an epoxy resin is used, it is heated at 90 ° C. for about 1 hour.

  As shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D, after the optical element 17 is bonded, the optical element 17 and the wiring pattern 51 are connected by wire bonding 53. Thereby, the optical element 17 and the wiring pattern 51 are electrically connected, and the arrangement of the optical element 17 in the polymer waveguide 10 is completed.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7E and 7F, after the optical element 17 is disposed, a resin mold 54 is formed to cover the optical element 17 and its surroundings (including the wire bonding 53). The optical element 17 may be resin-sealed. In the resin sealing method, a resin such as silicone is dropped on the surface of the optical element 17 so as to cover the optical element 17, and the dropped resin is cured by UV irradiation or thermosetting.

  In the present embodiment, the optical element fitting hole 18 is formed by the direct exposure method, but it may be formed using RIE. When etching the over clad 14 above the reflecting surface 16 by RIE, the depth of the optical element fitting hole 18 can be controlled by controlling the etching time. According to this manufacturing method, unlike the case where it is formed by the direct exposure method, the optical element is fitted with the overcladding 15 of the same layer (around the reflecting surface 16) as the core, without providing the optical element support 14. A hole 18 can be formed and the optical element 17 can be supported.

  In addition, the over clad 15 may be formed using a mold having the shape (core) of the optical element fitting hole 18 to form the optical element fitting hole 18. At that time, since the optical element fitting hole to be formed has the same shape as the mold, it is preferable to previously control the depth of the optical element fitting hole 18 with the mold.

  In this embodiment, the optical element support portion 14 is provided to support the optical element 17, but an optical element having legs for supporting the optical element body is formed and fitted into the optical element fitting hole 18. If combined, the optical element support portion 14 need not be formed in the polymer optical waveguide 10.

  For example, when a gap of about several tens of μm is formed between the optical element 17 and the optical element fitting hole 18, the optical element 17 is preferably aligned and fitted into the polymer waveguide 10. Even with such a polymer optical waveguide, the optical element 17 can be easily mounted by shortening the distance between the optical element 17 and the reflecting surface 16.

  In the polymer waveguide manufacturing method of the present embodiment, a negative type ultraviolet curable resin is used for the overcladding material 23, and the portion of the overcladding material 23 that is not irradiated with ultraviolet rays is removed to form the optical element fitting hole 18. (See FIG. 3C). As a modified example, as shown in FIG. 8, a positive type ultraviolet curable resin is used for the over clad material 61, and a mask 62 having a pattern for irradiating ultraviolet rays only to the portions where the optical element fitting holes are formed is used. The element fitting hole 18 may be formed.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these examples.

  Example 1 A UV curable acrylic material (refractive index of 1.51) was applied onto a glass epoxy substrate by spin coating, and the acrylic material was cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays to form an underclad. Next, the reflecting surface forming member was formed by a mold method using a resin soluble in acetone. After forming the reflective surface forming member, a UV curable acrylic material (refractive index of 1.59) is applied by spin coating, the UV curable resin is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and acetone is used as a developer, and the UV curable acrylic material is used. The uncured portion and the reflective surface forming portion of the material were simultaneously removed to form the core and the optical element support portion.

  Next, the overcladding material is applied by spin coating, and the overcladding material is irradiated with ultraviolet rays through a mask having a pattern in which an optical element fitting hole is formed in the reflecting surface and the overcladding around the reflecting surface. Cured. Thereafter, the unexposed portion of the overclad material was removed using acetone as a developing solution to obtain a polymer optical waveguide in which an optical element fitting hole was formed.

  A wiring pattern is formed by vapor-depositing and etching copper on the over clad and the optical element fitting hole, and a solder ball to which flux is attached is placed on the wiring pattern in the optical element fitting hole, and an LD element ( Alternatively, a PD element) is placed. Thereafter, the polymer optical waveguide fitted with the LD element was heated in a solder reflow furnace, and the LD element and the polymer optical waveguide were soldered.

  (Example 2) An underclad was formed on a glass epoxy substrate using a UV curable acrylic material having a refractive index of 1.44. After forming the underclad, the reflecting surface forming member was formed by a method using a mold using a resin soluble in acetone. After forming the reflecting surface forming member, a resin was injected into the mold of the core and the optical element support, and the resin was cured to form the core and the optical element.

  Next, a resin is injected into an overcladding mold having the shape of an optical element fitting hole, and the resin is cured to form an overcladding in which an optical element fitting hole is formed around the reflective surface, and then reflected. The surface forming member was dissolved in acetone and removed to form a polymer waveguide.

  After forming a wiring pattern on the overcladding and injecting a thermosetting epoxy resin into the optical element fitting hole, the LD element (or PD element) is fitted, and the cured epoxy resin is heated and cured to make the LD element a polymer light. Adhesive and fixed to the waveguide. Finally, an optical module was manufactured by connecting the wiring pattern and the LD element by wire bonding.

It is a figure which shows the polymer optical waveguide of this Embodiment, (a) is sectional drawing, (b) is a top view. (A)-(c) is sectional drawing for every process of the manufacturing method of the polymer optical waveguide of this Embodiment. (A)-(e) is a figure which shows each process of the manufacturing method of the polymer optical waveguide of this Embodiment, (a), (c), (d) is sectional drawing, (b), (e) ) Is a top view. (A)-(d) is a figure which shows each process of the arrangement | positioning method of the optical element to a polymer optical waveguide, (a), (c) is sectional drawing, (b), (d) is a top view. It is. (A)-(f) is a figure which shows each process of the arrangement | positioning method of the optical element to a polymer optical waveguide, (a), (c), (e) is sectional drawing, (b), (d) ), (F) are top views. (A)-(d) is a figure which shows each process of the other arrangement | positioning method of the optical element to a polymer optical waveguide, (a), (c), (e) is sectional drawing, (b), (D), (f) is a top view. (A)-(d) is a figure which shows each process of the other arrangement | positioning method of the optical element to a polymer optical waveguide, (a), (c), (e) is sectional drawing, (b), (D), (f) is a top view. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the ultraviolet irradiation process of FIG.3 (c).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Polymer optical waveguide 11 Board | substrate 13 Core 14 Optical element support part 15 Over clad 16 Reflecting surface 17 Optical element 18 Optical element fitting hole

Claims (5)

A core that propagates an optical signal from or to an optical element on a substrate, and one end face of the core is formed on an inclined surface to reflect light propagating through the core in a direction perpendicular to the substrate In a polymer optical waveguide comprising a reflective surface that is bent and propagated, and an overcladding that covers the substrate including the core,
A polymer optical waveguide, wherein an optical element fitting hole for arranging the optical element is formed in the over clad above the reflecting surface, and the optical element is directly bonded to the upper surface of the core.   2. The polymer optical waveguide according to claim 1, wherein an optical element support portion is provided below the optical element fitting hole, the height being the same as that of the core, and supporting the optical element. A core that propagates an optical signal from or to an optical element on a substrate, and one end face of the core is formed on an inclined surface to reflect light propagating through the core in a direction perpendicular to the substrate In a method of manufacturing a polymer optical waveguide comprising a reflective surface that is bent and propagated, and an overcladding that covers the substrate including the core,
A core is formed on the substrate, one end surface of the core is formed as an inclined surface to form a reflective surface, an overclad is provided to cover the core and the reflective surface, and the reflective material is reflected on the overclad. An optical element fitting hole for arranging the optical element is formed above the surface, and the optical element is directly joined to the upper surface of the core.   An optical element support portion provided below the optical element fitting hole and supporting the optical element is formed at the same height as the core together with the core, and an ultraviolet curable resin is placed on the substrate including the core and the optical element support portion. Applying and irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays to cure the ultraviolet curable resin to form an overclad, and removing the ultraviolet curable resin above the reflecting surface to form the optical element fitting hole in the overclad. The method for producing a polymer optical waveguide according to claim 3, wherein: 4. The method of manufacturing a polymer optical waveguide according to claim 3, wherein after the over clad is provided, the over clad above the reflecting surface is etched by reactive ion etching to form the optical element fitting hole.

Images