JP2014048532A - Manufacturing method for optical fiber array - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To fill a gap between the end face of an optical fiber and a flat plate with adhesive without leaving any air bubbles.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method for an optical fiber array comprises: the step of preparing an optical fiber, a V-shaped groove substrate 20 having a V-shaped groove for supporting the optical fiber, a pressing plate 30 for pressing the optical fiber, supported in the V-shaped groove, against the V-shaped substrate, and a flat plate 40 that is able to transmit light propagating the optical fiber; the step of bringing the V-shaped substrate and the end face of the pressing plate into contact with the flat plate while the optical fiber is kept supported in the V-shaped groove; and the step of applying an adhesive to the boundary between the pressing plate and the flat plate while the end face of the pressing plate is in contact with the flat plate, and filling the gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate with the adhesive. In the pressing plate, an area that is not in contact with the flat plate and optical fiber is provided between the end face that is in contact with the flat plate and the pressing face for pressing the optical fiber supported by the V-shaped groove substrate.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical fiber array.

  Conventionally, in an optical fiber array used in an optical isolator or an optical switch, output light is extracted from the end face of the optical fiber and light is input again to the end face of the optical fiber. At the end face of an optical fiber where light is input and output, the end face may be inclined for the purpose of reducing the influence of reflected return light, or a filter may be formed on the end face for the purpose of wavelength selection.

  For example, in patent document 1, the end surface of the coreless optical fiber located ahead of the optical fiber is polished obliquely. However, since a man-hour for polishing the end face is required, the manufacturing cost is increased. Further, not only when the end face is obliquely polished, but when the end face of the optical fiber where light is input and output is processed, a manufacturing cost is required.

  Therefore, the optical fiber array of Patent Document 2 employs a configuration in which a flat plate is disposed to face the end face of the optical fiber. With the optical fiber array having such a configuration, it is possible to manufacture the optical fiber at a lower cost than in the case of processing the end face of the optical fiber.

JP 2006-47951 A JP 2011-232636 A

  In Patent Document 2, an adhesive serving as a refractive index matching agent is filled between an end face of an optical fiber and a flat plate. In the case of such a structure, if there are bubbles in the optical path between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate, the loss of light is significant. For this reason, it is necessary to fill the adhesive without leaving bubbles between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate.

  An object of the present invention is to easily fill an adhesive between an end face of an optical fiber and a flat plate.

  The main invention for achieving the above object is to hold an optical fiber, a V-groove substrate having a V-groove for supporting the optical fiber, and the optical fiber supported by the V-groove against the V-groove substrate. And a step of preparing a flat plate capable of transmitting light propagating through the optical fiber, and the end surfaces of the V-groove substrate and the press plate in the state where the optical fiber is supported in the V-groove. A step of contacting the flat plate, and in a state where the end surface of the pressing plate is in contact with the flat plate, an adhesive is applied to a boundary between the pressing plate and the flat plate, and a gap between the end surface of the optical fiber and the flat plate Filling the adhesive to the optical fiber array, wherein the pressing plate presses the end face contacting the flat plate and the optical fiber supported by the V-groove substrate. of Between the even surface, a method for manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein a region not in contact with said flat plate and said optical fiber is formed.

  Other characteristics of the present invention will be made clear by the description and drawings described later.

  According to the present invention, the adhesive can be easily filled between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a side view of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional model view near the end face of the optical fiber. FIG. 3 is an exploded model diagram of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a bottom view and a side view of the pressing plate. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state where an adhesive is applied. FIGS. 7A to 7J are views of the adhesive permeating from the front through the flat plate 40. FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an adhesive application method according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional model view of the vicinity of the end face of the optical fiber according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an adhesive application method according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are explanatory diagrams of usage examples of the optical fiber array 1. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an optical isolator 7 using an optical fiber array.

  At least the following matters will be apparent from the description and drawings described below.

An optical fiber, a V-groove substrate having a V-groove for supporting the optical fiber, a pressing plate for pressing the optical fiber supported by the V-groove against the V-groove substrate, and propagating through the optical fiber A step of preparing a flat plate capable of transmitting light, a step of bringing the end face of the V-groove substrate and the pressing plate into contact with the flat plate in a state where the optical fiber is supported in the V-groove, A step of applying an adhesive to a boundary between the holding plate and the flat plate in a state where the end surface is in contact with the flat plate, and filling the adhesive into a gap between the end surface of the optical fiber and the flat plate; A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein the pressing plate is disposed between the end surface in contact with the flat plate and a pressing surface for pressing the optical fiber supported by the V-groove substrate. The light Method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein a region that does not contact the driver is formed becomes apparent.
According to such an optical fiber array manufacturing method, an adhesive can be easily filled between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate.

  When the optical axis of the optical fiber is the front-rear direction, the end face side of the optical fiber viewed from the optical fiber is the front, and the opposite side is the rear, the edge on the optical fiber side of the region is the optical fiber It is desirable that it is located on the rear side of the end face. According to such a method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, bubbles on the end face of the optical fiber can easily move.

  The V-groove substrate has a plurality of V-grooves arranged side by side, and when the direction in which the plurality of V-grooves are arranged is a left-right direction, the region is formed up to the side surface in the left-right direction of the pressing plate. It is desirable that Thereby, when making an adhesive osmose | permeate inside, internal gas and a bubble can escape outside from the edge part on either side.

  The place where the adhesive is applied is preferably outside the V-groove located at the end in the left-right direction. Thereby, the adhesive is filled in the gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate in order from the end.

  If there is a bubble on the end face of the optical fiber, it is desirable to continue applying the adhesive to the boundary until the bubble is removed from the optical path of the optical fiber. This is advantageous because less adhesive is required to remove bubbles from the optical path.

  It is desirable that the bubbles on the end face of the optical fiber are moved to the space formed by the region of the pressing plate by continuing to apply the adhesive to the boundary. Thereby, bubbles can be removed from the optical path between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate.

  It is desirable to move the bubbles along the region by continuing to apply the adhesive to the boundary. Thereby, bubbles can be removed.

  The adhesive has a property of curing when irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and the pressing plate has a property of transmitting ultraviolet rays, and fills the gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate with the adhesive. After the step, it is desirable to cure the adhesive by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the outside of the pressing plate. Thereby, the adhesive agent penetrated into the inside can be cured.

  It is desirable to cure the adhesive by irradiating the ultraviolet light after confirming that the adhesive is filled in the gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate through the flat plate. Thereby, it is not necessary to cure the adhesive while air bubbles remain on the end face of the optical fiber.

=== First Embodiment ===
<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a side view of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional model view near the end face of the optical fiber. FIG. 3 is an exploded model diagram of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a bottom view and a side view of the pressing plate. For simplification of the drawing, the adhesive is not shown. In order to simplify the drawing, the number of optical fibers may be reduced for illustration.

  In the following description, when simply described as “optical fiber”, it means that the core is composed of a core that propagates light and a cladding that covers the periphery of the core, but other members that propagate light (for example, GRIN lenses) In the case of being integrally fused and connected, this means including the members. Members connected by a method other than fusion splicing (for example, adhesion using an adhesive) are not integrally spliced and are not included in the “optical fiber”.

  The “end face of the optical fiber” means an end face through which light propagating through the optical fiber is input / output. For example, if a GRIN lens is integrally fused and connected to the end of a single mode optical fiber, the end face of the GRIN lens becomes the “end face of the optical fiber”.

  In the following description, front and rear, top and bottom, and left and right are defined as shown in the figure. That is, the “front-rear direction” is defined along the optical axis of the optical fiber, and the end face side is “front” and the opposite side is “rear” as viewed from the optical fiber. Further, the vertical direction is defined with the V-groove substrate 20 side as “down” and the holding plate 30 side as “up” as viewed from the optical fiber. Further, a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is defined as “left-right direction”, and “right” and “left” are defined as viewed from the front side.

  The optical fiber array 1 includes a plurality of lensed fibers 10, a V-groove substrate 20, a pressing plate 30, and a flat plate 40. The plurality of lensed fibers 10, the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30, and the flat plate 40 are bonded by an adhesive (not shown). The optical fiber array 1 functions as a collimator array.

  The lensed fiber 10 is an optical fiber in which a GRIN lens 12 (refractive index distribution type lens) is fused and connected to the tip of the single mode optical fiber 11. The refractive index of the GRIN lens 12 gradually decreases from the central axis toward the outer periphery. Since the graded index optical fiber also has a refractive index that gradually decreases from the central axis toward the outer periphery, the graded index optical fiber is used as the GRIN lens 12. The GRIN lens 12 has a predetermined length so as to function as a collimator lens. Specifically, the GRIN lens 12 has a length that is (2n + 1) / 4 times the pitch length, which is a length necessary for a standing wave of one cycle to stand in the GRIN lens 12 (note that n = 0, 1, 2,... Thereby, the light incident on the GRIN lens 12 from the single mode optical fiber 11 is converted into parallel light in the GRIN lens 12 and output from the GRIN lens 12. Conversely, the parallel light incident on the GRIN lens 12 converges in the GRIN lens 12 and is input from the GRIN lens 12 to the single mode optical fiber 11.

  The V-groove substrate 20 is a member for arranging the lensed fibers 10. A plurality of V grooves 21 are formed in the V groove substrate 20. Each V-groove 21 is a V-shaped groove along the front-rear direction. The plurality of V grooves 21 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Each lensed fiber 10 is supported by the V groove 21 of the V groove substrate 20 and arranged. The end face of the lensed fiber 10 is abutted against the flat plate 40 as will be described later.

  An end surface on the front side of the V-groove substrate 20 becomes an adhesive surface 22. In FIG. 3, a sand pattern is applied to the bonding surface 22. Since the flat plate 40 is bonded and fixed to the bonding surface 22, the bonding surface 22 becomes a fixing surface for fixing the flat plate 40. The bonding surface 22 is inclined about 8 degrees with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber. For this reason, when the flat plate 40 is bonded to the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20, the flat plate 40 is attached obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber.

  In the first embodiment, the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 is inclined at an acute angle (here, 82 degrees) with respect to the lower surface of the V-groove substrate 20. In other words, the bonding surface 22 is inclined so as to face downward. That is, the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 is inclined so as to be positioned on the front side toward the upper side. Further, the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 is a cutting surface, and the surface irregularities are rougher than the polishing surface and the end surface of the lensed fiber 10.

  The pressing plate 30 is a member for pressing the lensed fiber 10 supported by the V-groove substrate 20. When the cross section of the lensed fiber 10 is viewed from the front, the lensed fiber 10 is fixed by a total of three points including two points of the V groove 21 and one point of the holding plate 30.

  An end face on the front side of the pressing plate 30 also becomes an adhesive surface 31. In FIG. 3, a sand pattern is applied to the bonding surface 31. The adhesive surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 is also inclined with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber. For this reason, when the flat plate 40 is bonded to the bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30, the flat plate 40 is attached obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber.

  In the first embodiment, the adhesion surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 is inclined at an acute angle (82 degrees in this case) with respect to the lower surface of the V-groove substrate 20. In other words, the bonding surface 31 is inclined so as to face downward. That is, the adhesive surface 31 is inclined so as to be positioned on the front side as it goes upward. In addition, the adhesive surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 is also a cutting surface, and the surface unevenness is rougher than the polishing surface, the end surface of the lensed fiber 10, and the inner surface 41 of the flat plate 40.

  The lower surface of the pressing plate 30 serves as a pressing surface 32 for pressing the lensed fiber 10 supported by the V-groove substrate 20 from above. The pressing surface 32 comes into contact with the lensed fiber 10.

  A slope 33 is formed between the adhesive surface 31 and the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30. The slope 33 is a region that does not contact the flat plate 40 and the lensed fiber 10. The slope 33 is a rectangular plane extending along the left-right direction.

  The inclined surface 33 is formed by chamfering the cutting surface between the adhesive surface 31 and the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30. Here, the chamfering angle is 45 degrees with respect to the pressing surface 32 (so-called C chamfering is performed). However, the slope 33 is not limited to one formed by cutting.

  Since the inclined surface 33 is a region that does not contact the flat plate 40 and the lensed fiber 10, a space S surrounded by the flat plate 40 and the V-groove substrate 20 (or the lensed fiber 10) is formed by the inclined surface 33 of the holding plate 30. ing. As will be described later, even if a bubble is formed in the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40, the bubble can move into the space S.

  The lower edge 33 </ b> A of the inclined surface 33 is located behind the end surface of the lensed fiber 10. Thereby, a space S wider than the gap 51 is formed above the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40. As a result, the bubbles formed in the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 are easily moved to the space S (described later). Further, the bubbles that have moved to the space S are also prevented from returning to the gap 51 (described later).

  The slope 33 is formed up to the left and right side surfaces of the pressing plate 30. For this reason, the space S communicates with the outside at the left and right ends of the slope 33 before filling with the adhesive. Thereby, at the time of filling of the adhesive, the internal gas and bubbles can escape to the outside from the left and right ends of the inclined surface 33 (described later).

  The flat plate 40 is a light transmissive optical member having an inner plane 41 and an outer plane 42 which are light incident / exit surfaces. The flat plate 40 is made of glass and can transmit light propagating through the lensed fiber 10. The inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 faces the end face of the lensed fiber 10 (the end face of the GRIN lens 12), and the outer plane 42 faces the outer side of the optical fiber array 1. Thereby, the light propagated through the lensed fiber 10 is emitted to the outside through the flat plate 40, and conversely, the light incident from the outside enters the lensed fiber 10 through the flat plate 40.

  The shape of the flat plate 40 is a plate shape (cuboid shape) that is long in the left-right direction. For this reason, the cross section of the flat plate 40 seen from the left-right direction is a rectangle, and the inner plane 41 and the outer plane 42 of the flat plate 40 are parallel. However, the shape of the flat plate 40 is not limited to this shape, and may be various shapes such as a round shape, a trapezoidal shape, and a rhombus shape as viewed from the front-rear direction.

  The flat plate 40 is disposed obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber. Since the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 and the bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 are formed obliquely, the flat plate 40 is bonded and fixed to these bonding surfaces, so that the flat plate 40 is inclined with respect to the optical axis. Has been placed. Since the inner plane 41 and the outer plane 42 of the flat plate 40 are inclined with respect to the optical axis, the influence of the reflected return light on the end surface of the flat plate 40 can be reduced.

  In the first embodiment, the flat plate 40 is inclined at an acute angle (here, 82 degrees) with respect to the lower surface of the V-groove substrate 20. In other words, the outer flat surface 42 of the flat plate 40 is inclined so as to face downward. That is, the flat plate 40 is inclined so as to be positioned on the front side as it goes upward.

  The flat plate 40 is configured to have a uniform refractive index. However, an antireflection film in which two kinds of thin films having different refractive indexes are laminated may be coated by performing an AR coating process on the outer flat surface 42 of the flat plate 40. Although the volume that can be processed at one time by the film forming apparatus that performs the AR coating process is limited, since the object of the film forming process is a single flat plate 40, a large number of flat plates 40 can be set in the film forming apparatus. Thus, the anti-reflection film can be coated on the outer flat surface 42 of the flat plate 40 at low cost. By coating the outer flat surface 42 of the flat plate 40 with the antireflection film, the influence of the reflected return light on the end surface of the flat plate 40 can be further reduced. The inner flat surface 41 of the flat plate 40 may be subjected to an adhesive coating process.

  The material of the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30, and the flat plate 40 is borosilicate glass. By configuring the V-groove substrate 20, the holding plate 30, and the flat plate 40 with substantially the same material as the lensed fiber 10, the influence of expansion and contraction due to temperature change can be reduced. In addition, by using a material that can transmit ultraviolet rays, it becomes easier to irradiate the adhesive of the UV curable resin with ultraviolet rays, as will be described later.

  The lensed fiber 10, the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 are bonded and fixed by an adhesive (however, in FIGS. 1 to 4, the adhesive is not shown for simplification of the drawings). ). An adhesive is also filled between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40.

  The refractive index of the adhesive is adjusted to the same degree as the refractive index of the lensed fiber 10 or the flat plate 40 (the refractive index of glass). In other words, the refractive index of the adhesive is adjusted to be closer to the refractive index of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 than the refractive index of air. For this reason, Fresnel reflection can be suppressed by filling an adhesive between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 as compared with the case where no adhesive is filled. That is, the adhesive also serves as a refractive index matching agent.

  The adhesive is a UV curable resin that cures when irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Specifically, an epoxy UV curable resin is employed. The adhesive has a viscosity of 290 mPa · s and a specific gravity of 1.31.

  In order to suppress the loss of light, an adhesive having a good light transmission property is used. However, the adhesive does not have to be completely transparent, and it is allowed to be light yellow in order to absorb ultraviolet rays as a UV curable adhesive.

  As will be described later, by applying an adhesive to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40, the adhesive penetrates into the inside from this boundary. Specifically, the adhesive permeates the gap between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40, the gap between the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40, and the gap between the V-groove substrate 20 and the flat plate 40. Further, the adhesive is a space surrounded by the gap around the lensed fiber 10 on the V-groove 21 or the space S (the inclined surface 33 of the holding plate 30, the flat plate 40 and the V-groove substrate 20 (or the lensed fiber 10)). ) Also penetrates.

  In this optical fiber array 1, the influence of the reflected return light is reduced by arranging the flat plate 40 obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber instead of obliquely polishing the end face of the lensed fiber 10. . In other words, in this optical fiber array 1, the flat plate 40 is disposed obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber, so that oblique polishing of the end face of the optical fiber is unnecessary.

<Manufacturing method>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the optical fiber array 1 of the first embodiment.

  First, the operator prepares the lensed fiber 10, the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30, and a flat plate (S101). A coreless optical fiber is not required beyond the lensed fiber 10. Further, the end face of the lensed fiber 10 is not obliquely polished and is perpendicular to the optical axis. The shapes of the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30, and the flat plate 40 are as described above.

Next, the operator presses and contacts the flat plate 40 against the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 (S102). At this time, the adhesive is not yet applied to the adhesive surface 22. Note that by setting the V-groove substrate 20 and the flat plate 40 on a jig (not shown), the bonding surface 22 between the flat plate 40 and the V-groove substrate 20 is strongly pressed. Unevenness due to the cutting process remains on the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20, and the surface of the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 is rougher than the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40. Even when the surface 22 is strongly pressed against and contacts the flat plate 40, a gap is generated between the bonding surface 22 and the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40. (As will be described later, the adhesive penetrates into this gap.)
Next, the operator places the presser plate 30 on the V-groove substrate 20, and further slides the presser plate 30 forward so that the adhesive surface 31 of the presser plate 30 slightly contacts the flat plate 40 to make contact (S103). ). At this time, the adhesive is not yet applied to the adhesive surface 31. The pressing force between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 is weaker than the pressing force between the V-groove substrate 20 and the flat plate 40. Since the unevenness of the cutting process remains on the adhesive surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 and the surface of the adhesive surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 is rougher than the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 41, the adhesive surface 31 of the pressing plate is flat. Even if it is in contact with 40, there is a gap between the adhesive surface 31 and the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40. (As will be described later, the adhesive penetrates into this gap.)
Next, the operator inserts the lensed fiber 10 between the V-groove 21 of the V-groove substrate 20 and the holding plate 30 and abuts the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 against the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 to make contact. (S104). Since the space between the V-groove 21 and the holding plate 30 before the insertion of the lensed fiber 10 is slightly narrower than the diameter of the lensed fiber 10, the holding plate 30 moves slightly upward when the lensed fiber 10 is inserted. However, the operator inserts the lensed fiber 10 while lightly pressing the pressing plate 30 so that the pressing plate 30 does not move greatly.

  In S104, since the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 is abutted against the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40, the gap 51 between the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 and the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 is very small as shown in FIG. 2B. It becomes space. By reducing the gap 51, the gap 51 is easily filled with the adhesive that has penetrated between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. However, gas is present in the gap 51 before filling with the adhesive.

  The end surface of the lensed fiber 10 is perpendicular to the optical axis, whereas the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 is inclined with respect to the optical axis. A gap 51 is always ensured between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 even if it is in contact with the inner plane 41.

  In S104, the lensed fiber 10 is sandwiched between the V-groove substrate 20 and the holding plate 30, so that when the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 hits the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40, the lensed fiber 10 is There is no possibility of coming off from the original V groove 21 without bending. If the lensed fiber 10 is abutted against the flat plate 40 without the holding plate 30, the lensed fiber 10 curves upward and floats up from the V groove 21, and the lensed fiber 10 comes off the original V groove 21. There is a fear.

  At the stage of finishing S104, the lensed fiber 10 is supported on the V-groove 21, and the adhesive surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 and the adhesive surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 are in contact with the flat plate 40. ing.

  When the insertion of all the lensed fibers 10 is completed (S104), the operator pushes the pressing plate 30 from above to fix the lensed fibers 10 (S105). This operation may be performed manually by an operator or using a jig.

  Next, the worker applies an adhesive to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 (S106).

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state where an adhesive is applied. FIGS. 7A to 7J are views of the adhesive permeating from the front through the flat plate 40. FIG. In FIGS. 7A to 7J, a sand pattern is applied to the region where the adhesive is permeating.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the operator discharges the adhesive from the discharge port and applies the adhesive to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. Here, the place where the adhesive is applied is near the left end of the boundary. The place where the adhesive is applied is on the left side (outer side) of the leftmost lensed fiber 10 with respect to the position in the left-right direction. In other words, the place where the adhesive is applied is on the left side (outside) of the leftmost V groove 21 with respect to the position in the left-right direction. Thereby, in order from the left lensed fiber 10, the gap 51 (see FIG. 2B) between the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 is filled with the adhesive, and the internal gas and bubbles escape to the right side. It will be followed (described later).

  The adhesive applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 penetrates into the interior as shown in FIGS. As the adhesive penetrates into the inside, the adhesive applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 decreases. For this reason, the operator replenishes the adhesive to be applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 by continuously discharging the adhesive from the discharge port. Thereby, an adhesive agent can fully be penetrated inside.

  The adhesive applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 first penetrates into a relatively narrow gap (see FIGS. 7A to 7D), and then penetrates into a relatively large gap (see FIGS. 7E to 7J). ). Here, as a relatively narrow gap, there are a gap between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 and a gap between the V-groove substrate 20 and the flat plate 40. The relatively large gap includes a gap between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 and a gap around the lensed fiber 10 on the V groove 21. The space S (see FIG. 2B) formed by the inclined surface 33 of the holding plate 30 is a gap between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40, which is a relatively large gap, or the lensed fiber 10 on the V groove 21. It is a large gap compared to the gap around.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the adhesive applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 first penetrates into the gap between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 (penetrates the bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30). , Spreading from the left to the right. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the adhesive penetrates the entire bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30. Thereafter, the adhesive penetrates down through the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 and penetrates into the gap between the V-groove substrate 20 and the flat plate 40 as shown in FIG. 7C (the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20). It spreads from the left side to the right side. Then, as shown in FIG. 7D, the adhesive penetrates the entire bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20. Thus, the adhesive first penetrates into a relatively narrow gap. At this stage, the adhesive has hardly penetrated into the relatively large gap (however, the adhesive has penetrated into a part of the relatively large gap as an adhesive penetration path to the adhesive surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20). May have penetrated).

  Next, the adhesive penetrates into a relatively large gap. Since the place where the adhesive is applied is on the left side (see FIG. 6), the adhesive penetrates from the left side as shown in FIG. 7E. When the interface of the adhesive that has penetrated from the left side reaches the V-groove 21, first, as shown in FIG. 7F, the adhesive penetrates into the gap around the lensed fiber 10 on the V-groove 21, and then shown in FIG. 7G. As described above, the adhesive penetrates into the space S formed by the inclined surface 33 of the pressing plate 30. The reason why the adhesive permeates in the order shown in FIGS. 7F and 7G is that the space S formed by the inclined surface 33 of the holding plate 30 is larger than the gap around the lensed fiber 10 on the V groove 21. is there.

  It should be noted that when the adhesive penetrates into the gap around the leftmost lensed fiber 10 in FIGS. 7F and 7G, the adhesive also penetrates rearward along the lensed fiber 10. Thereby, the adhesive is filled in the gap between the V-groove substrate 20 and the pressing plate 30 and the gap between the V-groove 21 and the lensed fiber 10, and the upper surface of the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30, The adhesive is applied to the side surface of the lensed fiber 10.

  In FIG. 7F and FIG. 7G, the adhesive permeates the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 (the gap 51 between the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40: see FIG. 2B) without forming bubbles. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7H, the adhesive penetrates into the gap around the lensed fiber 10 without sufficiently permeating the end face of the lensed fiber 10, and as a result, bubbles are formed on the end face of the lensed fiber 10. It may be formed (bubbles may be formed in the gap 51 in FIG. 2B). If the adhesive is cured in this state, the loss of light is significant because bubbles exist in the optical path.

  However, in this embodiment, the space S is formed immediately above the gap 51 by forming the inclined surface 33 on the pressing plate 30 (see FIG. 2B). For this reason, the bubbles (see FIG. 7H) on the end face of the lensed fiber 10 move toward the space S (upward) as shown in FIG. 7I. Thereby, by forming the space S by the inclined surface 33 of the pressing plate 30, bubbles existing in the optical path can be removed, and the adhesive can penetrate into the end face of the lensed fiber 10.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, the lower edge 33A of the inclined surface 33 is located on the rear side of the end face of the lensed fiber 10, so that the space S is a gap between the end faces of the lensed fiber 10. Compared to 51 (see FIG. 2B), this is a large gap. For this reason, bubbles on the end face of the lensed fiber 10 are easily moved to the space S. Further, the bubbles that have moved to the space S are also prevented from returning to the end face of the lensed fiber 10.

  Further, since the place where the adhesive is applied is shifted to the left side (see FIG. 6), the adhesive is filled in order from the left lensed fiber 10. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 7E to 7J, the space S already filled with the adhesive becomes a flow path (supply path) of the adhesive, and the adhesive flows in the space S toward the right side. That is, when there is a bubble on the end surface of the lensed fiber 10, the adhesive flows immediately above the bubble (in contrast, the adhesive in the V groove 21 does not flow). As a result, as shown in FIG. 7I, bubbles on the end face of the lensed fiber 10 are easily attracted upward.

  Since the adhesive flows toward the right side in the space S, the bubbles in the space S move to the right side as shown in FIG. 7J. The bubble that has moved to the right side reaches the interface of the adhesive that is moving to the right side and disappears, or is released to the outside from the right end of the space S. Thereby, bubbles are removed from the inside.

  The operator can observe the penetration of the adhesive through the flat plate 40 from the front. Then, the operator continuously discharges the adhesive from the discharge port until the adhesive penetrates the end surfaces of all the lensed fibers 10, and applies the adhesive applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. refill. When there is a bubble on the end surface of the lensed fiber 10, the operator can move until the bubble moves from the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 (until the bubble is removed from the optical path of the optical fiber) or until the bubble is discharged to the outside. The adhesive applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 is continuously replenished.

  When the operator confirms that the adhesive has penetrated into the end faces of all the lensed fibers 10 (the gap 51 between the end faces of the lensed fibers 10 and the flat plate 40 has been filled with the adhesive), the adhesive in S106. Is finished, and the adhesive is cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays (S107).

  The operator irradiates ultraviolet rays from above the pressing plate 30. Since the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 are made of glass and transmit ultraviolet rays, the adhesive (UV curable resin) is irradiated with ultraviolet rays that have passed through the pressing plate 30 and the adhesive is cured. . Note that ultraviolet rays may be irradiated from the left and right side surfaces of the V-groove substrate 20 and the holding plate 30.

  An adhesive is applied between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). The flat plate 40 is bonded and fixed to the bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 by irradiating the adhesive with ultraviolet rays. An adhesive is also applied between the V-groove substrate 20 and the flat plate 40 (see FIGS. 7C and 7D). By irradiating the adhesive with ultraviolet rays, the flat plate 40 is bonded and fixed to the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20. Since the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 and the bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 are inclined with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber, the flat plate 40 is bonded and fixed obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber. Thereby, the inner plane 41 and the outer plane 42 of the flat plate 40 are inclined with respect to the optical axis of the optical fiber, and the influence of the reflected return light can be reduced. Further, since the bonding surface 22 of the V-groove substrate 20 and the bonding surface 31 of the pressing plate 30 are formed obliquely in advance, the flat plate 40 is bonded and fixed to the V-groove substrate 20 at a desired angle (about 8 degrees here). It has become easier.

  Further, the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 is filled with an adhesive (see FIGS. 7F to 7J). By irradiating the adhesive with ultraviolet rays, the adhesive as a refractive index matching agent is fixed between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40, and Fresnel reflection can be suppressed.

  Further, when the adhesive is filled in the gap around the lensed fiber 10 (see FIGS. 7F to 7J), the adhesive penetrates rearward along the lensed fiber. By irradiating with ultraviolet rays, the lensed fiber 10, the V-groove substrate 20, and the pressing plate 30 are integrally bonded and fixed.

  When the adhesive is solidified, the optical fiber array 1 shown in FIG. 1 is completed.

  According to the first embodiment described above, when S104 is finished, the adhesive surface 22 (end surface) of the V-groove substrate 20 with the lensed fiber 10 (optical fiber) supported by the V-groove 21 of the V-groove substrate 20 is used. ) And the adhesive surface 31 (end surface) of the pressing plate 30 are in contact with the flat plate 40. In this state (a state in which the adhesive surface 31 of the presser plate 30 is in contact with the flat plate 40), an adhesive is applied to the boundary between the presser plate 30 and the flat plate 40, the adhesive penetrates into the interior, and the lensed fiber 10 An adhesive is filled in the gap between the end face and the flat plate 40 (S106).

  The pressing plate 30 according to the first embodiment presses the bonding surface 31 (the end surface in contact with the flat plate 40) of the pressing plate 30 and the pressing surface 32 (the optical fiber supported by the V-groove substrate 20) of the pressing plate 30. The inclined surface 33 is formed as a region that does not contact the flat plate 40 and the optical fiber. Accordingly, even if bubbles are formed on the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 when the adhesive penetrates into the inside, the bubbles can move to the space S formed by the inclined surface 33. The gap between the end face of 10 and the flat plate 40 can be filled with an adhesive.

  If the inclined surface 33 is not formed on the holding plate 30, it is difficult to move the bubbles when the bubbles are formed on the end surface of the lensed fiber 10. Then, when the adhesive is cured in a state where there are bubbles on the end face of the lensed fiber 10, there is a bubble in the optical path, so that the loss of light is significant.

  In the first embodiment, the lower edge 33 </ b> A (the edge on the optical fiber side) of the inclined surface 33 is located behind the end face of the lensed fiber 10. As a result, a space S larger than the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 is formed, and the bubbles on the end face of the lensed fiber 10 easily move into the space S.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the inclined surface 33 (a region not in contact with the flat plate 40 and the optical fiber) is formed up to the left and right side surfaces of the pressing plate 30. As a result, when the adhesive is allowed to permeate inside, the internal gas or bubbles can escape from the left and right ends of the slope 33 to the outside.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the place where the adhesive is applied is on the left side (outside) of the leftmost V groove 21 in the left-right direction. As a result, the adhesive is filled in the gap 51 between the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 in order from the left lensed fiber 10, and the internal gas and bubbles escape to the right side.

  Further, in the first embodiment, when bubbles are present on the end face of the lensed fiber 10 (see FIG. 7H), an adhesive is provided at the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 until the bubbles are removed from the optical path of the lensed fiber 10. Is continuously applied (see S106). In the first embodiment, since air bubbles easily move from the end face of the lensed fiber 10, the amount of adhesive applied before removing the air bubbles from the optical path is small.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the adhesive is continuously applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40, so that bubbles on the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 are formed in the space S formed by the inclined surface 33 of the pressing plate 30. (See FIG. 7I). This is because, as the adhesive is continuously applied, the adhesive flows into the space S formed by the inclined surface 33, and bubbles on the end face of the lensed fiber 10 are easily attracted to the space S. Since the bubbles move to the space S, the bubbles can be removed from the optical path between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment, the bubble is moved along the slope 33 by continuing apply | coating an adhesive agent to the boundary of the pressing board 30 and the flat plate 40 (refer FIG. 7J). Thereby, bubbles can be removed from the inside.

  According to the first embodiment, the adhesive is a UV curable resin having a property of curing when irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The presser plate 30 is made of glass having a property of transmitting ultraviolet rays. For this reason, the adhesive which penetrated the inside can be cured only by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the outside (here, the upper side) of the pressing plate 30. Further, by curing the adhesive, the lensed fiber 10 (optical fiber), the V-groove substrate 20, the pressing plate 30, and the flat plate 40 can be easily and integrally bonded.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, it can be confirmed through the flat plate 40 that the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 is filled with the adhesive. For this reason, when there is a bubble on the end surface of the lensed fiber 10, it is bonded to the boundary between the holding plate 30 and the flat plate 40 until the bubble moves from the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 (until the bubble is removed from the optical path of the optical fiber). The agent can continue to be applied. Then, after confirming that the adhesive has permeated the end faces of all the lensed fibers 10, the adhesive can be cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays. Thereby, it is not necessary to cure the adhesive while air bubbles remain on the end face of the lensed fiber 10.

=== Second Embodiment ===
In the first embodiment described above, the adhesive is applied to one point on the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. However, the method of applying the adhesive is not limited to this.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an adhesive application method according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the operator applies the adhesive on the boundary line between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 by moving the adhesive outlet from the left side to the right side.

  In the case of the second embodiment, the adhesive is less likely to flow toward the right side of the space S compared to the first embodiment. In other words, in the case of the second embodiment, the adhesive is less likely to flow along the slope 33 of the pressing plate 30 as compared to the first embodiment. For this reason, in 2nd Embodiment, compared with 1st Embodiment, when a bubble exists in the end surface of the lensed fiber 10, a bubble is hard to move.

  However, also in the second embodiment, if the inclined surface 33 is formed between the adhesive surface 31 and the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30, the space S is formed by the inclined surface 33. For this reason, also in 2nd Embodiment, when a bubble is formed in the end surface of the lensed fiber 10, the bubble can move to the space S. For this reason, compared with the case where the inclined surface 33 is not formed in the pressing plate 30, in the second embodiment, the gap 51 between the end surface of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 is easily filled with the adhesive.

=== Third Embodiment ===
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the slope 33 is formed between the adhesive surface 31 and the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30 as a region that does not contact the flat plate 40 and the lensed fiber 10. However, the region that does not contact the flat plate 40 and the lensed fiber 10 is not limited to a flat surface such as the inclined surface 33.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional model view of the vicinity of the end face of the optical fiber according to the third embodiment. In the pressing plate 30 of the third embodiment, a curved surface 34 is formed between the adhesive surface 31 and the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30.

  The curved surface 34 is a region that does not contact the flat plate 40 and the lensed fiber 10. The curved surface 34 is formed by chamfering by cutting between the adhesive surface 31 and the pressing surface 32 of the pressing plate 30 (so-called R chamfering is performed). However, the curved surface 34 is not limited to one formed by cutting.

  A space S surrounded by the flat plate 40 and the V-groove substrate 20 (or the lensed fiber 10) is formed by the curved surface 34 of the pressing plate 30. Thereby, even if a bubble is formed in the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40, the bubble can move to the space S.

  Further, the lower edge 34 </ b> A of the curved surface 34 is located on the rear side of the end surface of the lensed fiber 10. Thereby, a space S wider than the gap 51 is formed above the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40. As a result, the bubbles formed in the gap 51 between the end face of the lensed fiber 10 and the flat plate 40 are easily moved into the space S. Further, the bubbles that have moved into the space S are also prevented from returning to the gap 51.

=== Fourth Embodiment ===
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the adhesive is applied to the boundary between the upper surface of the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. However, the method of applying the adhesive is not limited to this.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an adhesive application method according to the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the upper surface of the pressing plate 30 and the bonding surface 31 are chamfered obliquely, and a receiving surface 35 is formed. The receiving surface 35 together with the inner plane 41 of the flat plate 40 constitutes a V-shaped receiving portion for receiving the adhesive.

  When the operator applies the adhesive to the receiving portion, the adhesive is applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 at the bottom of the receiving portion. Thereby, the adhesive permeates into the inside from the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. According to the fourth embodiment, the operation of applying the adhesive to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 becomes easy.

  In addition, in FIG. 10, although the receiving surface 35 is formed over the full width of the pressing board 30, the receiving part of an adhesive agent is not restricted to such a structure. For example, you may comprise a receiving part by forming a notch in a part of front edge of the upper surface of the pressing board 30. FIG.

=== Usage example ===
FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are explanatory diagrams of usage examples of the optical fiber array 1.

  FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram of the 1 × 8 optical switch 3. The optical switch 3 has a fixed part 3A and a movable part 3B. The fixed portion 3A has the same configuration as the optical fiber array 1 described above, and eight optical fibers are fixed. The movable portion 3B has substantially the same configuration as the optical fiber array 1 described above, and can move in the direction of the arrow in the drawing while holding one optical fiber and facing the fixed portion 3A.

  FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram of the light emitting laser module 5. The light emitting laser module 5 includes a light emitting laser array 5A and a light receiving side optical fiber array 5B. The light emitting laser array 5A is composed of a plurality of surface emitting lasers and a plurality of lenses provided corresponding to the respective surface emitting lasers. The light receiving side optical fiber array 5B has the same configuration as the optical fiber array 1 described above, and is provided to face the light emitting laser array 5A.

By using the optical fiber array 1 described above, it is easy to assemble optical components such as the optical switch 3 and the light emitting laser module 5, and the optical components can be manufactured at low cost.
=== Other Embodiments ===
The above-described embodiments are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved as follows, for example, without departing from the gist thereof, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

<About optical fiber arrangement>
In the above-described embodiment, a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in one row (one-dimensional) in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the optical fibers may be arranged two-dimensionally, such as arranging two rows of optical fibers in two rows. When optical fibers are arranged two-dimensionally, for example, a plurality of optical fibers may be arranged in a circle.

<About the number of optical fibers>
In the above-described embodiment, a plurality of optical fibers are arranged in the V-groove. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, one optical fiber may be arranged in the V groove.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an optical isolator 7 using the optical fiber array having such a configuration. The optical isolator 7 includes an incident portion 7A that holds the incident side optical fiber, an emission portion 7B that holds the emission side optical fiber, and an optical isolator element 7C. The incident portion 7A and the emitting portion 7B are configured such that a flat plate is bonded and fixed to one optical fiber. The optical isolator element 7C is an optical element that transmits light from the incident side optical fiber toward the output side optical fiber, but does not transmit light from the output side optical fiber to the incident side optical fiber.

  In such an optical isolator 7 as well, as in the case of the optical switch 3, assembly is facilitated by using an optical fiber array having a configuration in which one optical fiber is arranged in a V-groove.

<About optical fiber>
In the above-described embodiment, the optical fiber (lensed fiber 10) in which the GRIN lens 12 is provided at the tip of the single mode optical fiber 11 is used. However, the configuration of the optical fiber is not limited to this.

  For example, the GRIN lens may not be provided at the end of the single mode optical fiber (that is, the optical fiber array may not be a collimator array). In the case of such an optical fiber, if there is dust or the like in the optical path or the optical axis is shifted, the connection loss increases. However, even with such a configuration, a flat plate can be disposed obliquely at the tip of the optical fiber.

  Also, instead of the single-mode optical fiber (SMF), the multi-mode optical fiber (MMF), dispersion-shifted optical fiber (DSF), dispersion-compensating optical fiber (DCF), polarization-maintaining optical fiber, etc. A flat plate may be bonded and fixed. Further, not only when these optical fibers or single mode optical fibers (SMF) are used alone, but also when two or more optical fibers are used in combination by fusion splicing, etc. A flat plate may be bonded and fixed to the tip of the fiber.

<About the adhesive>
In the above-described embodiment, a UV curable resin is used for the adhesive. However, a thermosetting adhesive may be used instead of the UV curable resin.

<About penetration of adhesive>
In the above-described embodiment, the adhesive penetrates into the inside if an adhesive is applied to the boundary between the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40. However, depending on the compatibility between the material of the pressing plate 30 and the flat plate 40 and the material of the adhesive. When it is difficult for the adhesive to penetrate into the inside, a surfactant may be applied in advance to a portion where the adhesive penetrates.

<Application of adhesive>
In the first embodiment described above, the place where the adhesive is applied is on the left side (outside) of the leftmost V groove 21 in the left-right direction. However, the place where the adhesive is applied is not limited to this. For example, the place where the adhesive is applied may be on the right side or the center.

  In the first embodiment described above, the adhesive is continuously applied until the internal bubbles are removed, but the present invention is not limited to this. Even if bubbles remain inside, it is sufficient that the bubbles are out of the optical path of the optical fiber.

1 optical fiber array,
3 Optical switch, 3A fixed part, 3B movable part,
5 Light emitting laser module, 5A Light emitting laser array, 5B Light receiving side optical fiber array,
7 optical isolator, 7A incident part, 7B emission part, 7C optical isolator element,
10 Lensed fiber (optical fiber),
11 single mode optical fiber, 12 GRIN lens,
20 V-groove substrate, 21 V-groove, 22 bonding surface (end surface),
30 pressure plate, 31 bonding surface (end surface), 32 pressure surface,
33 slope (area), 33A lower edge of the slope (edge on the optical fiber side),
34 curved surface (region), 34A lower edge of curved surface (edge on optical fiber side), 35 receiving surface,
40 flat plate, 41 inner plane, 42 outer plane,
51 gap (gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate), S space

The main invention for achieving the above object is to hold an optical fiber, a V-groove substrate having a V-groove for supporting the optical fiber, and the optical fiber supported by the V-groove against the V-groove substrate. And a step of preparing a flat plate capable of transmitting light propagating through the optical fiber, and the end surfaces of the V-groove substrate and the press plate in the state where the optical fiber is supported in the V-groove. A step of contacting the flat plate, and in a state where the end surface of the pressing plate is in contact with the flat plate, an adhesive is applied to a boundary between the pressing plate and the flat plate, and a gap between the end surface of the optical fiber and the flat plate the method of manufacturing an optical fiber array having a step of filling an adhesive to, wherein the pressing plate, pressing said end face in contact with the flat plate, the optical fiber that is supported by the V-groove substrate For Between the pressing surface, a method for manufacturing an optical fiber array area not in contact with the flat plate and the optical fiber is characterized in that it is formed to at least one side surface of the pressing plate.

Claims (9)

An optical fiber, a V-groove substrate having a V-groove for supporting the optical fiber, a pressing plate for pressing the optical fiber supported by the V-groove against the V-groove substrate, and propagating through the optical fiber Preparing a flat plate capable of transmitting light;
A step of bringing the end faces of the V-groove substrate and the pressing plate into contact with the flat plate in a state where the optical fiber is supported in the V-groove;
With the end surface of the pressing plate in contact with the flat plate, an adhesive is applied to the boundary between the pressing plate and the flat plate, and the gap between the end surface of the optical fiber and the flat plate is filled with the adhesive. Process,
An optical fiber array manufacturing method comprising:
In the pressing plate, a region not in contact with the flat plate and the optical fiber is formed between the end surface in contact with the flat plate and a pressing surface for pressing the optical fiber supported by the V-groove substrate. An optical fiber array manufacturing method comprising: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to claim 1,
When the optical axis of the optical fiber is the front-rear direction, the end face side of the optical fiber viewed from the optical fiber is the front, and the opposite side is the rear, the edge on the optical fiber side of the region is the optical fiber A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein the optical fiber array is positioned rearward of the end face. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to claim 1 or 2,
The V-groove substrate is formed by arranging a plurality of the V-grooves,
When the direction in which the plurality of V-grooves are arranged is the left-right direction,
The said area | region is formed to the said side surface of the said left-right direction of the said pressing board, The manufacturing method of the optical fiber array characterized by the above-mentioned. It is a manufacturing method of the optical fiber array according to claim 3,
The manufacturing method of the optical fiber array, wherein the place where the adhesive is applied is outside the V groove located at the end in the left-right direction. It is a manufacturing method of the optical fiber array in any one of Claims 1-4,
When there is a bubble on the end face of the optical fiber, the adhesive is continuously applied to the boundary until the bubble is removed from the optical path of the optical fiber. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to claim 5,
A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein the bubbles on the end face of the optical fiber are moved to a space formed by the region of the pressing plate by continuing to apply the adhesive to the boundary. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to claim 5 or 6,
A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein the bubbles are moved along the region by continuously applying the adhesive to the boundary. It is a manufacturing method of the optical fiber array in any one of Claims 1-7,
The adhesive has a property of curing when irradiated with ultraviolet rays,
The pressing plate has a property of transmitting ultraviolet rays,
After the step of filling the adhesive into the gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate, the adhesive is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the outside of the pressing plate. Method. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to claim 8,
An optical fiber characterized by curing the adhesive by irradiating the ultraviolet ray after confirming that the adhesive is filled in the gap between the end face of the optical fiber and the flat plate through the flat plate. Array manufacturing method.

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