JP2021149075A - Method and device for manufacturing optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing an optical module which realizes a reduction of a work time and an improvement in the strength of attachment.SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing an optical module of the present disclosure includes: an application step of applying a liquid photo-curing additive 15 to a support member 14; a setting step of setting an optical component 13 in the photo-curing additive 15 applied on the support member 14; an irradiation starting step of irradiating the photo-curing additive 15 with a light 34a to attach the support member 14 and the optical component 13 with each other by curing of the photo-curing additive 15; a temperature acquisition step of acquiring information on the temperature of the photo-curing additive 15 while the photo-curing additive is being irradiated with the light 34a; and an irradiation ending step of ending the irradiation with the light 34a on the basis of the information on the temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an optical module for adhering optical components with a photocurable adhesive and an apparatus for manufacturing an optical module.

In the manufacture of optical modules, photocurable adhesives are used to bond the housing to the optical components. It is difficult to visually determine the degree of curing of a photocurable adhesive, and there is a demand for a method for easily determining the state of the adhesive due to curing. However, since there is no easy method for determining the degree of curing, sufficient time until curing is taken into consideration at the manufacturing site, and there is a waste of extending the manufacturing tact time due to the extra time after curing. ..

In the conventional method of bonding optical parts, a photo-curable resin in which resin fine particles are mixed with a liquid photo-curable resin material is applied to the parts, and while irradiating the parts with ultraviolet rays, the photo-curable resin is obtained from image data acquired by a camera. The degree of curing of the photocurable resin is determined based on the brightness distribution of (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-149168

However, in the conventional method for adhering optical components described in Patent Document 1, it takes a long time due to the mixing step for mixing the resin fine particles into the liquid photocurable resin material. Further, since the photocurable resin in which the resin fine particles are mixed in the liquid photocurable resin material is applied to the optical component, the adhesive strength is lowered.

The present disclosure has been made in order to solve the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical module that shortens the working time due to the mixing process and realizes an improvement in adhesive strength.

The method for manufacturing an optical module in the present disclosure includes a coating step of applying a liquid photocurable adhesive to a support member, an installation step of installing an optical component on the photocurable adhesive applied to the support member, and photocuring. The irradiation start step of irradiating the photocurable adhesive with light to bond the support member and the optical component by curing the mold adhesive, and the temperature at which information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive during light irradiation is acquired. It includes an acquisition step and an irradiation end step of controlling light irradiation based on temperature information.

The method for manufacturing an optical module in the present disclosure can realize a reduction in working time and an improvement in adhesive strength.

It is a perspective view which shows the optical transmission module in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a top view which shows the optical transmission module in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows the combined wave part in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a top view for demonstrating the function of the wave | combined component in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the optical transmission module in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the optical transmission module in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a graph which shows the relationship between time and elastic modulus, calorific value, and the measured value of temperature about the photocurable adhesive in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the optical transmission module in Embodiment 2 of this disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, in order to avoid unnecessary redundancy of the explanation and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art, detailed explanation of already known matters may be omitted.

Embodiment 1.
The manufacturing method of the optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical transmission module 10 which is an optical module includes a plurality of oscillating devices 11 for oscillating a laser beam, a plurality of collimators 12, a combiner component 13 which is an optical component for merging the laser beam, and a support. A housing 14 which is a member is provided. The plurality of oscillators 11, the plurality of collimators 12, and the combiner component 13 are fixed on a base for mounting them, that is, a mounting surface 14a which is a bottom surface in a housing 14 provided on the main surface of the substrate. NS. The housing 14 is, for example, rectangular in a plan view, and the length of the long side of the rectangle is, for example, 10 mm, and the length of the short side is, for example, 6 mm. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer shape of the converging component 13 when viewed from the upper surface side of the housing 14 is a substantially parallelogram shape, but the outer shape of the converging component 13 shown in other figures is For convenience, it is shown in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

1 and 2 show X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other for convenience of explanation. A plurality of oscillators 11 are arranged apart from each other in the X direction, and a plurality of collimators 12 are arranged apart from each other. It is assumed that the Y-axis has an upward direction in the vertical direction as a positive direction, and the wavelength division multiplexing laser light 101 emitted from the optical transmission module 10 is emitted in the Z direction. The plurality of oscillators 11, the plurality of collimators 12, and the combiner component 13 are fixed to the mounting surface 14a of the housing 14 in the XZ plane. The plurality of oscillators 11, the plurality of collimators 12, and the combiner component 13 may be fixed to an indicator member including a plate material installed on the mounting surface 14a of the housing 14. Each of these directions is a description for simplifying the description of the first embodiment, and the present embodiment is not limited to each of these directions.

The plurality of oscillators 11 are arranged so that the optical axes of the emitted laser light are parallel to each other in the Z direction. The plurality of oscillators 11 are configured to emit laser light having different wavelengths from each other. The oscillating device 11 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor laser element (laser diode), a solid-state laser element, or a gas laser element. As the oscillator 11, for example, a surface emitting laser or an end surface emitting laser is used. A Pelche element may be arranged in the oscillator 11.

The number of oscillators 11 is n (n is an integer of 2 or more). That is, the first oscillator, the second oscillator, ..., The nth oscillator are installed as the plurality of oscillators 11. In the first embodiment, for convenience, the first oscillator 11a, the second oscillator 11b, the third oscillator 11c, and the fourth oscillator 11d are installed as four (n = 4) oscillators. Is shown. The first oscillator 11a, the second oscillator 11b, the third oscillator 11c, and the fourth oscillator 11d are configured to emit laser light having different wavelengths from each other. The laser light emitted from the first oscillating device 11a, the second oscillating device 11b, the third oscillating device 11c, and the fourth oscillating device 11d is the first laser light 100a, the second laser light 100b, and the third laser light 100c, respectively. , And the fourth laser beam 100d. Assuming that the centers of the wavelength bands of each laser beam are λa, λb, λc, and λd, for example, λa is 1295.5 nm, λb is 1300.0 nm, λc is 1304.5 nm, and λd is 1309.0 nm.

The plurality of collimators 12 have a function of parallelizing (collimating) a plurality of laser beams emitted from the plurality of oscillators 11. When the number of oscillators 11 is n, the number of collimators 12 is also n. The collimators corresponding to the first oscillator, the second oscillator, ..., The n-th oscillator are referred to as the first collimator, the second collimator, ..., The n-th collimator. The first, second, ..., Nth collimators are arranged at predetermined distances in the Z direction, which is the emission direction of the laser beam, from the first, second, ..., Nth oscillators. .. The first, second, ..., nth collimators are also parallel to the X direction, corresponding to the arrangement of the first, second, ..., nth oscillators in a straight line in the X direction. They are arranged side by side in a straight line.

The exemplary positioning accuracy required for the plurality of collimators 12 is ± 0.1 μm in the X direction, which is the arrangement direction of the oscillating device 11, ± 0.1 μm in the Y direction, which is the vertical direction, and the emission direction of the laser beam. It is ± 1.0 μm in the Z direction.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of collimators 12 are shown to be separate optical elements or lenses, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a collimator lens array is used instead of each collimator 12. You may. Further, although each collimator 12 is shown to be one lens, the present invention is not limited to this, and each collimator 12 may be composed of a plurality of lenses.

An opening 141 penetrating the wall is formed on the + Z side wall of the housing 14. The opening 141 may be provided with a receptacle (not shown) having a waveguide. The wavelength division multiplexing laser light 101 formed by being combined in the light transmission module 10 is emitted from the opening 141. The oscillator 11, the plurality of collimators 12, and the combiner component 13, which are optical components, are fixed to the mounting surface 14a on the bottom surface of the housing 14.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the housing 14 houses the above-mentioned optical components.

The combiner component 13 is adhered to the bottom surface of the housing 14 by a photocurable adhesive 15 which is a UV curable adhesive. The photocurable adhesive 15 is activated by irradiation with light containing UV light to initiate a photopolymerization reaction. The material of the photocurable adhesive 15 includes, for example, a cationically polymerized epoxy adhesive, a radically polymerized acrylic adhesive, and an additive silicone adhesive. In the present embodiment, the material of the photocurable adhesive 15 is a cationically polymerized epoxy adhesive. Use resin. The time required for the photocurable adhesive 15 to cure varies depending on the integrated amount of UV light to be irradiated. For example, when irradiated with UV light of 500 mJ / cm2, it cures in about 60 minutes, and when irradiated with UV light of 1000 mJ / cm2 or more, it cures in about several seconds.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a combiner component according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the function of the combiner component according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

The combiner component 13 is an optical component that combines and outputs a plurality of laser beams emitted from a plurality of incident collimators 12. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the combiner component 13 includes a filter block 131, a bandpass filter 132, and a mirror 133.

The filter block 131 is made of, for example, a glass material. The filter block 131 is formed, for example, in the shape of a parallelepiped which is a parallelogram in a plan view. The filter block 131 may be formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.

The first bandpass filter 132a, the second bandpass filter 132b, and the third bandpass filter 132c are optical filters that transmit only light in a specific wavelength band and reflect light in other wavelength bands. The transmission wavelength band of the first bandpass filter 132a is, for example, 1293.5 nm or more and 1297.5 nm or less. The transmission wavelength band of the second bandpass filter 132b is, for example, 1298.0 nm or more and 1302.0 nm or less. The transmission wavelength band of the third bandpass filter 132c is, for example, 1302.5 nm or more and 1306.5 nm or less.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the first bandpass filter 132a, the second bandpass filter 132b, and the third bandpass filter 132c are composed of, for example, a dielectric multilayer film. The first bandpass filter 132a is arranged adjacent to the first collimator 12a in the Z direction, the second bandpass filter 132b is arranged adjacent to the second collimator 12b in the Z direction, and the third bandpass filter 132c Is arranged adjacent to the third collimator 12c in the Z direction. Therefore, the first laser beam 100a emitted from the first oscillator 11a and passed through the first collimator 12a is incident on the first bandpass filter 132a. The second laser beam 100b emitted from the second oscillator 11b and passed through the second collimator 12b is incident on the second bandpass filter 132b. The third laser beam 100c emitted from the third oscillator 11c and passed through the third collimator 12c is incident on the third bandpass filter 132c.

The number of bandpass filters 132 is one less than the number of collimators 12 and transmitters 11. That is, in the first embodiment, when there are four oscillators 11, the combiner component 13 has three bandpass filters 132. The first bandpass filter 132a, the second bandpass filter 132b, and the third bandpass filter 132c are the first of the wavelength bands emitted from the first oscillating device 11a, the second oscillating device 11b, and the third oscillating device 11c. The laser light 100a, the second laser light 100b, and the third laser light 100c are transmitted respectively, and the laser light in the other wavelength band is reflected.

The filter block 131 is arranged in contact with or adjacent to the first bandpass filter 132a, the second bandpass filter 132b, and the third bandpass filter 132c. For example, the first bandpass filter 132a, the second bandpass filter 132b, and the third bandpass filter 132c are attached to the side surface of the filter block 131 in the −Z direction using an adhesive.

The filter block 131 is emitted from the first oscillating device 11a, passed through the first collimator 12a, passed through the first bandpass filter 132a, and is emitted from the second oscillating device 11b. The second laser beam 100b that has passed through the second bandpass filter 132b via the collimator 12b and the third laser beam that has passed through the third bandpass filter 132c that has been emitted from the third oscillator 11c and has passed through the third collimator 12c. The laser beam 100c and the fourth laser beam 100d emitted from the fourth oscillator 11d and passed through the fourth collimator 12d are incident on the laser beam 100c.

The mirror 133 reflects all the light having a wavelength of λb, the light having a wavelength of λc, and the light having a wavelength of λd. The mirror 133 includes, for example, a thin or multilayer film of a metal such as gold formed on the surface. The mirror 133 is arranged in contact with or adjacent to the side surface of the filter block 131 in the + Z direction. Therefore, the mirror 133 and the bandpass filter 132 are arranged on opposite surfaces of the filter block 131 in the Z direction. For example, the mirror 133 is formed by coating the side surface of the filter block 131 in the + Z direction with a metal.

Next, the operation of the optical transmission module 10 configured as described above will be described.

The fourth laser beam 100d emitted from the fourth oscillator 11d is parallelized by the fourth collimator 12d and incident on the filter block 131. After that, the fourth laser beam 100d is sequentially reflected by the mirror 133, the third bandpass filter 132c functioning as a reflection mirror, the second bandpass filter 132b, and the first bandpass filter 132a. Propagate the indicated route.

The third laser beam 100c emitted from the third oscillator 11c is parallelized by the third collimator 12c, passes through the third bandpass filter 132c, and enters the filter block 131. After that, the third laser beam 100c is sequentially reflected by the mirror 133, the second bandpass filter 132b functioning as a reflection mirror, and the first bandpass filter 132a, and propagates along the path indicated by the arrow in FIG.

The second laser beam 100b emitted from the second oscillator 11b is parallelized by the second collimator 12b, passes through the second bandpass filter 132b, and enters the filter block 131. After that, the second laser beam 100b is sequentially reflected by the mirror 133 and the first bandpass filter 132a functioning as a reflection mirror, and propagates along the path indicated by the arrow in FIG.

The first laser beam 100a emitted from the first oscillator 11a is parallelized by the first collimator 12a and passes through the first bandpass filter 132a and the filter block 131.

The first laser beam 100a, the second laser beam 100b, the third laser beam 100c, and the fourth laser beam 100d propagating the path as described above are all emitted from the emission point O of the filter block 131 in the + Z direction. Therefore, the laser light emitted from the exit point O of the filter block 131 becomes the wavelength division multiplexing laser light 101 in which the laser lights of the wavelengths λa, λb, λc, and λd are combined. The wavelength division multiplexing laser light 101 emitted from the emission point O of the filter block 131 is emitted to the outside of the optical transmission module 10 through the opening 141 of the housing 14.

In the field of optical communication, as described above, in order to increase the degree of integration, there is a demand for miniaturization of the housing of the optical module and the optical components arranged therein. Along with this, in the process of assembling the optical module, it is important to perform positioning for adjusting and fixing the position of the wave combination component, which is an optical component wave wave waved inside the housing, which is a minute region. In the manufacture of optical modules, photocurable adhesives are used to bond the housing to the optical components. It is difficult to visually determine the degree of curing of a photocurable adhesive, and there is a demand for a method for easily determining the state of the adhesive due to curing. However, since there is no easy method for determining the degree of curing, sufficient time until curing is taken into consideration at the manufacturing site, and there is a waste of extending the manufacturing tact time due to the extra time after curing. ..

Hereinafter, the apparatus for manufacturing the optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a manufacturing apparatus for the optical transmission module according to the first embodiment. The optical transmission module manufacturing apparatus 30 is an apparatus or system for manufacturing an optical module such as the optical transmission module 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

When manufacturing the optical transmission module 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is necessary to install the wave matching component 13 in the housing 14 with high accuracy in terms of position. Specifically, the exemplary position accuracy required for the combiner component 13 is ± 10 μm in the X direction, ± 10 μm in the Y direction, and ± 50 μm in the Z direction. Further, assuming that the rotation angle θX that rotates around the X-axis and the rotation angle θY that rotates around the Y-axis, the accuracy of the exemplary installation angle required for the confluent component 13 is centered on the X-axis. The rotation angle θX is ± 0.02 degrees, and the rotation angle θY about the Y axis is ± 0.02 degrees. The optical transmission module manufacturing apparatus 30 achieves such accuracy.

The optical transmission module manufacturing apparatus 30 includes a stage 31, a temperature acquisition unit 32, an imaging unit 33, an irradiation unit 34, an installation unit 36, an optical axis measurement unit 37, and a coating unit 40.

The stage 31 is a base for mounting a semi-finished product of the optical transmission module 10 including the housing 14, and the position of the housing 14 of the optical transmission module 10 is adjusted so that the housing 14 is placed in a predetermined position. Deploy. The semi-finished product is a product in the process of being manufactured, and in the example shown in FIG. 6, the oscillator 11 is mounted in the housing 14, but the combiner component 13 is not mounted.

The installation unit 36 has a gripping claw 39 for gripping an optical component such as a wave combining component 13 with a pair of claws. The installation unit 36 moves an optical component such as a wave-matching component 13 gripped by the grip claw 39 by a movable stage, and detects a force applied to the grip claw 39 in the Y direction. The installation unit 36 has a motor stage (not shown) that can move independently in the X, Y, and Z directions. Further, the installation portion 36 can rotate independently about the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively. As a result, the installation unit 36 can rotate the combiner component 13 at a rotation angle θX centered on the X axis and a rotation angle θY centered on the Y axis. The motor stage may be housed in the installation unit 36. As a result, the installation unit 36 can move the optical component such as the wave wave component 13 gripped by the grip claw 39 to each position.

The holding unit 35 has a first holding unit 351 that holds the irradiation unit 34, and a second holding unit 352 that holds the temperature acquisition unit 32 and the photographing unit 33.

The temperature acquisition unit 32 acquires temperature information 32a, which is information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 applied between the housing 14 and the confluent component 13. The temperature acquisition unit 32 is a device equipped with a sensor capable of detecting the temperature, such as a thermo camera. The temperature acquisition unit 32 receives the temperature information 32 by infrared rays emitted by the photocurable adhesive 15 which is the object for measuring the temperature by a sensor (not shown) built in the temperature acquisition unit 32 and converts it into an electric signal. It is a device that converts and measures the temperature distribution of the photocurable adhesive 15 based on the amount of infrared energy. In appearance, the temperature acquisition unit 32 includes at least a light receiving unit (not shown) that receives temperature information 32 due to infrared rays emitted by the photocurable adhesive 15. The acquired temperature information is transmitted to the controller 38, which is a control unit.

The photographing unit 33 photographs the combiner component 13 and the housing 14 and acquires image information. The photographing unit 33 is, for example, an imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Sensor) camera. The captured image information is transmitted to the controller 38. Alternatively, the photographing unit 33 may measure the positions of the wave combining component 13 and the housing 14 with a position sensor such as an infrared sensor and acquire the position information. In this case, the information about the acquired position is transmitted to the controller 38.

The irradiation unit 34 irradiates UV light 34a containing light in a wavelength range of 400 nm or less in a desired direction. The irradiation unit 34 is a photocurable type that irradiates UV light 34a from above the mounting surface 14a of an optical component such as the confluent component 13 and is applied between the surface of the housing 14 and the confluent component 13 or the collimator 12. The adhesive 15 is cured. After the alignment is completed, the optical component such as the wave wave component 13 is fixed in the housing 14 by the cured photocurable adhesive 15. The irradiation start, irradiation end, and adjustment of the amount of light of the UV light 34a in the irradiation unit 34 are performed by the control information acquired from the controller 38.

The holding portion 35 has a motor stage (not shown) capable of independently moving the first holding portion 351 and the second holding portion 352 in the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. Further, the holding portion 35 can rotate independently about the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively. As a result, the holding portion 35 can rotate the first holding portion 351 and the second holding portion 352 at a rotation angle θX centered on the X axis and a rotation angle θY centered on the Y axis. The motor stage may be housed in the holding portion 35. As a result, the holding unit 35 can move the temperature acquisition unit 32, the photographing unit 33, and the irradiation unit 34 to each position. The movement and rotation of the first holding unit 351 and the second holding unit 352 in the holding unit 35 are performed by the control information acquired from the controller 38.

The optical axis measuring unit 37 includes a laser light source that emits laser light. The optical axis measuring unit 37 includes an optical measuring unit that irradiates the combiner component 13 with laser light and measures the angle of the laser beam reflected by the combiner component 13. The light measuring unit includes, for example, a photodetecting element such as a photodiode. As a result, the optical axis measuring unit 37 can specify the angle of the wave combining component 13. The measurement of the optical axis in the optical axis measuring unit 37 is performed by the control information acquired from the controller 38.

The coating unit 40 applies the liquid photocurable adhesive 15 to the mounting surface 14a of the housing 14 at a position where the wave-matching component 13 is installed. The operation of applying the photocurable adhesive 15 in the coating unit 40 is performed by the control information acquired from the controller 38.

The controller 38, the holding unit 35, the installation unit 36, the optical axis measuring unit 37, and the coating unit 40 are connected by a signal line 41. As described above, the operations of the stage 31, the temperature acquisition unit 32, the imaging unit 33, the irradiation unit 34, the installation unit 36, the optical axis measurement unit 37, and the coating unit 40 are information processing of, for example, a general-purpose computer equipped with a CPU. It is controlled via the signal line 41 by the controller 38, which is a control unit having the function of the device.

Next, a method of manufacturing the optical transmission module according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing the optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

In step S101, the coating unit 40 applies the liquid photocurable adhesive 15 to the mounting surface 14a of the housing 14 at the position where the wave-matching component 13 is installed.

In step S102, the controller 38 combines based on the image information of the combine component 13 and the housing 14 obtained by the photographing unit 33 and the angle information of the combine component 13 obtained by the measurement by the optical axis measurement unit 37. The position and angle at which the wave component 13 is installed in the housing 14 are determined, and the wave component 13 is transmitted to the installation unit 36 as control information. Based on the received control information regarding the position of the combiner component 13, the installation unit 36 grips the combiner component 13 with the gripping claw 39 and moves in the X, Y, and Z directions so as to be in a predetermined position of the housing 14. Let me install it. Further, the installation unit 36 rotates the combiner component 13 around the X-axis and the rotation angle θX about the Y-axis so as to have a predetermined angle based on the received control information regarding the angle of the combiner component 13. Adjust the angle θY.

In step S103, UV light 34a is irradiated from the irradiation unit 34 toward the upper surface of the combiner component 13 in order to bond the housing 14 and the combiner component 13, which is an optical component, by curing the photocurable adhesive 15. Then, the photopolymerization reaction of the photocurable adhesive 15 which is a liquid UV curable adhesive applied between the mounting surface 14a of the housing 14 and the confluent component 13 is started.

In step S104, the temperature acquisition unit 32 acquires information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 applied between the mounting surface 14a of the housing 14 and the confluent component 13 and transmits the information to the controller 38. If it is not possible to directly obtain information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 due to the structure of the product of the optical component such as the combiner component 13 or the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 30 of the optical transmission module, the surroundings such as the combiner component 13 etc. Information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 may be estimated from the information on the temperature of the optical component.

When the photocurable adhesive 15 is irradiated with UV light 34a, the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 rises due to heat generation in the process of the photopolymerization reaction. That is, from the information on the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 32, it is possible to estimate the presence or absence of heat generation generated in the process of the photopolymerization reaction of the photocurable adhesive 15 and the amount of heat generation thereof. Since there is a correlation between the calorific value generated in the process of the photopolymerization reaction of the photocurable adhesive 15 and the degree of curing, the photocurable adhesive 15 is based on the information regarding the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 32. The degree of curing can be estimated.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between time and elastic modulus, calorific value, and measured values of temperature with respect to the photocurable adhesive according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis is the time after the photocurable adhesive 15 is irradiated with the UV light 34a, and for example, one scale indicates 5 seconds. The vertical axis is the measured value of elastic modulus, calorific value, and temperature. In the present embodiment, a cationically polymerized epoxy resin is used as the material of the photocurable adhesive 15, but the same tendency can be seen in other materials of the photocurable adhesive 15. Immediately after irradiating the photocurable adhesive 15 with UV light 34a, the photocurable adhesive 15 generates heat due to a photopolymerization reaction, and the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 also rises accordingly. The increase in the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 includes the effect of heat generation of the photocurable adhesive 15 and the effect of heat transfer due to irradiation of UV light 34a. After that, the photopolymerization reaction proceeds, and at the timing when the heat generation ends, the elastic modulus of the photocurable adhesive 15 that has increased becomes substantially constant. The temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 becomes substantially constant when the heat generated by the photocurable adhesive 15 and the heat transfer due to the irradiation of UV light 34a are in an equilibrium state. Therefore, assuming that the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15 corresponds to the elastic modulus, the photocurable adhesive 15 is based on the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 after the irradiation of the UV light 34a is started. The degree of curing can be determined.

In step S105, the controller 38 determines whether or not the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 has reached a specified value in order to determine the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15. When the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 reaches a specified value, the controller 38 transmits control information for terminating the irradiation of the UV light 34a to the irradiation unit 34. By terminating the irradiation of UV light 34a when the information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 reaches the specified value, the irradiation of UV light 34a is terminated at the timing when the photocurable adhesive 15 is cured. can do. If the temperature information does not reach the specified value, the irradiation of UV light 34a and the determination of whether or not the temperature information of the photocurable adhesive 15 has reached the specified value are continued.

When determining the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15, the temperature value at the time of acquisition by the temperature acquisition unit 32 may be a specified value, or the value from the time of acquisition by the temperature acquisition unit 32 to the past. The amount of change in the temperature information per unit time that goes back to the above may be set as a specified value. By setting the temperature per unit time to a specified value, it is possible to control the irradiation of the UV light 34a in consideration of the amount of change in the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15. Further, by setting the upper limit of the irradiation time of the UV light 34a as a specified value, when the irradiation time of the UV light 34a reaches the upper limit, the irradiation of the UV light 34a from the controller 38 to the irradiation unit 34 is terminated. Control information may be transmitted.

In step S106, when the irradiation unit 34 receives the control information from the controller 38 to end the irradiation of the UV light 34a, the irradiation unit 34 ends the irradiation of the UV light 34a.

As described above, the method for manufacturing the optical transmission module according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a coating step of applying a liquid photocurable adhesive 15 to the housing 14 and a photocurable type coated to the housing 14. The installation process of installing the optical component 13 on the adhesive 15 and the start of irradiation by irradiating the photocurable adhesive 15 with light 34a in order to bond the housing 14 and the optical component 13 by curing the photocurable adhesive 15. It includes a step, a temperature acquisition step of acquiring information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 during light irradiation, and an irradiation acquisition step of ending the irradiation of the light 34a based on the information on the temperature. As a result, by determining the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15 based on the information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15, the work time due to the step of mixing other materials into the photocurable adhesive 15 can be shortened. It is possible to improve the adhesive strength.

In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermo camera is used as the temperature acquisition unit 32, but the temperature distribution including the photocurable adhesive 15 or a region around the photocurable adhesive 15 is acquired, and the temperature distribution per unit area is acquired within the acquired region. The irradiation of the UV light 34a may be terminated when the amount of change in the temperature information reaches a specified value. Further, in the acquired region, the portion having the lowest temperature may be detected as an uncured portion, and the detected portion may be irradiated with UV light 34a. As a result, uncured parts due to variations in irradiation can be eliminated in the irradiation region of the UV light 34a, and product defects can be suppressed.

Embodiment 2.
The method of manufacturing the optical transmission module according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the first embodiment terminates the irradiation of the UV light 34a based on the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive, whereas the second embodiment is the photocurable type. The point is that a step of increasing the amount of UV light 34a and irradiating it based on the information on the temperature of the adhesive is added. In the following, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted. Regarding the reference numerals, the same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment will be the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing the optical transmission module according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Since steps S201 to S204 and steps S207 and S209 of FIG. 9 are the same processes as steps S101 to S104 and step S106 of FIG. 7, description thereof will be omitted.

In step S205, the controller 38 determines whether or not the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 has reached the first specified value in order to determine the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15. When the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 reaches the first specified value, the controller 38 transmits control information for irradiating the irradiation unit 34 with an increased amount of UV light 34a. If the information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 does not reach the first specified value, it is determined whether the information on the irradiation of UV light 34a and the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 has reached the first specified value. Continue the judgment. When determining the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15, the temperature value may be set to the first specified value, or the photocurable adhesive retroactively from the time when it was acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 32. The amount of change in the information regarding the temperature of the agent 15 per unit time may be set to the first specified value.

In step S206, the irradiation unit 34 increases the amount of UV light 34a and irradiates the photocurable adhesive 15 based on the control information received from the controller 38 to increase the amount of UV light 34a. By irradiating the irradiation unit 34 with a large amount of UV light 34a, it is possible to prevent an uncured region of the photocurable adhesive 15 that occurs when the amount of light is reduced and irradiation is continued. The integrated light amount, which is the light amount of the UV light 34a, is a light amount that does not completely cure the photocurable adhesive 15 and starts curing, for example, 50 mJ / cm2 to 500 mJ / cm2. When the UV light 34a is irradiated with a large amount of light, the integrated light amount is cured in about several seconds, and is, for example, 1000 mJ / cm2 or more.

In step S208, the controller 38 determines whether or not the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 has reached the second specified value in order to determine the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15. When the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive 15 reaches the second specified value, the controller 38 transmits a signal to the irradiation unit 34 to end the irradiation of the UV light 34a. If the temperature information of the photocurable adhesive 15 does not reach the second specified value, the irradiation with increased light intensity of the UV light 34a and the determination of whether the temperature information has reached the second specified value are continued. do. When determining the degree of curing of the photocurable adhesive 15, the temperature value may be set to the second specified value, or the photocurable adhesive that goes back to the past from the time when the temperature acquisition unit 32 acquired the adhesive. The amount of change in the information regarding the temperature of the agent 15 per unit time may be set to the second specified value.

When the temperature value of the photocurable adhesive 15 is set to a specified value, it is desirable that the first specified value is lower than the second specified value. The photocurable adhesive 15 irradiated with UV light 34a shrinks as it cures, so that the internal stress becomes high. The photocurable adhesive 15 having a high internal stress may have a decrease in adhesive strength or deformation. By setting the first specified value to a value lower than the second specified value, the curing rate of the photocurable adhesive 15 in the initial stage of the photopolymerization reaction is reduced, and the stress of the photocurable adhesive 15 is relaxed. Is likely to occur, so that it is possible to suppress an increase in the internal stress of the photocurable adhesive 15.

As described above, in the method for manufacturing the light transmission module according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the light amount of the UV light 34a is increased and the photocurable adhesive 15 is irradiated based on the information regarding the temperature of the photocurable adhesive. The process of doing is added. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the adhesive strength and deformation of the photocurable adhesive 15.

In the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure, each embodiment can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified or omitted within the scope of the disclosure.

10 Optical transmission module (optical module), 11 oscillator, 11a first oscillator, 11b second oscillator, 11c third oscillator, 11d fourth oscillator, 12 collimeter, 12a first collimeter, 12b second collimeter, 12c 3rd collimeter, 12d 4th collimeter, 13 converging component (optical component), 14 housing (support member), 14a mounting surface, 15 photocurable adhesive, 30 manufacturing equipment, 31 stage, 32 temperature acquisition unit, 32 Temperature information, 33 Imaging unit, 34 Irradiation unit, 34a UV light (light), 35 Holding unit, 36 Installation unit, 37 Optical axis measurement unit, 38 Controller (control unit), 39 Gripping claw, 40 Coating unit, 41 Signal Line, 100a 1st laser light, 100b 2nd laser light, 100c 3rd laser light, 100d 4th laser light, 101 wavelength multiplex laser light, 131 filter block, 132 band pass filter, 132a 1st band pass filter, 132b 1st Two-band pass filter, 132c Third band pass filter, 133 mirror, 141 opening, 351 first holding part, 352 second holding part, O exit point.

Claims (10)

The coating process of applying a liquid photocurable adhesive to the support member,
The installation process of installing the optical components on the photocurable adhesive applied to the support member, and
An irradiation start step of starting light irradiation on the photocurable adhesive in order to bond the support member and the optical component by curing the photocurable adhesive, and an irradiation start step.
A temperature acquisition step of acquiring information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive during irradiation with light, and
An irradiation end step of ending the irradiation of the light based on the information on the temperature, and
A method of manufacturing an optical module including. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 1, wherein the light includes UV light. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the irradiation end step, when the information regarding the temperature reaches a specified value, the irradiation of the light is terminated. The method for manufacturing an optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the irradiation end step, the irradiation of light is terminated when the amount of change in the information regarding the temperature per unit time reaches a specified value. .. Between the temperature acquisition step and the irradiation end step,
A light amount adjusting step of increasing the light amount of the light based on the information on the temperature and irradiating the light amount.
The method for manufacturing an optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical module is manufactured. A coating part that applies a liquid photocurable adhesive to the support member,
An installation part for installing optical components on the photocurable adhesive applied to the support member, and
An irradiation unit that irradiates the photocurable adhesive with light in order to bond the support member and the optical component by curing the photocurable adhesive.
A temperature acquisition unit that acquires information on the temperature of the photocurable adhesive during irradiation with light, and a temperature acquisition unit.
A control unit that controls the irradiation of light based on the information on the temperature,
Optical module manufacturing equipment equipped with. The apparatus for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 6, wherein the light includes UV light. The apparatus for manufacturing an optical module according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the irradiation of the light is terminated when the information regarding the temperature reaches a specified value. The optical module manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein when the amount of change in the information regarding the temperature per unit time reaches a specified value, the irradiation of the light is terminated. The apparatus for manufacturing an optical module according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the amount of light is increased and irradiated based on the information on the temperature.

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