JP2824177B2 - Manufacturing method of ferrule for optical fiber array - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a ferrule for an optical fiber array used for aligning and fixing an optical fiber when connecting the optical fiber to an optical element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional optical fiber array used for connection between an optical fiber and an optical element comprises a V-groove substrate 50 and an upper substrate 51 as shown in FIG. 50 has an optical fiber storage groove for storing bare fiber
52 and a counterbore for accommodating the optical fiber coating 53
And a counterbore 54 for accommodating the covering portion of the optical fiber is also formed on the lower surface of the upper substrate 51.

However, such a conventional structure requires ultrasonic machining of the counterbore portions 53 and 54 on ceramics or the like, which increases the processing time and cost.
Since the 53 and 54 are made large, there is a problem that the tip of the optical fiber may not be properly placed in the optical fiber storage groove 52, and that a positional shift may occur between the V-groove substrate 50 and the upper substrate 51. was there.

In order to solve such a problem, the present inventor has previously invented a ferrule for an optical fiber array having a structure as shown in FIG. 7 and has filed an application as Japanese Patent Application No. 4-42682. . In this method, an optical fiber housing groove 7 is formed in an upper plane 4 and a V-groove substrate 1 having a lower plane 6 provided on the upper plane 4 via a step 5 to fix a bare fiber placed on the upper plane 4. A fiber fixing substrate 2 and an upper substrate 3 mounted on the lower flat surface 6 for fixing the covering portion of the optical fiber.
The processing is easier than that of FIG. 4, and the positioning of the upper substrate 3 with respect to the V-groove substrate 1 can be easily performed using the step 5.

However, for practical use, it has been found that the ferrule for an optical fiber array has the following problems. The positioning of the upper substrate 3 with respect to the V-groove substrate 1
Although it can be easily performed in the vertical direction by using, the positioning in the horizontal direction takes time. Since the end face needs to be polished at right angles to the optical fiber housing groove 7, the polishing is performed by using the side surface of the V-groove substrate 1 as a reference plane. You need to be outside. However, if the upper substrate 3 is slightly displaced and its end surface comes out, the polishing reference surface cannot be accurately secured, resulting in a poor polishing angle. The adhesive bonding the upper substrate 3 to the V-groove substrate 1 easily oozes out on the reference surface, and easily removes chips when it is removed by post-processing.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior application, can greatly reduce the number of assembling steps, can reduce the polishing angle defect, and is accompanied by the bleeding of the adhesive. The present invention has been completed in order to provide a method of manufacturing a ferrule for an optical fiber array that can also prevent chipping defects.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to manufacturing a wafer having several groups of optical fiber receiving grooves and step grooves formed in a direction perpendicular to the grooves. And each of the lower surfaces of the horizontally long upper integrated substrate
Forming a cover storage groove at the position corresponding to the optical fiber storage groove
To, after which the upper integrated substrate was bonded in alignment with the stepped grooves, with parallel cutting at least the optical fiber storage groove the upper stacking substrate wafer is characterized in that chip.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a single ceramic wafer is placed on the upper surface of a glass plate 8 with wax 9.
10 is fixed, and several groups of optical fiber storage grooves 11 are formed on the upper surface of the wafer 10 in parallel. In this embodiment, four groups of optical fiber storage grooves 11 corresponding to five-core optical fibers are formed. This groove processing can be performed accurately and efficiently by a grinding wheel. Next, these optical fiber storage grooves
A step groove 13 is formed so as to have a step 12 in a direction perpendicular to 11. Although the number is two rows in the embodiment, it can be arbitrarily increased or decreased and may be one row. As a result, a wafer having several groups of optical fiber housing grooves 11 and step grooves 13 as shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured. The steps of manufacturing such a wafer do not necessarily have to be in the order of the embodiment, and several groups of optical fiber housing grooves 11 may be formed in parallel on the wafer 10 on which the step grooves 13 are formed.

Separately, a horizontally long upper integrated substrate 14 as shown in FIG. 2 is prepared. This upper integrated substrate 14
Is a shape in which a plurality of upper substrates 15 shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 3 are integrated. In the embodiment, the shape is such that a 2 × 4 upper substrate 15 is integrated. There may be. Each of the upper substrates 15 has a gate-shaped shape, and a covering portion accommodating groove for accommodating the covering portion of the optical fiber is formed on the lower surface at the center corresponding to the optical fiber accommodating groove 11. Further, a rectangular resin pouring groove 17 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper integrated substrate 14 is accurately bonded and fixed to the step groove 13 of the wafer 10 using an adhesive such as an epoxy resin. Then, as shown by the dashed line in FIG.
10 and cut at least parallel to the optical fiber storage groove 11,
When removed from the glass plate 8, a ferrule for an optical fiber array is formed into a chip as shown in FIG. In the embodiment, 16 ferrules for an optical fiber array are manufactured simultaneously from one wafer 10.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the resin pouring groove 17 of the upper integrated substrate 14 may be formed in a semicircular shape. If the resin casting groove 17 is formed in such an R shape, there is an advantage that the contraction stress at the time of curing of the adhesive is alleviated, and the occurrence of cracks can be prevented.

The thus obtained ferrule for an optical fiber array has a shape in which the upper substrate 15 from which the upper integrated substrate 14 is cut is fixed on the upper surface of the V-groove substrate 16 from which the wafer 10 is cut. When a multi-core (five in this embodiment) optical fiber is inserted from the sheath storage groove formed in the gap between the two, the optical fiber storage groove is positioned with the bare fiber portion at the tip of each optical fiber accurately positioned. After entering into 11 and adhering and fixing with a fiber fixing substrate, the end face is optically polished, so that an optical fiber array can be connected to other optical devices in the same manner as a conventional optical fiber array.

[0013]

According to the method of manufacturing a ferrule for an optical fiber array of the present invention, the following many advantages can be obtained as compared with the conventional method. Conventionally, the upper substrate 3 was separately processed and cut one by one, but in the present invention, by cutting the upper integrated substrate 14 at a time, a large number of optical fiber array ferrules can be manufactured. Processing man-hours and time can be greatly reduced. In particular, the work of fixing the individual upper substrates 3 that required a lot of work in processing is eliminated, and the assembling time can be greatly reduced. Since the optical fiber array ferrule is manufactured in a state where the upper integrated substrate 14 and the wafer 10 are cut at the same time,
The possibility that the upper substrate 3 is shifted from the V-groove substrate 1 as in the related art can be completely eliminated. Further, the bleeding of the adhesive as in the related art can be almost eliminated, and the chipping defect due to the removal of the bleeding adhesive can also be prevented. Since the entire cut surface serves as a reference surface for polishing, unlike the conventional case where only the side surface of the V-groove substrate 1 is used as the reference surface, a sufficient polishing reference surface can be secured, and polishing by the inclination of the polishing angle can be performed. Angle defects can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a groove is formed in a wafer.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where an upper integrated substrate is bonded to a wafer.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a ferrule for an optical fiber array manufactured by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where an upper integrated substrate of another shape is bonded to a wafer.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber array ferrule obtained by using the upper integrated substrate of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional optical fiber array.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber array of the prior application.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Wafer 11 Optical fiber storage groove 13 Step groove 14 Upper integrated substrate

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A wafer having a plurality of groups of optical fiber storage grooves and a step groove formed at right angles to the plurality of optical fiber storage grooves is manufactured, and each of the optical fibers on a lower surface of a horizontally long upper integrated substrate is manufactured.
To form a covering portion housing groove at a position corresponding to the bar receiving groove, the <br/> upper stacking substrate after having adhered aligned to the stepped groove, at least the optical fiber storage groove the upper stacking substrates with wafer A ferrule for an optical fiber array, wherein the ferrule is cut into parallel chips.