JP3472808B2 - Method for producing glass composite and apparatus for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention of the present application relates to a method for manufacturing a glass composite and a manufacturing apparatus therefor. More specifically, the invention of this application is to precisely and easily manufacture, by a melting process, a glass composite capable of easily joining a glass optical component that cannot be synthesized by a gas phase reaction and another optical component. And a manufacturing apparatus therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the fields of optical communication, optical information processing, etc., there has been a strong demand for miniaturization and integration of optical components as the optical information processing speeds up in recent years. Optical components are roughly classified into optical components having passive functions such as optical fibers, planar lightwave circuits, and lens arrays (hereinafter referred to as passive optical components), and active components such as light emitting elements, optical amplification elements, and optical modulation elements. Optical component with function (hereinafter referred to as active optical component)
Can be divided into As the former passive optical component, glass products are often used together with semiconductor products and the like, and the glass has a refractive index distribution structure for confining and condensing light, and the latter active optical component. An optical circuit is configured by joining or branching between them.

For miniaturization and integration of optical components,
It is important to efficiently connect active optical components to each other through this passive optical component. Optical fibers that combine active and passive functions, such as optical fiber type devices and hybrid planar lightwave circuits, are important. Development of parts is in progress.

On the other hand, in recent years, Bi ₂ O ₃ type glass, chalcogenide type glass, fluoride glass, tellurite glass, etc. (hereinafter referred to as non-silica glass) have an active function which has been difficult to obtain in conventional optical parts. There are many proposals to be made by using the above. For example, an ultra-high-speed optical switch using Bi ₂ O ₃ glass or chalcogenide glass having a non-linear effect, an optical fiber amplifier having gain flatness using a fluoride glass as a host, tellurite glass or Bi ₂ O ₃ glass. An example is an optical fiber amplifier having ultra-wide band gain using glass as a host, and second harmonic generation by tellurite glass subjected to poling treatment.

If a non-silica glass having such an active function can be processed into a minute bulk chip on the order of millimeters to submillimeters to manufacture a small optical component, or if an optical waveguide can be formed, it can be used as an optical component. It is expected to greatly contribute to miniaturization and integration.

In general, it is important for the joining of optical components to precisely match the optical axes of the components with each other. In the manufacturing process of optical components, extremely fine dimensional control and position control can be performed precisely and easily. Needed to be done. Since passive optical components made of multi-source semiconductors and passive optical components made of silica glass can be synthesized by a gas phase reaction that allows precise dimension control, it is possible to form a planar lightwave circuit, etc. It has already become possible to carry out the joining and the integration of the devices relatively easily.

However, it is extremely difficult to synthesize a non-silica glass by a gas phase reaction, and a non-silica glass is synthesized by a classical melting process in which a raw material powder is put in a crucible, melted and stirred, and then poured into a mold. There is. In such a synthesizing method, a precise dimension control technique has not yet been established, and a planar lightwave circuit or the like could not be formed. In addition, non-silica glass is generally less stable against crystal precipitation during thermal processing than silica glass, making it difficult to manufacture and process precisely, and even to make small optical components for integration. There is a problem that it is difficult to do.

Therefore, the invention of this application has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and solves the problems of the prior art and provides an optical component made of glass that cannot be synthesized by a gas phase reaction and another optical component. A glass composite that can be easily bonded to a glass composite by a melting process,
It is an object to provide the manufacturing apparatus.

[0009]

The invention of this application provides the following inventions in order to solve the above problems.

That is, first, there is a method of manufacturing a glass composite body in which a glass melt is put into a void provided in a substrate and solidified, and the glass is heated to a temperature at which the glass becomes a melt. A step of adhering the glass melt to the tip of a contact consisting of one needle, and a step of contacting the glass melt adhering to the tip of the contact with the through hole of the substrate to move the occluder Provided is a method for producing a glass composite, which comprises a step of putting the glass in a void of a substrate and a step of cooling to solidify the glass.

Secondly, there is provided a method of manufacturing a glass composite body in which a glass melt is put into a space provided in a substrate and solidified, and the glass is heated to a temperature at which the glass melts. And a step of adhering the glass melt to the contact between the two needles and a step of arranging the glass melt at the tip of one needle, and putting the glass melt adhering to the tip of the contact into the space of the substrate. Provided is a method for producing a glass composite, which comprises the steps of cooling and solidifying glass.

Thirdly, the contact of the two needles is arranged so that one end of a line segment constituting the shortest distance between the needles coincides with the tip of the first needle, and The method for producing a glass composite as described above, wherein the glass melt is placed at the tip of the first needle by widening the distance between the two needles while keeping the state where the glass melt is attached to the portion including the shortest distance portion. I will provide a.

Fourthly, in the contactor consisting of two needles whose shafts are parallel to each other and whose tips are bent at different angles, the first tip whose angle of the tips of the needles is smaller is After arranging the second needle having a large angle slightly below the tip of the second needle to attach the glass melt thereto, the second needle is moved upward in parallel with the axial direction to move the two needles. Provided is a method for producing the above glass composite, in which a glass melt is arranged at the tip of the first needle by widening the tip distance of the needle.

A fifth aspect of the invention of this application is a method for producing a glass composite body in which a glass melt is put into a void provided in a substrate and solidified, and the glass is a melt. A step of heating to a temperature, a step of attaching a glass melt to the tip of a contact made of a capillary, and a step of putting the glass melt attached to the tip of the contact into the gap of the substrate while adjusting the pressure of the capillary. And a method for producing a glass composite, which comprises the steps of cooling and solidifying the glass.
Is a method for producing a glass composite in which the glass melt attached to the tip is brought into contact with the through hole of the substrate to move the occluder to enter the gap in the substrate. Provided is a method for producing the above glass composite, wherein the tip is heated to a temperature at which it becomes a glass melt.

Eighth, the invention of this application is an apparatus used in the method for producing a glass composite body, which comprises a substrate holder for supporting a substrate, a container for storing a glass melt, and a glass melt. A contact consisting of one needle, an occluder that matches the through hole provided in the substrate, a position control device, a container,
Provided is a glass composite manufacturing apparatus comprising: a tip of a contactor; and heating means for heating a substrate on a substrate holder.

Ninth, a substrate holder for supporting the substrate, a container for storing the glass melt, and a contactor composed of two needles whose tips for collecting the glass melt are bent at different angles. And a position control device and a heating means for heating the container, the tip of the contactor and the substrate on the substrate holder. Tenth, the position control device comprises two An apparatus for manufacturing the above glass composite is provided, in which the angle and the position of the needle are individually controlled.

The eleventh aspect of the invention of this application is as follows.
A substrate holder for supporting the substrate, a container for storing the glass melt, a contactor made of a capillary tube capable of adjusting the internal pressure for collecting the glass melt, a position control device and a container, the tip of the contactor and the substrate on the substrate holder An apparatus for manufacturing a glass composite body, which is provided with a heating means for heating a glass.

The twelfth invention of the present application is a twelfth invention for manufacturing a glass composite body, which is provided with a occluder that matches a through hole provided in a substrate, and thirteenth invention is a position control device. There is provided an apparatus for manufacturing the above-mentioned glass composite, which controls the position of the contactor and the position of the occluder corresponding to the through hole provided in the substrate.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The invention of this application has the characteristics as described above, and the embodiments thereof will be described below.

First, the method for producing a glass composite body provided by the invention of this application is a method for producing a glass composite body in which a glass melt is put into a void provided in a substrate to be solidified. Step (A) of heating to a temperature at which it becomes a melt
And a step (B) of adhering the glass melt to the tip of the contactor, a step (C) of putting the glass melt adhering to the tip of the contact into a gap, and a step of cooling to solidify the glass ( D) and.

The glass composite targeted by the invention of this application has a substrate on which a minute glass body controlled with high precision and useful as an optical component is provided. The glass body is manufactured by putting a glass melt into a void previously arranged in the substrate and solidifying the glass melt. The substrate is used as a bonding point between the glass body and other optical components.

The glass body is intended to be non-silica glass that cannot be synthesized by a gas phase reaction, such as Bi ₂ O ₃ type glass, chalcogenide type glass, fluoride glass, and tellurite glass. Glass other than glass can also be used.

As the substrate, it is possible to use a substrate which is resistant to thermal shock without being deformed or causing a reaction even when heated to a temperature at which the above glass has fluidity.
For example, use of a silicon wafer, a quartz glass plate, a glass ferrule or the like is exemplified. Also, when it is necessary to totally reflect light at the interface between the substrate and the glass body,
The refractive index of the substrate may be lower than that of the glass body.

In the method of the invention of this application, first,
A void having the same size and shape as the desired glass body is arranged on the substrate at a position where the glass body is to be arranged. Void,
That is, the following points can be considered as the size and shape of the glass body.

1. The glass body has a size and shape sufficient to exhibit a desired light function.

2. The size and shape enable optical connection to the optical waveguides of all optical components connected to the glass composite of the invention of this application.

3. The size and shape are such that the stress generated by the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the substrate and the glass body does not destroy the substrate or the glass body.

What is important here is to form a finely controlled minute glass body on the substrate, and to precisely insert a minute amount of the glass melt into the void. The void considering the above points has a volume of about 1 mm ³ at the maximum, and a technique for handling an extremely small amount of glass melt is required.

Therefore, in the method of the invention of this application, a very small amount of glass melt is handled by using a contactor and attaching the glass melt to the tip thereof. Further, it is preferable to dispose the holes in the substrate as an introduction path for introducing the glass melt into the fine voids and / or as an air discharge path for introducing the glass melt. It is preferable that the holes have a width or a diameter that causes a capillary phenomenon.

The morphology of the voids and holes arranged in the substrate is
Various things are considered. For example, as shown in the three-sided view (a) of FIG. 1, forming a groove as a void on the plane of the substrate and forming a hole as a space larger than the width of the groove at both ends of the groove. Is exemplified. in this case,
Although one of the holes may be shown, it is preferable to provide two or more holes in order to easily introduce the glass melt.

Further, as shown in the three-sided view (a) of FIG. 1, the groove as the void and the groove as the hole are formed to be sufficiently long with the same width, and as shown in the three-sided view (c) of FIG. It is also possible to provide a void inside the substrate and form two holes communicating with the void and the surface of the substrate. In (c), one through-hole is provided in the substrate, the middle of the through-hole is a void, and the end is 2
The case where two holes are formed is illustrated.

As the method of forming the voids and holes, for example, a method of irradiating an ion beam (FIB) or a strong laser beam, a method of laminating a grooved substrate,
Examples include a method in which a glass rod having a hole formed in the lengthwise direction and drawn and cut and used.

The glass melt is introduced into the void having the above structure. That is, the raw material of the glass body is heated to a temperature at which it becomes a glass melt (step A), the glass melt is attached to the tip of the contact (step B), and the glass melt attached to the tip of the contact is attached. The liquid is put into the void (step C).

The invention of this application is characterized in that the substrates and the tips of the contacts are heated to a temperature at which the glass becomes a melt. In steps (A) to (C), since glass is treated as a melt, not only the glass melt but also the substrate and the contactor that come into contact with the glass melt are kept at a temperature at which the glass becomes the melt.

As a method of introducing the glass melt into the voids,
Various methods are considered. For example, when the voids and holes are provided on the surface of the substrate as shown in (a) of FIG. 1, the glass melt should be contacted directly above the voids as shown in (d) of FIG. Then, the void can be filled with the glass melt by utilizing the capillary phenomenon. In this case, the hole functions as a passage for air expelled from the void by making the hole larger than the void.

When the void is provided inside the substrate, the glass melt can be made to flow into the void through the hole. In this case, if two or more holes communicating from the gap to the surface of the substrate are provided, the air is discharged from another hole when the glass melt is introduced, so that the inflow of the glass melt can be improved. it can.

The shapes of the holes and grooves are not limited to those shown in the drawings as long as they have the above-mentioned functions.

Then, it is cooled (step D) to solidify the glass melt in the voids. Thereby, a glass composite having a minute glass body can be obtained.

As a means for joining the glass composite and another optical component, for example, the following method is shown.
As shown in (a) of FIG. 2, a groove may be provided toward the glass body on the surface of the substrate of the manufactured glass composite body, and an optical fiber or the like may be arranged in this groove for optical connection. When a hole having the same size as the outer diameter of the optical fiber or the like is provided on the substrate, the hole may be directly used as a means for joining the glass composite and another optical component.

Further, as shown in (b), an optical waveguide is previously formed on the substrate by a vapor phase method or the like, and the arrangement position of the glass body is determined so as to be in contact with the optical waveguide to form the glass composite body. It may be manufactured. In this case, for example, a planar lightwave circuit in which a silica glass thick film is deposited on a silicon substrate to form an optical waveguide or a planar lightwave circuit in which an optical waveguide circuit is formed by ion exchange from the surface of a glass plate is used as a substrate. You can

As a result, it is possible to manufacture a glass composite body capable of joining a minute glass body controlled with high precision and another optical component.

The method for producing a glass composite body provided by the first invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the method of the above-mentioned invention, the contactor is one needle.

The contact may be needle-shaped as a whole,
The tip may be needle-shaped. If the contact is needle-shaped,
A very small amount of glass melt can be easily attached to the tip of the contact. Further, the glass melt can be brought into contact with the fine holes provided in the substrate.

The method for producing a glass composite body provided by the second invention of this application is characterized in that, in the method of the above-mentioned invention, the contactor is two needles.

In the case where the contactor is a single needle and a sufficient amount of glass melt does not remain at the needle tip, the contactor is made into two needles, and the tip of the contactor is kept with a narrow space. Even by immersing the glass melt in the glass melt, the glass melt can be secured in the contactor by utilizing the capillary phenomenon. Then, the glass melt adhered to the tips of the two needles can be adhered to the holes of the substrate.

According to the method for producing a glass composite body provided by the invention of this application, in the step B of the method of the invention described above, the contact consisting of two needles constitutes the shortest distance between the two needles. After arranging one end of the line segment so as to coincide with the tip of the first needle and adhering the glass melt to the portion including the shortest distance portion of the two needles, 2 The glass melt is arranged at the tip of the first needle by widening the distance between the two needles.

When the glass melt is secured by the two needles as in the method of the present invention , the glass melt exists in a wide position sandwiched between the two needles. It is also conceivable that a sufficient amount of glass melt cannot be placed at the tip of the needle and the glass melt cannot be brought into contact with the holes of the substrate. In such a case, the glass melt is placed on one needle by widening the distance between the two needles. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the glass melt secured by two needles is placed on one needle. However, in the case as shown in FIG. 3, the glass melt cannot be placed at the tip of one needle.

In (a), since the two needles are almost parallel to each other through the glass melt, if one needle is moved upward as it is, the glass melt is also moved upward according to the moved needle. As a result, the glass melt cannot be placed at the tip of one needle. In (b), as one needle is moved upward, the glass melt in contact with the other needle moves from the tip of the needle. As shown in (c) and (d), these have the shortest distance R from the tip of one needle (1) to the other needle (4):
This occurs because it is longer than the shortest distance r between the two needles (1) and (4). That is, by increasing the distance between the two needles (1) and (4) while maintaining the relationship of R = r,
The glass melt can be placed at the tip of one needle.

Therefore, the generalized movement of the tips of the two needles is illustrated in FIG. 4, and the method for disposing the glass melt at the tips of one needle will be described in detail. In this figure, the glass melt (2) divided into two needles (1) and (4)
It is assumed that there is almost no effect of gravity acting on. Two
The two needles (1) and (4) are arranged at an angle such that they are not parallel to each other with a short distance such that capillary action works, and one end of a line segment AB forming the shortest distance between them is the needle (1). Place it so that it is at the tip. At this time, the tip of the needle (1) may be in contact with the needle (4). In this state, the tip portions of the two needles (1) and (4) are immersed in the glass melt (2) and pulled up, so that the glass melt (2) is inserted between the two needles (1) and (4). ) Can be entwined. From this state, 2
Line segment AB forming the shortest distance between two needles (1) and (4)
By moving the needle (4) in the direction in which the distance of the line segment AB increases while maintaining the relationship that one end of the needle becomes the tip of the needle (1),
The glass melt (2) can be placed at the tip of the needle (1). Such movement is realized by moving the needle (4) in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

After the glass melt entwined with the two needles is separated into the two needles, of course, it is not necessary to satisfy the relation of R = r. Further, for convenience, the tip side surfaces of the needles (1) and (4) are rectangular in the drawings, but the tips of the needles (1) and (4) may of course be pointed, and the present invention is not limited to this. Absent.

With this, the glass melt can be placed at the tip of the needle, and the glass melt can be easily attached to the holes of the substrate.

The method for producing a glass composite body provided by the invention of this application is the method of the above-mentioned invention, wherein the contactor is two needles whose tip portions are bent so as to form different angles. In the state where the two needles are parallel to each other in the shaft portion other than the tip portion and the tip of the first needle having a smaller angle is slightly lower than the tip of the other second needle, After arranging and adhering the glass melt, the second needle is moved upward while keeping the axial directions aligned with each other to widen the tip distance of the two needles, whereby the glass melt is moved to the first position. It is characterized by being placed at the tip of the needle.

Also according to the method of the present invention, when the glass melt is secured by two needles, the glass melt can be easily placed on one needle. Further, compared with the method of the above-mentioned invention, the glass melt can be removed from the glass melt only by a simple movement of one needle.
It can be placed on the needle of a book.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the contactor is composed of two needles (1) and (4) whose tip portions are bent so as to form different angles, and the two needles form a small angle. The tip of one needle (4) is positioned slightly below the tip of the other needle (1), and the shafts other than the tip are arranged to be parallel. Such a relationship between the two needles (1) (4) causes the movement of the needles in the method of the invention described above to
It can be quite simple.

That is, the relationship between the two needles (1) and (4) is
Already, the tips of the two are arranged at an angle such that they are not parallel to each other, and one end of the line segment AB forming the shortest distance between the two is the tip of the needle (1).

Further, by merely moving the needle (4) having a small angle upward in parallel, both ends of the line segment AB forming the shortest distance between the two can be maintained while the one end is the tip of the needle (1). The distance can be increased.

With this, the glass melt can be placed at the tip of the needle by a simpler operation, and the glass melt can be easily attached to the hole of the substrate.

The method for producing a glass composite body provided by the fifth invention of this application is characterized in that, in the method of the above invention, the contactor is a capillary tube. When the contact is a single needle as in the method of the invention, depending on the wettability between the needle and the glass melt, there is a possibility that a sufficient amount of the glass melt does not remain at the needle tip. . In this case, a capillary tube may be used as the contactor. The capillary phenomenon can be utilized by using the capillary tube, and the glass melt can be secured in the capillary tube only by bringing the capillary tube into contact with the glass melt.

Further, in the method for producing a glass composite body provided by the invention of this application, the internal pressure of the contact made of a capillary tube can be controlled by a pressure adjusting device.

The end of the capillary tube on which the glass melt is not adhered is connected to a pressure adjusting device so that the pressure inside the capillary tube can be finely adjusted. For example, the temperature of the gas in the capillaries can be partially changed, the volume of the capillaries can be changed by mechanical movement, or a pump can be connected to change the pressure while controlling. With this, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of glass melt in the capillary tube.
The required amount of glass melt can be attached to the holes on the substrate.

The method for manufacturing a glass composite body provided by the invention of this application is the method of the above-mentioned invention, wherein the substrate is provided with a through hole having a constant cross-sectional shape in a part of the section and the reference numeral is the same as the section of the through hole. In step C, the glass melt adhered to the tip of the contact is brought into contact with the through hole of the substrate and the occluder is moved to move the glass melt into the through hole. It is characterized by controlling the inflow amount of.

When a through hole as a void and a hole is provided inside the substrate, the substrate is fixed so that the through hole is in the vertical direction, and the glass melt is brought into contact so as to close the through hole on the upper surface of the substrate. Then, the glass melt moves into the through hole due to the capillary phenomenon and gravity. However, depending on the combination of the substrate and the glass melt, the glass melt may not easily flow into the through hole due to gravity.

When it is difficult for the glass melt to flow into the through hole only by gravity, in step C, a occluder designated as a through hole is used to promote the inflow of the glass melt into the through hole. Further, the inflow amount can be controlled precisely. FIGS. 5D to 5G show an example of how the glass melt is introduced into the through holes when the through holes are provided in the substrate. (D) is before contacting the glass melt with the through hole,
The substrate and occluder are shown. The substrate is provided with a through hole having a constant sectional shape in a partial section, and the through hole is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction. The through-hole is a occluder previously coded as the through-hole, and a part of the through-hole is closed. In (e), the glass melt is brought into contact with the substrate so as to close the through hole, and (e) then the occluder is moved in the direction of pulling out from the through hole. Introduce. Thereby, even if the glass melt does not easily flow into the through hole by gravity alone, the glass melt can be introduced into the through hole. Also,
By moving the occluder in two stages, removing the glass melt outside the through hole after the first movement of the occluder, and by moving the occluder for the second time, a certain amount of glass melt is removed. It can also be introduced into the through hole.

As a result, a glass composite capable of easily bonding an optical component made of glass that cannot be synthesized by a gas phase reaction and another optical component can be manufactured precisely and easily by a melting process.

An apparatus for producing a glass composite body provided by the invention of this application is an apparatus for realizing the method for producing a glass composite body of the above-mentioned invention, and includes a substrate holder for supporting a substrate,
A container for storing the glass melt, a contactor for collecting the glass melt, a position control device for moving the contactor, and a heating means are provided, and the position control device includes the glass melt at the tip of the contactor. Is adhered to bring the adhered glass melt into contact with a predetermined position on the substrate, and the heating means heats the container, the tip of the contactor and the substrate on the substrate holder.

FIG. 6 exemplifies a diagram showing the concept of the glass composite manufacturing apparatus of the invention of this application.

The substrate holder supports the glass composite substrate through the glass composite production process. This substrate holder may support one substrate or may support a plurality of substrates. The shape of the substrate holder is not particularly limited. For example, it may be a stand or the like on which the substrate is placed as shown in the figure, or may be a platform for suspending the substrate, which is not shown in the figure. The material is
Since the glass supports the substrate heated to a temperature at which it becomes a melt, it should be able to withstand such high temperatures. Also,
The substrate holder may be arranged so that it can be easily moved in order to efficiently install and remove the substrate from the holder and cool the substrate. Further, in the case of a substrate holder that supports a plurality of substrates, rotation or movement may be possible in order to efficiently introduce the glass melt into the voids of the substrate.

The shape of the container for storing the glass melt is not particularly limited. The contactor for collecting the glass melt preferably has a thin rod-like tip in order to handle a small amount of the glass melt. Further, as shown in the figure, by lengthening the contactor, the distance between the tip of the contactor and the position control device can be widened, and the position control device can be installed at a position not affected by the heating means. Become. In this case, although not shown, a part of the contactor may be supported by a rail or a tube made of a heat-resistant material in order to suppress the vibration of the contactor tip due to the movement of the contactor. .

Regarding the material of the container and the contactor, a material that withstands the temperature of the glass melt and is not corroded even when contacted with the glass melt is selected according to the temperature of the glass melt and the chemical composition of the glass. be able to. For example, platinum, gold,
It is exemplified to use stainless steel or the like.

The position control device is a means for moving the contactor. The position control device moves the contactor between the upper part of the container and the upper part of the substrate holder, so that the tip of the contactor is immersed in the glass melt and pulled up. It is provided with functions such as raising and lowering and raising and lowering the contactor to bring the glass melt adhered to the tip of the contactor into contact with the substrate.

The heating means is provided for heating the solid glass to form a glass melt and maintaining the state of the glass melt. Therefore, not only is the glass melted, but the one with which the molten glass contacts is also heated. That is, the container, the tips of the contacts, and the substrate on the substrate holder are heated. In order to heat these things, of course, the substrate holder and the like other than the tips of the contacts may be heated. As the heating means, a heating means such as a vertical annular furnace can be used. Further, it is also exemplified to partially heat the tip portion of the contactor using infrared rays.

In the apparatus of the present invention having the above structure, the glass composite body is manufactured, for example, as follows. That is, a substrate with a minute void and holes provided in advance is supported by a substrate holder, the desired glass or glass raw material powder is placed in a container, and the substrate, the contactor, the glass, and the container containing the glass are It is heated by the heating means to a temperature at which it becomes a melt. When the glass becomes a melt, the contact is moved to a position above the container containing the glass melt by the moving means, and the contact is lowered and raised to attach the glass melt to the tip of the contact. Next, the contact is moved to above the substrate holder by the moving means, and the contact is lowered and raised to bring the glass melt into contact with a desired position on the substrate. When the glass melt enters the gap of the substrate, the substrate holder is moved outside the heating means to cool the substrate. This makes it possible to manufacture a glass composite having a minute glass body.

The glass composite manufacturing apparatus provided by the invention of this application is characterized in that, in the apparatus of the above-mentioned invention, the contact is a single needle. By making the tip of the contactor needle-shaped, it is possible to handle a small amount of glass melt, and it is also possible to precisely control the position when the glass melt is brought into contact with the substrate.

The glass composite manufacturing apparatus provided by the invention of this application is characterized in that, in the apparatus of the above invention, the contact is a capillary tube. Even when the glass melt does not easily adhere to the contactor, by using a capillary tube for the contactor, the capillary action is used when the contactor is immersed in the glass melt, and the glass melt is contacted with the contactor. It becomes possible to secure it.

The glass composite manufacturing apparatus provided by the invention of this application is characterized in that, in the apparatus of the above invention, a pressure adjusting device for controlling the internal pressure of the capillary is provided. The capillaries do not have to have a uniform inner diameter over their entire length, for example, the inner diameter of the part whose pressure is controlled may be increased. As the pressure adjusting device, a device that can finely adjust the pressure in the capillary can be used. For example,
Fine adjustment of the pressure in the capillary tube is exemplified by using a piezoelectric element, a pump, etc., changing the temperature of the gas in the capillary tube, changing the volume of the capillary tube by mechanical movement, etc. . As a result, a sufficient amount of glass melt can be secured in the capillary tube. Further, the required amount of glass melt in the capillary tube can be discharged.

The glass composite manufacturing apparatus provided by the invention of this application is characterized in that, in the apparatus of the above-mentioned invention, the contacts are two needles. If the glass melt does not easily attach to the contact, the glass melt can be secured by using two needles as the contact. In this case, by providing two contacts at a narrow interval,
Capillary action acting between book contacts can be used. Further, the glass melt collected at the tip of the contact due to gravity can be brought into contact with a predetermined position on the substrate.

Further, the invention of this application is characterized in that, in the device of the above invention, the position control device individually controls the angles and positions of the two needles. In the device of the present invention, the glass melt can be placed at the tip of one needle by individually moving the angle and position of the two needles by the position control device. That is, the two needles are arranged such that they are separated by a short distance such that a capillary action works, and at an angle that they are not parallel to each other, one end of a line segment AB forming the shortest distance between them is the tip of one needle. Has been done. At this time, the tip of one of the needles may be in contact with the other needle. The position control device first controls the two needles at the same time while keeping this state, so that the tips of the two needles are dipped in the glass melt and pulled up, and the glass melt is placed between the two needles. Secure. Then, the position control device maintains the relationship in which one end of the line segment AB that forms the shortest distance between the two needles is the tip of the one needle while the distance of the line segment AB is set to the other needle. By moving in the spreading direction, the glass melt is placed at the tip of one needle.

By individually controlling the angles and positions of the two needles in this manner, the glass melt can be secured even when it is difficult for the glass melt to adhere to the contact.
Further, the position can be precisely controlled even when the glass melt is brought into contact with the substrate.

The invention of this application is characterized in that, in the device of the above invention, the contacts are two needles whose tips are bent so as to form different angles. In the device of the present invention, the contactor is composed of two needles whose tips are bent so as to form different angles, and the two needles are such that the tip of the needle having the smaller angle makes The shafts other than the tip are arranged so as to be parallel to each other while being positioned slightly below the tip of the needle.

In this case, the glass melt secured between the two needles is placed at the tip of one needle only by moving the needle having a small angle in parallel upward.

This makes it possible to further simplify the movement of the position control device that individually controls the two needles.

The glass composite manufacturing apparatus provided by the invention of this application is the apparatus of the above-mentioned invention, which is provided with an occluder that coincides with the through hole provided in the substrate and a position control means for the occluder. It is characterized in that the flow rate of the glass melt into the through hole is controlled by moving the vessel. The apparatus of the invention of this application is intended for manufacturing a glass composite body by providing a through hole in a substrate.

FIG. 8 shows the device of the invention of this application,
The relationship between the substrate, the substrate holder, the occluder, and the position control means of the occluder is shown in FIG.

In the substrate (3) provided with the through holes, the lower end of the substrate (3) is supported by the substrate holder (36) so that the through holes are in the vertical direction. A occluder (35) that matches the through hole is inserted into the substrate (3) from below with a gap left above the through hole. In this state, for example, the glass melt (2) is brought into contact with the upper surface of the substrate (3), and the glass melt (2) is arranged so as to close the through hole. Then, the occluder (35) is moved by the position control device (37) in the direction of withdrawing from the through hole,
The glass melt (2) blocking the through hole can be made to flow into the through hole. The inflow amount of the glass melt (2) into the through hole can be controlled by the movement amount of the occluder (35). In addition, after injecting a required amount of the glass melt (2) into the through hole, the excess glass melt (2) outside the through hole is removed, and the occluder (35) is pulled out again. By moving the glass melt (2) in a required amount, it can be placed at a desired position in the through hole.

In the figure, the through hole has a constant cross section, but it may have a constant cross section in the section in which the occluder moves. Also, the occluder need not be installed entirely within the substrate holder, and the substrate holder need not be installed side by side with the position control device. For example, by using a flexible optical fiber or the like as the occluder, the occluder can be made into a J-shape, and the position control means of the occluder can be arranged above the device. In this case, the substrate holder may only support the substrate, or the substrate holder may be J-shaped to serve as a guide for the occluder.

Thus, there is provided an apparatus capable of precisely and easily producing a glass composite body capable of easily joining a glass optical component which cannot be synthesized by a gas phase reaction and another optical component by a melting process.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088]

Example A glass composite having a glass body inside a substrate was manufactured using the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing in detail the inside of the heating furnace of the apparatus.

As the substrate (3), a ferrule made of silica glass (outer diameter 1.8 mm, inner diameter 0.126 mm, length 20 mm) was used, and the through holes of the ferrule were used as the voids and holes. The lower part of the substrate (3) is fixed by a substrate holder (36) made of silica glass, and a occluder (35) made of silica glass fiber having an outer diameter of 0.125 mm is inserted into the hole of the substrate (3) from below. One end of is inserted by the proper length. The occluder (35) is a substrate holder (36).
The other end was connected to the occluder controller (37) through the inside.
The occluder controller (37) has a function of moving the occluder (35) in the through hole.

At approximately the same height as the substrate (3), the composition is 8
A container (21) filled with a non-silica glass-based glass melt (2) of 0TeO ₂ -20 ZnO [mol%] was arranged. Although the means for fixing the container (21) is not shown,
It is placed on the table.

The two needles (1) and (4) used had their tips bent at different angles. The two needles (1) and (4) are passed through the alumina tube guide (12) so that the shaft portions thereof are parallel to each other, and the needle position control device (1
Connected to 1). The needle position control device (11) moves the guide (12) so that the two needles (1) and (4) can move back and forth between the container (21) and the substrate (3), and two needles ( 1) To secure the glass melt (2) in (4) and move only the needle (4) up and down so that the glass melt (2) is placed at the tip of one needle (1). You can

As shown in FIG. 7, the above-mentioned structure is arranged in the heating means (31) composed of a vertical annular furnace,
The temperature inside the furnace was maintained at about 700 ° C. Although not shown, the heating means (31) was provided with a window for confirming the position of each device.

The glass composite was manufactured in the following manner according to the procedure shown in FIG. <Process A-B> First,
The needle (1) and the needle (4) were lowered and raised by the needle position control device, and a minute amount of the glass melt (2) was entwined between the needle (1) and the needle (4). <Step C-D> Next, only the needle (4) was raised, and the glass melt (2) was placed at the tip of the needle (1). At this time, the operation of the needle (4) is such that the distance R between the tip of the needle (1) and the needle (4) is the shortest in the portion of the needle (1) and the needle (4) through the glass melt (2). It is equal to the distance r. <Process E> Now, lower the needle (1),
The glass melt (2) at the tip of the needle (1) was brought into contact with the substrate (3) so as to cover the holes. <To Process> The occluder (35) was moved downward by the occluder controller to move the glass melt (2) to a desired position in the hole of the substrate (3).

The substrate (3) was taken out from the heating means (31), the occluder (35) was removed, and then cooled. As a result, a glass composite body in which glass was inserted inside the substrate (3) was obtained. Since this glass composite has holes at both ends, it is possible to optically connect the glass inside and the optical fiber by inserting the optical fiber at both ends.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and it goes without saying that various details can be made.

[0096]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a glass which is useful for manufacturing an optical waveguide circuit and which can easily join an optical component made of glass that cannot be synthesized by a gas phase reaction with another optical component. (EN) Provided are a method capable of precisely and easily producing a composite by a melting process, and an apparatus for producing the same.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 (a), (b) and (c) are three-sided views showing an example of the shapes of voids and holes formed in a glass composite substrate, and (d) is a state in which a glass melt enters the voids. It is an outline sectional view which illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a diagram exemplifying an example of a joining means for joining a glass composite and another optical component.

FIG. 3 is a view exemplifying a state in which, when a glass melt secured by two needles as contacts is placed on one needle, the glass melt does not remain at the tip of the one needle. .

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a generalized example of the movement of the tips of two needles as contacts.

[FIG. 5] Using two needles with bent tips as contacts,
It is the figure which illustrated a mode that a glass melt was introduced into a hole using an occluder.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram exemplifying a glass composite manufacturing apparatus of the invention of this application.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram as an example of an apparatus for producing a glass composite body of the invention of this application.

FIG. 8 is a view exemplifying a state in a heating furnace of a glass composite manufacturing apparatus of the invention of this application.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 4 needles 2 glass melt 3 substrates 11 Position control device 12 guides 21 containers 31 heating means 32 void 33 holes 35 occluder 36 substrate holder 37 Position control device

Claims (13)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for producing a glass composite, which comprises pouring a glass melt into a void provided in a substrate and solidifying the glass melt,
The step of heating the glass to a temperature at which it melts, the step of adhering the glass melt to the tip of the contact consisting of a single needle, and the step of penetrating the substrate with the glass melt attached to the tip of the contact A method for producing a glass composite, comprising: a step of bringing the glass into contact with a hole and moving the occluder into a space of a substrate; and a step of cooling to solidify the glass. 2. A method for producing a glass composite body, which comprises pouring a glass melt into a space provided in a substrate and solidifying the glass melt,
The step of heating the glass to a temperature at which it becomes a melt, the step of adhering the glass melt between the contacts made of two needles, the step of arranging it at the tip of one needle, and the tip of the contact 1. A method for producing a glass composite, which comprises a step of putting the adhered glass melt into a gap of a substrate and a step of cooling to solidify the glass. 3. The shortest distance portion between the two needles is arranged such that one end of a line segment that constitutes the shortest distance between the needles of a contact made up of two needles coincides with the tip of the first needle. The glass melt according to claim 2, wherein the glass melt is arranged at the tip of the first needle by widening the distance between the two needles while keeping the glass melt adhered to the portion containing the glass. Method for producing composite. 4. In a contactor composed of two needles whose shafts are parallel and whose tips are bent at different angles, the first tip with the smaller tip angle of the needle has the second tip with the larger angle. After arranging in a state of being positioned slightly below the tip of the needle, the glass melt is adhered, the second needle is moved upward in parallel to the axial direction to adjust the distance between the tips of the two needles. The method for producing a glass composite body according to claim 2, wherein the glass melt is spread and placed on the tip of the first needle. 5. A method for producing a glass composite body, which comprises pouring a glass melt into a void provided in a substrate and solidifying the melt.
The step of heating the glass to a temperature at which it becomes a melt, the step of attaching the glass melt to the tip of the contact made of a capillary, and the glass melt attached to the tip of the contact while adjusting the pressure of the capillary. A method for producing a glass composite, which comprises a step of putting the glass in a gap of a substrate and a step of cooling to solidify the glass. 6. The glass composite according to claim 2, wherein the glass melt adhered to the tip is brought into contact with the through hole of the substrate to move the occluder to inject it into the gap of the substrate. Manufacturing method. 7. The method for producing a glass composite according to claim 1, wherein the tips of the substrate and the contacts are heated to a temperature at which the glass melts. 8. A substrate holder for supporting a substrate, a container for storing a glass melt, a contact made of a single needle for collecting the glass melt, and an occluder matching a through hole provided in the substrate. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass composite, comprising: a position control device; and a heating means for heating a container, a tip of a contactor, and a substrate on a substrate holder. 9. A substrate holder for supporting a substrate, a container for storing a glass melt, a contactor composed of two needles whose tips for collecting the glass melt are bent at different angles, and a position control device. , A container, a tip of a contactor, and a heating means for heating the substrate on the substrate holder. 10. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass composite according to claim 9, wherein the position control device individually controls the angles and positions of the two needles. 11. A substrate holder for supporting a substrate, a container for storing a glass melt, a contactor made of a capillary tube capable of adjusting the internal pressure for collecting the glass melt, a position control device and a container,
An apparatus for manufacturing a glass composite body, comprising: a tip of a contactor; and heating means for heating a substrate on a substrate holder. 12. The glass composite manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an occluder that matches the through hole formed in the substrate. 13. The apparatus for manufacturing a glass composite body according to claim 8, wherein the position control device controls the position of the contactor and the position of the occluder corresponding to the through hole formed in the substrate. .