JP6248612B2 - Optical waveguide with marker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical waveguide with a marker whose front and back can be recognized.

With the increase in information capacity, development of optical interconnection technology that uses optical signals not only for communication fields such as trunk lines and access systems, but also for information processing in routers and servers, and for personal computers and mobile phones in consumer devices Yes. As an optical transmission line, it is desirable to use an optical waveguide that has a higher degree of freedom of wiring and can be densified than an optical fiber, and in particular, an optical waveguide that uses a polymer material excellent in processability and economy. Promising.
In addition, in order to input or output an optical signal from the vertical direction of the optical waveguide substrate, an optical path conversion mirror for converting the optical path of the optical signal is generally provided on the optical waveguide core pattern wired in the optical waveguide substrate parallel direction. (Patent Document 1).

  Since the optical waveguide having this optical path conversion mirror has a predetermined optical signal input / output side, it is necessary to install the optical waveguide with its front and back surfaces in the correct orientation when it is installed on a mounting board or the like.

JP 2001-201646 A

However, when the optical waveguide itself is clearly asymmetrical when viewed from the cladding lamination direction, the front and back of the optical waveguide can be easily distinguished, but generally the optical waveguide is rectangular, trapezoidal, etc. In many cases, it is difficult to easily distinguish the front and back of the optical waveguide.
Furthermore, since the optical waveguide is small in size and has a substantially symmetrical shape that makes it difficult to distinguish between the front surface and the back surface, it is difficult to distinguish the front surface and the back surface at first glance. In particular, when the material of the optical waveguide is formed of a transmissive material, even if the marker is formed with a core pattern or the like, the visibility is hardly improved, so there is a problem that it is difficult to distinguish the front surface from the back surface. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide with a marker that can be easily distinguished from the front and back of the optical waveguide.

  The present inventor has found that the above problem can be solved by providing a left-right asymmetric visible marker on the clad. The present invention has been completed based on such findings.

  An optical waveguide with a marker according to the present invention is a marker pattern formed on a core pattern, a clad covering the core pattern, an optical path conversion mirror for converting an optical path of the core pattern, and preferably visible to the clad. A void portion. In the marker gap, the optical waveguide with the marker is placed so that the optical axis direction of the core pattern is in the vertical direction, and the light propagating through the core pattern is converted by the optical path conversion mirror and emitted. Or when the marker gap is observed from a direction opposite to the direction in which the light propagating through the core pattern is optically path-converted by the optical path-changing mirror and emitted. Yes. In the present invention, the direction in which the light propagating through the core pattern is optically converted by the optical path conversion mirror and emitted is the direction in which the light is converted and emitted, and the surface from which the light is emitted is visually recognized. The angle formed by the direction is within the range of more than 0 to 90 ° where the marker gap in the present invention can be visually recognized. Further, the direction opposite to the direction in which the light propagating through the core pattern is optically path-converted by the optical path conversion mirror and emitted is the back surface substantially parallel to the surface from which the optical path is converted and emitted, The angle formed between the back surface and the viewing direction is within a range of more than 0 to 90 ° where the marker gap in the present invention is visible.

Even if the portion other than the marker gap in the optical waveguide with a marker is formed in a symmetrical shape or a substantially symmetrical shape such as a rectangle or a trapezoid, the symmetry axis of that portion can be easily grasped. It is easy to grasp that the symmetric axis of a part is a symmetric axis for judging left-right asymmetry, and that the marker gap is formed in a shape or position that is left-right asymmetric with respect to the symmetric axis of the part.
In addition, since the core pattern of the optical waveguide with a marker can be grasped relatively easily from the lamination direction of the cladding, a symmetry axis for determining left-right asymmetry is set based on the core pattern, and the marker gap is It is easy to grasp that it is formed in a shape or position that is asymmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry. For example, when three core patterns are formed, the central axis of the central core pattern may be a symmetric axis for determining left-right asymmetry, and when four core patterns are formed, the central 2 A central axis serving as a symmetry axis for determining left-right asymmetry may be set between the core patterns of the book.
The core pattern may be in the vicinity of the optical path conversion mirror.
In this way, when the optical waveguide with a marker is placed so that the optical axis direction of the core pattern is in the vertical direction, and when the marker gap is observed from the laminating direction of the clad, the symmetry axis for judging the left-right asymmetry is determined. In addition, since the marker gap is formed in an asymmetric shape, or the marker gap is visible at the asymmetric position, the front and back of the optical waveguide can be easily recognized.

The clad generally has a lower clad in which the core pattern is laminated, and an upper clad laminated on the lower clad so as to cover the core pattern. The marker gap may be a marker upper gap formed in the upper clad.
By doing so, since the marker gap is formed in the upper clad, the marker gap can be formed simultaneously with the formation of the opening of the optical path conversion mirror.
Since the marker gap is hollow inside, the difference in refractive index between the clad and the marker gap can be ensured and visibility can be improved.

The marker gap may be a marker gap that communicates with the marker lower gap formed in the lower cladding in the stacking direction.
By doing so, since the marker gap is formed also in the lower clad, it is possible to form a deep marker gap that is easier to visually recognize.

The clad includes a lower clad in which the core pattern is laminated, an upper clad laminated in the lower clad so as to cover the core pattern, and a colored photosensitive clad laminated in the upper clad, The marker gap may be formed in the colored photosensitive cladding.
By doing so, since the periphery of the marker gap is colored, the visibility of the marker can be improved.

A transparent substrate laminated on the clad may be provided, and the transparent substrate may block the marker gap.
By doing so, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the marker gap. Since the substrate covering the marker gap is a transmissive substrate, the visibility of the marker gap is not impaired.

The clad has a lower clad in which the core pattern is laminated, an upper clad A laminated on the lower clad so as to cover the core pattern, and another upper clad B laminated on the upper clad A, The marker gap has a marker gap formed in the upper clad B, and a layer is formed on the other upper clad B so as to block the marker gap. May be.
By doing so, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the marker gap.

When observed from the stacking direction, the distance between the optical path conversion mirror and the marker gap in the direction of the symmetry axis that is asymmetric may be associated with a location number, or the marker gap The shape of the part may be associated with a location number when observed from the stacking direction.
By doing so, the rod of the optical waveguide with marker can be managed.

The clad has a space portion separately from the marker gap portion, and the optical path conversion mirror is formed at a position exposed inside the space portion, and the axis of symmetry when observed from the stacking direction. A distance between the space and the marker gap in the direction may be associated with a location number. The space may be hollow.
By doing so, the rod of the optical waveguide with marker can be managed. Furthermore, since the easily visible space can be used as a measurement reference, the distance between the space and the marker gap can be easily measured.

The shape of the marker gap when observed from the stacking direction may be a circle, a polygon, an ellipse, a star, or a combination thereof. The combination here includes a composite shape thereof, an enclave shape in which a plurality of independent marker gaps are regarded as a “set”, and the like.
By doing so, since the shape of the marker gap is different from the shape of other components, the visibility of the marker gap can be improved.

  The marker gap may be formed by photolithography.

  According to the present invention, when the optical waveguide with a marker is placed so that the optical axis direction of the core pattern is in the vertical direction, and the marker gap is observed from the laminating direction of the cladding, the marker gap is left-right asymmetric. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optical waveguide with a marker that can easily distinguish the front and back of the optical waveguide with a marker.

It is the front view which omitted a part of optical waveguide with a marker of a 1st embodiment concerning the present invention. It is sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted one part in XX of the optical waveguide with a marker shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted a part of optical waveguide with a marker of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted a part of optical waveguide with a marker of 3rd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is the front view which omitted a part of optical waveguide with a marker of a 4th embodiment concerning the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical waveguide with marker 10 includes a substrate 15, a core pattern 20, a clad 30 laminated on the substrate 15 so as to cover the core pattern 20, and an optical path of the core pattern 20. An optical path conversion mirror 40 to be converted and a marker gap 50 formed in the clad 30 so as to be visible are provided.
A transmissive upper substrate (transmissive substrate) 60 is stacked on the clad 30.
The clad 30 has a hollow space portion 70, and the optical path conversion mirror 40 is formed at a position exposed inside the space portion 70.

  A clad 30 is placed on the substrate 15. The material of the substrate 15 is not particularly limited, but when the clad 30 has adhesiveness, for example, a glass epoxy resin substrate, a ceramic substrate, a glass substrate, a silicon substrate, a plastic substrate, a metal substrate, a substrate with a resin layer, a metal Examples include a substrate with a layer, a plastic film, a plastic film with a resin layer, a plastic film with a metal layer, and an electric wiring board. Since the clad 30 can be provided with toughness by bonding the substrate 15 and the clad 30, the substrate 15 is preferably installed, but the substrate 15 may be omitted.

The clad 30 includes a lower clad 32 on which the core pattern 20 is laminated, and an upper clad 34 laminated on the lower clad 32 so as to cover the core pattern 20.
The clad 30 is not particularly limited, but is formed by the following method, for example. After a core layer is laminated in the form of a sheet on the upper surface of the planar lower clad 32 laminated on the substrate 15, a part of the core layer is removed by photolithography to form the core pattern 20. Then, an upper clad 34 is laminated on the core pattern 20 so that the vicinity of the optical path conversion mirror 40 in the core pattern 20 is exposed and the other core pattern 20 is embedded, so that a hollow space is formed. The clad 30 in which the portion 70 is formed is formed.

  The core pattern 20 is embedded in the upper clad 34 so that the periphery is covered with the clad 30. From the viewpoint of optical signal confinement, the clad 30 should have a thickness of 5 μm or more on the top, bottom, left and right of each core of the core pattern. In particular, from the viewpoint of space saving and low profile, and handling characteristics, It suffices if there are clad layers having a thickness of 5 μm to 100 μm above and below the pattern, and more preferably 10 μm to 50 μm.

The lower clad 32 and the upper clad 34 are not particularly limited as long as the lower clad 32 and the upper clad 34 are formed of a material having a refractive index lower than that of the material forming the core pattern 20, and various resin materials are used. In the case of stacking, it is preferable to use a substrate having an adhesive force with the substrate 15. However, when the lower clad 32 cannot be bonded to the substrate 15, a substrate with an adhesive layer may be used as the substrate 15. The lower clad 32 only needs to have a thickness of 5 μm or more from the viewpoint of confinement of an optical signal, and preferably 100 μm or less from the viewpoint of thickness uniformity after lamination.
Further, the upper clad 34 may be formed of a material to which the adhesive layer 64 of the upper substrate 60 adheres.
The core pattern 20 is not particularly limited as long as it has a refractive index higher than that of the clad 30 and is formed of a material capable of forming a pattern. However, when patterning is performed by photolithography as described above, photolithography processing is performed. It is good that it is a possible material, and a photosensitive resin composition is more preferred.

The optical path conversion mirror 40 is disposed in the space portion 70 so that light can be transmitted to and received from the core pattern 20.
The optical path conversion mirror 40 changes the optical path of the optical signal propagating through the core pattern 20 in a direction in which the substrate 15 is present, or changes the optical path of the optical signal from the vertical direction (stacking direction Z) of the substrate 15 in the propagation direction α. The core pattern 20 is formed on the inclined surface of the V groove formed by cutting the core pattern 20 integrally.
The optical path conversion mirror 40 is preferably an inclined surface of 35 to 55 °, and more preferably an inclined surface of 45 °. Moreover, it is good also as the optical path conversion mirror 40 provided with the reflective metal layer by vapor-depositing metals, such as gold | metal | money, on the optical path conversion mirror 40 using a vapor deposition apparatus.
A method of forming the inclined surface of the optical path conversion mirror 40 includes a method of cutting the core pattern 20 using a dicing saw after forming the core pattern 20 on the lower clad 32 and before forming the upper clad 34, or a laser. Although the method of processing using ablation is mentioned, the processing method by a dicing saw is more suitable from a viewpoint of angle control.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the optical waveguide with marker 10 is placed with the optical axis direction (α direction) of the core pattern 20 as the vertical direction, the symmetry axis S for judging left-right asymmetry is the marker of the optical waveguide with marker 10. The axis of symmetry of the portion other than the gap 50 for use (the axis of symmetry symmetrical in the left-right width direction of the optical waveguide with marker 10), and the axis of symmetry seen from the center of the left-right width of the optical waveguide with marker 10 Is also an axis of symmetry in which the three core patterns 20 are symmetrical.
The marker gap 50 is formed in the vicinity of the optical path conversion mirror 40, and is formed at a position that is asymmetric when viewed from the stacking direction Z of the clad 30 when the symmetry axis S is used.
The marker gap 50 has a marker upper gap 52 formed in the upper clad 34.
The marker gap 50 has a marker lower gap 54 formed in the lower cladding 32 that communicates with the marker upper gap 52 in the stacking direction Z.

The marker gap 50 is formed in the lower clad 32 and the upper clad 34, but is not formed in the core pattern 20, so that light transmission performance is maintained in the core pattern 20.
The marker gap 50 may be formed by laser processing or the like, or may be processed by photolithography. When the marker gap 50 is processed by photolithography, the marker gap 50 can be aligned with the core pattern with high accuracy, and foreign matter such as processing waste contaminates the marker gap 50. Can be suppressed, which is preferable.

  The upper substrate 60 includes an upper substrate body 62 and an adhesive layer 64, and is laminated on the upper clad 34 so as to close the marker gap 50. Since the marker gap 50 is blocked by the upper substrate 60, foreign matter does not enter the marker gap 50.

  The upper substrate body 62 is made of a plate-like base material made of a resin that can be easily deformed, and is made of a permeable material. For the upper substrate body 62, for example, a flexible substrate having flexibility and toughness is preferably used.

The material of the upper substrate body 62 is not particularly limited. For example, a glass epoxy resin substrate, a plastic substrate, a metal substrate, a substrate with a resin layer, a substrate with a metal layer, a plastic film, a plastic film with a resin layer, a plastic with a metal layer A film etc. are mentioned.
The thickness of the upper substrate body 62 is preferably 5 μm to 500 μm. The thickness of the upper substrate body 62 is preferably 10 μm to 50 μm so that the upper substrate body 62 is easily deformed.

  Since the marker-equipped optical waveguide 10 has the marker gap 50 that is visible at an asymmetrical position when viewed from the loading direction Z of the clad, the front and back of the optical waveguide with marker 10 can be easily recognized.

Further, since the marker gap 50 is formed in the lower clad 32 and the upper clad 34, it is possible to form a deep marker gap 50 that is easy to visually recognize.
In addition, since the marker gap 50 can be formed in the upper clad 34, the marker gap 50 can be formed simultaneously with the formation of the space 70 of the optical path conversion mirror 40.
Since the marker gap 50 can be hollow, a large difference in refractive index between the cladding 30 and the marker gap 50 can be secured, and the visibility of the marker gap 50 can be improved. Can do.
Furthermore, since the upper and lower openings of the marker gap 50 are closed by the substrate 15 and the upper substrate 60, both surfaces of the optical waveguide with marker 10 are flat, and foreign matter trapping and breakage of the optical waveguide are suppressed. Can do.

Further, when observed from the stacking direction Z, the distance between the optical path conversion mirror 40 and the marker gap 50 in the direction of the symmetry axis S can be associated with the location number, and the marker gap 50 Can be associated with the location number when observed from the stacking direction Z. For example, the number of openings 50 to be formed is set according to the location number, the distance between the plurality of openings 50 is set according to the location number, or the shape of the opening 50 is changed according to the location number. You can make it.
Thus, the optical waveguide with marker 10 can easily distinguish the front and back.

[Second Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 3, the optical waveguide with marker 10 a is the same as the optical waveguide with marker 10 except that the lower gap portion for marker 54 is not formed in the lower clad 32.

  In the optical waveguide with marker 10 a, the marker gap 50 is formed only by the marker upper gap 52, and thus the internal space is smaller than the marker gap 50 of the marker optical waveguide 10. For this reason, the influence of the expansion of the air inside the marker upper gap 52 can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 4, the optical waveguide with marker 10b is the same as the optical waveguide with marker 10a except that the upper substrate 60 is not laminated.
When the strength of the substrate 15 is sufficiently high, the upper substrate 60 can be omitted and the marker upper gap 52 can be opened. For this reason, the thickness of the optical waveguide with marker 10b can be reduced.

[Fourth Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 5, in the optical waveguide with marker 10c, another upper clad B36 is laminated between the upper substrate 60 and the clad A30, and the marker upper gap 52 is not formed in the upper clad 34A. The marker optical waveguide 10a is the same as the marker-provided optical waveguide 10a except that the second upper gap portion for marker 56 (another upper gap portion for marker) 56 is formed in another upper clad B36.
That is, the optical waveguide with marker 10 c has another upper clad B 36 laminated on the clad 30, and the marker gap 50 is the marker second upper gap 56 formed in the other upper clad B 36. The other upper cladding 36 closes the marker gap 50. Thereby, the penetration | invasion of the foreign material to the space | gap part 50 for markers can be prevented.
At this time, when the other upper clad 36 and the core pattern 20 are not in direct contact with each other, the other upper clad B 36 may be colored with no transparency, or lower or equivalent to the core pattern 20. You may have a rate.

  Another upper clad B 36 is preferably a photosensitive layer different from the upper clad A 34 and the lower clad 32. Thereby, the visibility of the marker second upper gap portion 56 formed in the other upper clad B 36 can be improved.

[Other Embodiments]
The shape of the marker gap 50 when observed from the stacking direction Z may be a circle, a polygon, an ellipse, a star, or a combination thereof. By doing in this way, since the shape of the marker space | gap part becomes a shape different from the shape of other components, the visibility of the marker space | gap part 50 can be improved.
Further, the number of marker gaps 50 may be one or plural.
Further, the marker gap 50 may be formed in an asymmetric shape or position as viewed from the cladding stacking direction Z when the core pattern 20 in the vicinity of the optical path conversion mirror 40 is used as the axis of symmetry.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited to a following example, unless the summary is exceeded.

Example 1
<Preparation of a resin film for forming a cladding layer>
[Production of (A) (meth) acrylic polymer (base polymer)]
46 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and 23 parts by mass of methyl lactate were weighed in a flask equipped with a stirrer, a cooling pipe, a gas introduction pipe, a dropping funnel, and a thermometer, and stirred while introducing nitrogen gas. . The liquid temperature was raised to 65 ° C., 47 parts by weight of methyl methacrylate, 33 parts by weight of butyl acrylate, 16 parts by weight of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 14 parts by weight of methacrylic acid, 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile ) A mixture of 3 parts by mass, 46 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and 23 parts by mass of methyl lactate was added dropwise over 3 hours, followed by stirring at 65 ° C. for 3 hours, and further stirring at 95 ° C. for 1 hour. A) A (meth) acrylic polymer solution (solid content: 45% by mass) was obtained.

[Measurement of weight average molecular weight]
(A) The result of measuring the weight average molecular weight (in terms of standard polystyrene) of the (meth) acrylic polymer using GPC (“SD-8022”, “DP-8020”, and “RI-8020” manufactured by Tosoh Corporation), It was 3.9 × 10 ⁴ . As the column, “Gelpack GL-A150-S” and “Gelpack GL-A160-S” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. were used.

[Measurement of acid value]
As a result of measuring the acid value of (A) (meth) acrylic polymer, it was 79 mgKOH / g. The acid value was calculated from the amount of 0.1 mol / L potassium hydroxide aqueous solution required to neutralize the (A) (meth) acrylic polymer solution. At this time, the point at which the phenolphthalein added as an indicator changed color from colorless to pink was defined as the neutralization point.

[Preparation of resin varnish for forming clad layer]
As a base polymer, 84 parts by mass (solid content 38 parts by mass) of the (A) (meth) acrylic polymer solution (solid content 45% by mass), (B) urethane (meth) acrylate having a polyester skeleton as a photocuring component ( Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd. “U-200AX”) 33 parts by mass, urethane (meth) acrylate having a polypropylene glycol skeleton (Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd. “UA-4200”) 15 parts by mass, (C) heat As a curing component, 20 parts by mass of a polyfunctional block isocyanate solution (solid content: 75% by mass) obtained by protecting an isocyanurate type trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate with methyl ethyl ketone oxime (“Sumijour BL3175” manufactured by Sumika Bayer Urethane Co., Ltd.) 15 parts by mass of solid content), (D) as photopolymerization initiator, 1- 4- (2-hydroxyethoxy) phenyl] -2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propan-1-one (“Irgacure 2959” manufactured by Ciba Japan KK), 1 part by weight, bis (2,4,6- 1 part by mass of trimethylbenzoyl) phenylphosphine oxide (“Irgacure 819” manufactured by Ciba Japan Co., Ltd.) and 23 parts by mass of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate as an organic solvent for dilution were mixed with stirring. After pressure filtration using a polyflon filter having a pore diameter of 2 μm (“PF020” manufactured by Advantech Toyo Co., Ltd.), degassing was performed under reduced pressure to obtain a resin varnish for forming a cladding layer.

<Preparation of a resin film for forming a cladding layer>
The resin varnish for forming a clad layer obtained above is coated on a non-treated surface of a PET film (“Cosmo Shine A4100” manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., thickness 50 μm) as a support film (multicoater TM- MC, manufactured by Hirano Tech Seed Co., Ltd.) and dried at 100 ° C. for 20 minutes, and then a surface release treatment PET film (“Purex A31” manufactured by Teijin DuPont Films, Inc., 25 μm thick) is pasted as a protective film. A resin film for forming a cladding layer was obtained.
At this time, the thickness of the resin layer formed from the clad layer forming resin varnish can be arbitrarily adjusted by adjusting the gap of the coating machine, and the film thickness will be described later.

<Preparation of core layer forming resin film>
(A) As a base polymer, 26 parts by mass of phenoxy resin (trade name: Phenototo YP-70, manufactured by Toto Kasei Co., Ltd.), (B) 9,9-bis [4- (2-acryloyl) as a photopolymerizable compound Oxyethoxy) phenyl] fluorene (trade name: A-BPEF, Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) 36 parts by mass, and bisphenol A type epoxy acrylate (trade name: EA-1020, Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.) 36 mass Parts, (C) 1 part by mass of bis (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phenylphosphine oxide (trade name: Irgacure 819, manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals) as a photopolymerization initiator, and 1- [4 -(2-Hydroxyethoxy) phenyl] -2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propan-1-one (trade name: yl Cure 2959 (manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd.) 1 part by weight, core except for using 40 parts by weight of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate as an organic solvent, using the same method and conditions as in the above-mentioned preparation of the resin varnish for forming a cladding layer A layer-forming resin varnish was prepared. Thereafter, pressure filtration and degassing under reduced pressure were performed in the same manner and conditions as described above.
The resin layer varnish for core layer formation obtained above is the same as the above production example on the non-treated surface of a PET film (trade name: Cosmo Shine A1517, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., thickness: 16 μm) as a support film. Then, a release PET film (trade name: PUREX A31, Teijin DuPont Films Co., Ltd., thickness: 25 μm) is attached as a protective film so that the release surface is on the resin side, and the core layer A forming resin film was obtained.
At this time, the thickness of the resin layer formed from the resin varnish for forming the core layer can be arbitrarily adjusted by adjusting the gap of the coating machine, and the film thickness will be described later.

<Example of production of optical waveguide in FIG. 4>
A 100 mm × 100 mm polyimide film (polyimide: Kapton EN, thickness: 12.5 μm) was used as the substrate 15, and the protective film of the 15 μm-thick clad layer forming resin film obtained above was peeled off, and then subjected to vacuum application. Using a pressure laminator (MVLP-500, manufactured by Meiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), after vacuuming to 500 Pa or less, lamination was performed by thermocompression bonding under conditions of a pressure of 0.4 MPa, a temperature of 110 ° C., and a pressurization time of 30 seconds. . Subsequently, ultraviolet rays (wavelength 365 nm) were irradiated at ³ J / cm ² from the support film side of the resin film for forming a clad layer using an ultraviolet exposure machine (EXM-1172, manufactured by Oak Manufacturing Co., Ltd.). Thereafter, the support film was peeled off and cured at 170 ° C. for 1 hour. The thickness of the lower clad 32 was 15 μm from the substrate 1.

  Next, after the protective film is peeled off the 45 μm-thick core layer-forming resin film obtained above from the lower clad 32 forming surface side formed above, a roll laminator (HLM manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Technoplant Co., Ltd., HLM) is used. -1500) is laminated under the conditions of a pressure of 0.4 MPa, a temperature of 50 ° C., and a laminating speed of 0.2 m / min, and then the above-described vacuum pressure laminator (manufactured by Meiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd., MVLP-500) is used. After vacuuming below, thermocompression bonding was performed under the conditions of a pressure of 0.4 MPa, a temperature of 70 ° C., and a pressurization time of 30 seconds.

Subsequently, through a negative photomask having openings (45 μm × 90 mm, 3 lines / group at a pitch of 250 μm, pitch between each group is 10 mm, 5 groups), using the UV exposure machine from the support film side, Ultraviolet rays (wavelength 365 nm) were irradiated at 0.8 J / cm ² , and then after exposure for 5 minutes at 80 ° C., heating was performed. Thereafter, the PET film as the support film was peeled off and etched using a developer (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate / N, N-dimethylacetamide = 8/2, mass ratio). Then, it wash | cleaned using the washing | cleaning liquid (isopropanol), and heat-dried at 100 degreeC for 10 minute (s), and the core pattern 20 was formed. The height of the obtained core pattern 20 from the surface of the lower clad 32 was 45 μm. The core width was 45 μm.

  Two optical path conversion mirrors 40 having 45 ° inclined surfaces facing each other using a dicing saw (DAC552, manufactured by Disco Corporation) from the surface of the obtained optical waveguide on which the core pattern 20 is formed (of the optical path conversion mirror 40). The interval was 50 mm).

From the obtained core pattern 20, the 75 μm-thick clad layer forming resin film obtained above was peeled off the protective film, and then a vacuum pressure laminator (MVLP-500, manufactured by Meiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) was used. After vacuuming to 500 Pa or less, lamination was performed by thermocompression bonding under conditions of a pressure of 0.4 MPa, a temperature of 110 ° C., and a pressurization time of 30 seconds.
Subsequently, a light-shielding part (a light-shielding part of 200 μm × 1 mm on the optical path conversion mirror 40 and a light-shielding part of φ100 μm to form a marker gap is formed in the vicinity of the three core patterns 20 and the core pattern 20 In the same direction, there are 2 in the 1st set, 3 in the 2nd set, 3 in the Nth set, and (N + 1) in the Nth set. The negative photomask having the above is disposed, and using the above-described ultraviolet exposure machine, ultraviolet light (wavelength 365 nm) is irradiated at 350 mJ / cm ² from the support film side of the clad layer forming resin film, Thereafter, the support film is peeled off, the developing resin (1% potassium carbonate aqueous solution) is used to remove the resin for forming the upper clad layer in the uncured portion, and then the substrate is washed with water. And irradiated with 3.0 J / cm ² , dried and cured at 170 ° C. for 1 hour. The thickness of the upper clad 34 was 75 μm from the surface of the lower clad 32.

The obtained optical waveguide was processed into individual pieces of 70 mm × 8 mm so as to enclose the marker upper gap 52 using a dicing saw (DAC552, manufactured by DISCO Corporation) equipped with a rectangular dicing blade.
Since the obtained optical waveguide with a mirror has (N + 1) number of marker upper gaps in the Nth, the location is clear and the direction of the surface view can be easily determined. The marker was easily visible under white illumination.

Example 2
<Example of production of optical waveguide in FIG. 3>
In Example 1, before the individual piece processing, a polyimide film (thickness 12.5 μm) with a transparent thermosetting adhesive (thickness 15 μm) is used as the upper substrate 60, and a roll laminator (Hitachi Chemical Technoplant) is used. HLM-1500, manufactured by Co., Ltd. under the conditions of a pressure of 0.4 MPa, a temperature of 50 ° C., a laminating speed of 0.2 m / min, and further heated at 180 ° C. for 1 hour, and then processed individually. An optical waveguide with a mirror was produced by the method described above.
Since the obtained optical waveguide with a mirror has (N + 1) number of marker upper gaps in the Nth, the location is clear and the direction of the surface view can be easily determined. The marker was easily visible under white illumination.

Example 3
<Example of Fabrication of Optical Waveguide in FIG. 2>
In Example 2, after laminating a resin film for forming a clad layer having a thickness of 15 μm as the lower clad, in the negative photomask having the light shielding part for forming the upper clad used in Example 1, in the vicinity of 40 parts of the optical path conversion mirror UV light (wavelength 365 nm) was irradiated at 350 mJ / cm ² through a negative photomask with the light-shielding part as an opening. Thereafter, the support film is peeled off, the uncured resin for forming the lower clad layer is removed using a developer (1% aqueous potassium carbonate solution), washed with water, and further washed with water using the UV exposure machine. An optical waveguide with a mirror was produced in the same manner except that it was irradiated with 0 J / cm ² , dried and cured at 170 ° C. for 1 hour, and then cured.
Since the obtained optical waveguide with a mirror has (N + 1) number of marker upper gaps in the Nth, the location is clear and the direction of the surface view can be easily determined. The marker was easily visible under white illumination.

Example 4
<Example of Fabrication of Optical Waveguide in FIG. 5>
In Example 2, the lower clad 32 and the upper clad A 34 are not provided with marker openings (only the upper clad of the optical path conversion mirror 40 is opened), and after forming the upper clad A 34, another upper clad 15 μm photosensitive resist colored by green (made by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Photec) is laminated as B 36 on the upper clad A 34 using the above roll laminator, and used for forming the upper clad A 34 in Example 2. Using a conventional negative photomask, ultraviolet rays (wavelength 365 nm) were irradiated at 350 mJ / cm ² . Thereafter, the support film is peeled off, and another uncured upper clad B 36 is removed using a developer (1% aqueous potassium carbonate solution), followed by washing with water, and further using the above ultraviolet exposure machine. The marker was irradiated with 0 J / cm ² , dried and cured at 170 ° C. for 1 hour, and the marker second upper gap 56 was produced.
Since the obtained optical waveguide with a mirror has (N + 1) number of marker upper gaps in the Nth position, the location is also clearer and the direction of the surface view can be easily determined. In addition, the said marker was visually recognizable more easily under white illumination.

  As described in detail above, it is possible to obtain an optical waveguide with a marker that can easily distinguish the front and back of the optical waveguide. Therefore, it is useful as a device for optical signal propagation, an optical path conversion component, a photoelectric conversion component, and the like.

S Symmetry axis 10, 10a, 10b, 10c Optical waveguide 15 Substrate 20 Core pattern 30 Clad 32 Lower clad 34 Upper clad 36 Another upper clad 40 Optical path conversion mirror 50 Marker gap 52 Marker upper gap 54 Marker lower gap Part 56 Second upper gap for marker (another upper gap for marker)
60 Upper substrate 62 Upper substrate body 64 Adhesive layer 70 Space

Claims (13)

The core pattern,
A clad covering the core pattern;
An optical path conversion mirror for converting the optical path of the core pattern;
A marker optical waveguide provided with a marker gap formed in the cladding,
In the marker gap, the optical waveguide with the marker is placed so that the optical axis direction of the core pattern is in the vertical direction, and the light propagating through the core pattern is converted by the optical path conversion mirror and emitted. Or when the marker gap is observed from the direction opposite to the direction in which the light propagating through the core pattern is optically path-converted by the optical path conversion mirror and emitted. Alternatively, an optical waveguide with a marker formed at a position. The clad has a lower clad in which the core pattern is laminated, and an upper clad laminated in the lower clad so as to cover the core pattern,
The marker optical waveguide according to claim 1, wherein the marker gap is formed in the upper clad.   The optical waveguide with a marker according to claim 2, wherein the marker gap portion communicates with the upper clad and the lower clad in the stacking direction. The clad has a lower clad in which the core pattern is laminated, an upper clad laminated in the lower clad so as to cover the core pattern, and a colored photosensitive clad laminated in the upper clad,
The optical waveguide with a marker according to claim 1, wherein the marker gap is formed in the colored photosensitive cladding. The clad has a lower clad in which the core pattern is laminated, an upper clad A laminated on the lower clad so as to cover the core pattern, and another upper clad B laminated on the upper clad A. And
2. The optical waveguide with a marker according to claim 1, wherein the marker gap is formed in the upper clad B. 3. Comprising a transmissive substrate laminated to the cladding,
The optical waveguide with a marker according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate closes the gap for the marker.   The distance between the optical path conversion mirror and the marker gap in the optical axis direction is associated with a location number when observed from the stacking direction. Optical waveguide with marker.   7. The marker-attached optical waveguide according to claim 1, wherein the marker gap is formed at a position that does not overlap the core pattern when observed from the stacking direction.   The optical waveguide with a marker according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a symmetry axis for judging left-right asymmetry is a position where the core pattern is left-right symmetric. The clad has a space part different from the marker gap part,
The optical path conversion mirror is formed at a position exposed inside the space portion,
The optical waveguide with a marker according to claim 7, wherein a distance between the space and the marker gap in the optical axis direction is associated with a location number when observed from the stacking direction.   The optical waveguide with a marker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the shape of the marker gap is associated with a location number when observed from the stacking direction.   The optical waveguide with a marker according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a shape of the marker gap when observed from the stacking direction is a circle, a polygon, an ellipse, a star, or a combination thereof. .   The marker optical waveguide according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the marker gap is formed by photolithography.

Images