JPH05313045A - Optical coupling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform easy adjustment for the optical axis alignment between surface light emitting elements or surface light receiving elements disposed in the arrayed state and optical fibers disposed in the arrayed state, and facilitate the airtight sealing of the optical elements. CONSTITUTION:Plural optical elements 3 are disposed in the arrayed state on a base 6 provided with a cavity 7. After bringing an optical fiber supporting part 2 with optical fibers 1, disposed therein at equal spaces to the optical elements 3, into contact with the base 6, the alignment of optical axes is performed, The cavity 7 is deeper than the thickness of the optical element 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical coupling device, and more particularly to an optical coupling device for connecting an array of optical fibers and a plurality of optical elements arranged in an array.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional optical coupling device. The parallel type optical coupling device of this example has a substrate 8 having a plurality of surface emitting elements or surface receiving optical elements 3 arranged in an array, and the optical axes of the optical elements 3 are aligned with each other to have the same array pitch. The optical fiber support portion 2 supports the arrayed optical fibers 1 arranged in (1), and the frame 9 for fixing the optical fiber support portion 2 and the substrate 8.
The optical element 3 is connected to the substrate 8 by a bonding wire 5 in order to supply an electric signal. The optical element 3 has a light emitting portion or a light receiving portion 4 depending on whether it is a surface light emitting element or a surface light receiving element.

Next, a method of assembling the optical coupling device of this example will be described. A plurality of optical elements 3 are arrayed on the substrate 8 and then fixed. Next, the substrate 8 is fixed to the frame 9. On the other hand, after fixing the optical fibers 1 arranged at the same array pitch as the optical elements 3 to the optical fiber support 2, the frame 9 and the optical fiber support 2 are adjusted and fixed at the optimum position. At this time, the adjustment axes X, Y, Z, θxy, θyz,
6-axis adjustment of θzx is required.

[0004]

In the conventional method of assembling the optical coupling device, it is necessary to adjust the six axes of X, Y, Z, θxy, θyz, and θzx when adjusting the frame 9 and the optical fiber supporting portion 2. Become. Further, since a gap for adjusting the position is required between the frame 9 and the optical fiber supporting portion 2, not only is the fixing method after the alignment difficult, but there are many gaps when the optical element 3 is hermetically sealed. Therefore, there is a problem that airtight sealing becomes difficult.

[0005]

The optical coupling device of the present invention comprises:
A combination of a substrate in which a plurality of optical elements are arranged in an array and an optical fiber supporting portion supporting an array of optical fibers in which the optical axes of the optical elements are aligned and arranged at the same array pitch. In the parallel type optical coupling device, the substrate has a cavity deeper than the thickness of the optical element in a portion where the optical element is mounted.

Then, the substrate and the optical fiber supporting portion are brought into close contact with each other, and the substrate and the optical fiber supporting portion are adhered to each other at a position where the optical axes of the optical elements and the optical fibers are closest to each other. ..

Further, the optical element may be either a surface emitting element for converting electric / optical signals or a surface receiving element for converting optical / electrical signals.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a parallel type optical coupling device showing an embodiment of the optical coupling device of the present invention.

The substrate 6 in this embodiment has a cavity 7 deeper than the thickness of the optical element 3 in a portion where the optical element 3 is mounted. A large number of optical elements 3 (three in FIG. 1) are arranged in the cavity 7 of the substrate 6. At this time, the cavity 7 has a depth such that the bonding wire 5 for supplying a signal or power between each optical element 3 and the substrate 6 does not come into contact with the fiber supporting portion 2. On the other hand, the optical fiber 1 is arranged in the optical fiber supporting portion 2 at the same intervals as the light emitting portion or the light receiving portion 4 of the optical element 3.

Next, the optical axes are aligned after the optical fiber supporting portion 2 and the substrate 6 are brought into close contact with each other. In this embodiment, the degrees of freedom for adjusting the optical axes are three axes of X, Y and θxy. Is easy to adjust. After aligning the optical axes, the optical fiber support portion 2 is adhered and fixed to the substrate 6. Therefore, since the substrate 6 and the optical fiber supporting portion 2 are in close contact with each other during the adjustment, there are few gaps when fixing and the adhesion after the adjustment is easy. In addition, since there are few gaps in the space surrounding the optical element 3, airtight sealing becomes easy.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical element is mounted in the cavity of the substrate, and the end face of each optical fiber and the surface of the substrate are brought into close contact with each other. (1) The degree of freedom for adjusting the optical axes of the optical fiber and the optical element need only be three, which facilitates the adjustment. (2) Since the substrate and the optical fiber supporting portion are in close contact with each other at the time of adjustment, when fixing the both, there is no gap and the adhesive fixing becomes easy. (3) Since the space surrounding the optical element has few gaps, the optical element can be easily hermetically sealed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a parallel type optical coupling device showing an embodiment of the optical coupling device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional optical coupling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Fiber 2 Optical Fiber Support 3 Optical Element 4 Light Emitting Section or Light Receiving Section 5 Bonding Wire 6, 8 Substrate 7 Cavity 9 Frame

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber support unit for supporting a substrate having a plurality of optical elements arranged in an array and an array of optical fibers having optical axes aligned with the optical elements and arranged at the same array pitch. In a parallel type optical coupling device formed by combining the above, the substrate is provided with a cavity deeper than the thickness of the optical element in a portion where the optical element is mounted. 2. The substrate and the optical fiber supporting portion are brought into close contact with each other, and the substrate and the optical fiber supporting portion are adhered to each other at a position where the optical axes of the optical elements and the optical fibers are closest to each other. The optical coupling device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The optical coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is a surface-emitting element that performs electrical / optical signal conversion. 4. The optical coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is a surface light receiving element that performs optical / electrical signal conversion.