JPH06130248A - Method for connecting optical waveguide and optical fiber array - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily connect an optical waveguide and an optical fiber array by observing a connecting part by means of a long focus stereoscopic microscope from diagonally above the optical fiber array and connecting the waveguide and the array upon confirmation that the visible rays on an incident side and exit side exist on a concentrical circle. CONSTITUTION:The waveguide 1 formed by providing an SiO2 clad layer on an Si substrate, constituting an 8-branch optical waveguide of TiO2-doped SiO2 and covering the upper part thereof with SiO2. An He-Ne laser output is made incident from the incident side of the waveguide and two pieces of optical fibers 5 at both ends of the optical fiber array 2 and the juncture is observed via quartz glass in the upper part of the optical fiber array 2 diagonally from above the optical fiber array 2 by the stereoscopic microscope 3. The respective axes of a fine adjustment base are finely adjusted while the rays emitted from two pieces of the optical fibers 5 at both ends of the optical fiber array 2 align to the spot in the waveguide part on the exit end face of the waveguide corresponding thereto on the concentrical circle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a waveguide type optical branching device. Especially 1.3 μm, 1.5
The present invention relates to a simple connection method between an optical waveguide using an invisible ray of μm and an optical fiber array.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the conventional connection method, the waveguide and the optical fiber array are arranged so that the light quantity is simply incident from the waveguide entrance side and the amount of light transmitted through the optical fiber array is maximized.
I was fine-tuning the positional relationship. However, this method requires a considerable amount of labor and time because there are six axes to be adjusted, including translational axes in the X, Y, and Z directions and axes in the respective rotation directions.

[0003]

[Means for solving problems]

[0004]

The present invention solves the above problems. That is, when connecting the optical waveguide and the optical fiber array, visible light is made incident respectively from the incident side of the optical waveguide and the emitting side of the optical fiber array, and the connecting portion is obliquely above the optical fiber array. From optical fiber
An optical waveguide and an optical fiber characterized by making a connection by observing with a long-focus stereomicroscope through a glass plate constituting the upper half and confirming that the visible rays of the both are located on a concentric circle. Regarding connection method of array.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The optical waveguide used in the present invention is S
i, the SiO ₂ cladding layer provided on a substrate such as glass, TiO ₂ de thereon - the SiO ₂ of the flop, from 6 [mu] m 12 [mu] m
Up to a square-shaped optical waveguide, and a cladding layer is again provided on top of it by SiO ₂ so as to cover the optical waveguide portion.

The optical fiber array is a dicing saw or etching on Si, ceramics and glass substrates, and the optical fiber for single mode and multimode is provided with a groove for installation, and the optical fiber is installed. The upper part is pressed with transparent glass or the like and adhered with an ultraviolet curable resin, and the end faces are optically polished. The visible light is HeNe ray.
The output is 1 mW or more.

As a long-focus stereomicroscope, a field of view of about 1 cm square is required on the connection surface to confirm the connection state. Therefore, an objective lens having an aperture diameter of a certain size is required, and therefore the focus is inevitably focused. The longer the distance,
The focal length is set to 5 cm or more to ensure workability during connection work, and the magnification is set to 20 or more because it is necessary to check the connection state visually or with a monitor-camera. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, (1) an optical waveguide, (2) an optical fiber array,
(3) Stereomicroscope, (4) visible light source, (5) optical fiber for connection, spot of the visible light emitting portion on the end face of the waveguide, and optical fiber facing it-optical fibers at both ends of array- Make sure that the visible light emitted from is coincident with the concentric circles.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described.

Example 1 A SiO ₂ clad layer was provided on a Si substrate, and an 8-branched optical waveguide having a rectangular cross-section of 8 μm at one location on the incident side and eight locations on the exit side with a 250 μm pitch was formed on the TiO ₂ cladding layer.
A waveguide (1) composed of doped SiO ₂ and having an upper portion covered with SiO ₂ was used.

In the optical fiber array, grooves having an equilateral triangular cross section with a pitch of 250 μm and a depth of 150 μm are provided on a Si substrate shown in FIG.
Eight single mode fibers for 1.3 μm and 1.5 μm shown in (6) are installed, and the two shown in FIG.
A quartz glass plate having a thickness of mm was adhered with an ultraviolet curable resin.
A He-Ne laser output of 2 mw is made incident from the waveguide entrance side and the optical fiber-two fibers at both ends of the optical fiber array from above with a stereo microscope with a focal length of 10 cm and a magnification of 20 times. Observe the connection part obliquely through the silica glass on the top of the optical fiber array.
While confirming with the stereomicroscope of FIG. 1 (3) so that the light rays emitted from the two fibers at the both ends of the optical axis coincide with the spots of the waveguide portion on the exit end face of the waveguide corresponding thereto, FIG. Each axis of each fine adjustment table shown in (9) was finely adjusted. The above process could be easily connected in about 10 minutes.

[0010]

[Comparative Example 1] Under the same conditions as above, when the He-Ne laser was incident on only one side, the position of the other side to be connected was not known and connection could not be made in a short time.

[0011]

[Comparative Example 2] In the connection without using visible light, one hour was required for connection because there are six adjustable axes to be finely adjusted as shown in FIG.

[0012]

As described above, (1) According to the present invention, the optical waveguide and the optical fiber array can be connected very easily.

(2) Further, since the visible light can be used for the connection between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber array using the invisible light such as infrared rays, there is an advantage in economical efficiency such as improvement in workability. .

[0014]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a method of connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber array according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the connection surface side of the optical fiber array. FIG. 3 shows a conventional connection method. Reference numeral 1 is an optical waveguide. 2 is an optical fiber array. 3 is a long focus stereo microscope. 4 is a visible light source. Reference numeral 5 is an optical fiber for connection. 6 is a Si substrate. 7 is an optical fiber. 8 is a glass plate. Reference numeral 9 is a light source of 1.3 μm or 1.5 μm. Reference numeral 10 is a movable table for fine adjustment. Reference numeral 11 is a transmitted light amount measuring power meter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber array, visible light is made incident respectively from an incident side of the optical waveguide and an optical fiber-emitting side of the optical waveguide, and a portion to be a connecting portion is an optical fiber array. It is characterized in that the connection is confirmed by observing from a diagonally upper direction with a long focus stereomicroscope through a glass plate constituting the optical fiber-array upper half and locating the visible rays of the both on a concentric circle. How to connect optical waveguide and optical fiber.