JPH06194543A - Optical waveguide part and their production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the optical waveguide parts with which the failure of an optical waveguide and guide pin insertion holes is suppressed at the time of connecting these parts to an optical fiber connector by means of guide pins. CONSTITUTION:This optical waveguide part A is the optical waveguide part to be connected at its end face to the optical fiber connector via the guide pins and consists of an optical waveguide part body A1 formed with an optical waveguide core part 2 and a resin molding part A2 cladding the circumference, exclusive of the end face, of the optical waveguide part body A1. The end face of the resin molding part A2 is formed with the guide pin insertion holes 9a, 9b with the optical waveguide core part 2 as a reference for position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical waveguide component used by connecting an optical fiber connector to an end face and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, an optical waveguide used by connecting an optical fiber connector without alignment. The present invention relates to parts and manufacturing methods thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An optical waveguide component in which an optical waveguide core portion having a predetermined pattern is embedded in a clad portion is used by connecting a single-core or multi-core optical fiber connector to both end faces thereof. In this case, the optical fiber connector is connected by abutting the end face of the optical fiber connector to the end face of the optical waveguide component, aligning each optical axis of the optical waveguide core and each optical axis of the optical fiber, and then bonding the both. Alternatively, there are a method of welding and fixing and a method of connecting without alignment described later.

An unaligned connection is made to, for example, an optical waveguide component as shown in FIG. In the figure, in an optical waveguide component A, a waveguide core formed by arranging silica glass optical waveguide cores 2a at a predetermined pitch in a width direction of a substrate 1 on a waveguide substrate 1 such as a Si substrate having a predetermined thickness. Part 2
However, it also exists in a state of being embedded in the cladding portion 3 of quartz glass (having a smaller refractive index than the quartz glass of the core).

Then, by using a dicer, for example, from the upper surface of the clad portion 3 to the bottom portion of the substrate 1, two grooves 3a, 3b having a predetermined width and depth and extending in the longitudinal direction of the component 1 are formed. The optical waveguide core portion 2 described above is engraved with reference to positioning. In these grooves 3a and 3b,
Guide pins 4a and 4b having a predetermined diameter are arranged respectively, and the whole is pressed by a holding plate 5 such as a quartz glass plate, whereby the guide pins 4a and 4b are inserted into the grooves 3a and 4a.
It is fixed in 3b.

On the other hand, the optical fiber connectors 6 and 6 have built-in optical fibers aligned at the same pitch as the cores 2a of the optical waveguide core portion 2 of the optical waveguide component A, and guide pins are provided on both sides. Pin holes 6a and 6b are formed so as to be coaxial with 4a and 4b. When connecting the optical fiber connectors 6 and 6 to the optical waveguide part A, the guide pin 4
a and 4b are pin holes 6a and 6 of the optical fiber connectors 6 and 6, respectively.
The end surface of the optical waveguide component A and the end surface of the optical fiber connector 6 are brought into contact with each other through b, and they are pressed against each other using, for example, a spring clip 7.

The optical waveguide core portion 2 and the optical fiber connector 6
The optical axis of the optical fiber coincides with that of the optical fiber, and the optical connection is completed without performing the aligning work there.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned unaligned connection method, even if the guide pin is detached or attached, or after the optical waveguide component and the optical fiber connector are connected, even a small amount of the connection portion is present. When a load is applied, a crack may occur near the grooves 3a and 3b of the optical waveguide component at the connecting portion.

The grooves 3a and 3b of the optical waveguide part A are
Guide pins 4a, 4b used from the upper surface of the clad portion 3
It is engraved to a depth that can be placed, for example,
When the substrate 1 has a thickness of about 1 mm, the depth of the grooves 3a, 3b cut into the substrate becomes relatively deeper than the thickness of the substrate, which may cause a decrease in the strength of the substrate 1.

Furthermore, in a component in which the pattern of the core 2a of the optical waveguide core portion 2 is freely formed in the optical waveguide component with a two-dimensional spread, the two-dimensional pattern is obtained when the grooves 3a and 3b are engraved. There is a case that the core pattern that spreads over is cut off. In order to avoid such a problem, it is necessary to increase the processing cost at the time of engraving the groove and to increase the size of the entire optical waveguide part A.

According to the present invention, the groove for the guide pin for connecting the optical fiber connector is formed without carving from the upper surface of the clad portion to the substrate, and after the connection with the optical fiber connector, the connecting portion is formed. Even if a load is applied to the optical waveguide component, it is difficult for cracks or breakage to occur near the substrate or guide pin insertion hole of the optical waveguide component.
An optical waveguide component capable of forming a guide pin insertion hole without damaging the optical waveguide core portion even when the optical waveguide core portion having a two-dimensional expansion is formed, and a method of manufacturing the same. The purpose is to provide.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, an optical waveguide component whose end face is connected to an optical fiber connector through a guide pin, wherein an optical waveguide core portion is formed. The optical waveguide component body and a resin mold portion formed by enclosing the periphery of the optical waveguide component body other than the end face, and the optical waveguide core portion is provided on the end face of the resin mold portion. Provided is an optical waveguide component having a guide pin insertion hole formed on the basis of a position.

In the present invention, the surface of the substrate is
After forming a clad portion in which the optical waveguide core portion is embedded, after forming a light guide component body by closely fixing a holding plate member on the clad portion or on the back surface of the substrate, to form the optical waveguide component body, A core for a guide pin is formed on the holding plate member by forming a marker portion with the optical waveguide core portion as a position reference, and then disposing the optical waveguide component body with the marker portion as a position reference. After being housed in a mold having, after casting a mold resin in the mold, the resulting cast product is taken out of the mold, the core is removed, and the end face of the optical waveguide component is removed. There is provided a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide component, characterized in that guide pin insertion holes are formed in an end surface of a resin mold portion that encloses the surroundings other than the above, and further, at least three pin rods capable of minute movement are provided in the bottom portion. Provided After disposing the guide pin and the optical fiber ferrule in which the optical fiber is set on the upper part of the mold, the optical waveguide component main body in which the optical waveguide core is embedded The optical fiber ferrule is placed on the at least three pin rods so that the end surface of the core portion and the end surface of the optical fiber ferrule face each other, and then the movements of the pin rods are finely adjusted so that the optical waveguide core portion and the optical waveguide After adjusting the axis of the optical fiber of the fiber ferrule and then casting the mold resin into the mold, the resulting cast product is taken out of the mold, and the guide pin is pulled out, and the optical waveguide body There is provided a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide component, characterized in that a guide pin insertion hole is formed in an end surface of a resin mold portion that encloses a periphery other than the end surface.

[0013]

In the optical waveguide component of the present invention, the periphery of the optical waveguide component main body excluding both end faces to be connected to the optical fiber connector, that is, the upper surface, the lower surface and both side surfaces are covered with the resin having high elasticity. A resin mold portion is formed. A guide pin insertion hole is formed on the end surface of the resin mold portion with the optical waveguide core portion of the optical waveguide component as a positioning reference.

At the time of connection with the optical fiber connector, the guide pin is inserted into the guide pin insertion hole, and the end face of the optical waveguide component body and the end face of the optical fiber connector are inserted with the guide pin inserted into the pin hole of the optical fiber connector. The two are brought into contact with each other and fixed by pressure contact with, for example, a spring clip. in this way,
Unlike the case of FIG. 11, the optical waveguide component according to the present invention does not have the deep grooves 3a and 3b formed in the substrate 1 so that the strength thereof does not decrease and the resin mold in which the guide pin insertion hole is formed is formed. Since the part is highly elastic, even if a load is applied to this connection part after connection, the load will also be absorbed by the resin mold part, and the occurrence of cracks, breakage, etc. in the substrate and insertion hole will be suppressed. To be done.

Further, when the guide pin insertion hole is formed in the resin mold portion, the guide pin insertion hole positioning reference at the time of molding the resin may be a mark attached to the surface of the pressing plate member, as in the conventional case. Since the groove does not have to be deeply carved on the upper surface, even if the optical waveguide core portion has a two-dimensionally spreading pattern, it is not cut into pieces and the optical waveguide component can be downsized accordingly. become.

The optical waveguide component and the method for producing the same according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An optical waveguide component and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Example 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical waveguide component of the present invention.

In the figure, an optical waveguide component A is composed of an optical waveguide component main body A ₁ and a resin mold portion A ₂ which covers the periphery other than the end face thereof. Optical waveguide component body A ₁
Is composed of a substrate 1 made of, for example, Si, a cladding portion 3 located on the substrate, and an optical waveguide core portion 2 embedded in the cladding portion 3 and having cores 2a aligned at a predetermined pitch on the end face. Further, a quartz glass plate 8 having a desired thickness, for example, as a pressing plate member is bonded to the upper surface of the clad portion 3 with an adhesive.

On the upper surface of the quartz glass plate 8, two Vs of appropriate depth are formed with the optical waveguide core portion 2 as a positioning reference.
V-shaped grooves 8a, 8b are engraved, and these V-shaped grooves 8a, 8b are formed.
b functions as a positioning reference for guide pin insertion holes, which will be described later, at the time of resin molding, that is, as a marker portion. Resin mold part A ₂ that encloses the periphery of the optical waveguide component body A _1.
On the end face of the guide pin insertion hole 9 having a predetermined diameter and a predetermined length.
a and 9b are formed.

At the time of connection with the optical fiber connector, guide pins are inserted into these guide pin insertion holes 9a and 9b,
Further, the remaining portion of the guide pin may be inserted into a pin hole formed at the same position as the guide pin insertion hole on the end face of the optical fiber connector, and both may be brought into contact with each other. The guide pin insertion holes 9a, 9b are formed with the V-shaped grooves 8a, 8b as the positioning reference, and these V-shaped grooves 8a, 8b are carved with the optical waveguide core portion 2 as the positioning reference.
After all, the guide pin insertion holes 9a and 9b are equivalent to those formed with the optical waveguide core portion as a positioning reference, and the optical fiber of the optical fiber connector and each core 2a of the optical waveguide core portion 2 have their optical axes mutually. Connected in a matched state.

The optical waveguide component A can be manufactured as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 1
A cladding portion 3 and an optical waveguide core portion 2 embedded in the cladding portion 3 are formed on the surface of the substrate in accordance with a conventional method, for example, and a pressing plate member is formed on the cladding portion 3 by using, for example, a heat-resistant epoxy resin adhesive. The quartz glass plate 8 is bonded and fixed. At this time, the thickness of the quartz glass plate 8 may be arbitrary, and for example, when the thickness of the substrate 1 is 1 mm and the thickness of the cladding portion 3 is about 50 μm, it may be about 0.5 mm.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, two V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b are formed on the upper surface of the quartz glass plate 8 with the optical waveguide core portion 2 as a positioning reference by a processing means such as a dicer. To do. Since this V-shaped groove is a positioning reference for the guide pin insertion hole at the time of resin molding described later,
It suffices if the positional relationship with the optical waveguide core portion 2 is displayed. For example, a shallow groove whose depth does not reach the upper surface of the cladding portion 3 is sufficient.

This optical waveguide main body A ₁ is manufactured as follows. It will be described based on FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 which is a sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4. That is, the cladding portion 3 in which the optical waveguide core portion 2 made of the core 2a is embedded is formed on the substrate 1 such as a Si wafer by a normal flame deposition method.

At this time, no clad is formed in the longitudinal direction on a part of the core 2a group constituting the optical waveguide core portion 2 so that the optical waveguide core portion 2 itself can express its own position. Keep it. Then, a quartz glass plate 8 having a thickness of 1 mm, for example, as a pressing plate member is attached to the entire surface of the clad portion 3 with a thermosetting adhesive.

Thereafter, with reference to the partial core group of the optical waveguide core portion 2 visually recognized from the quartz glass plate 8, the surface of the quartz glass plate 8 extends in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide core portion 2, and the depth is Two V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b of about 0.2 mm are engraved as a marker portion. The depths of the V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b may be adjusted by using the height direction markers 10a and 10b engraved in the direction orthogonal to the optical waveguide core portion 2.

After that, the substrate 1 is cut along the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide core portion 2 by using a dicer or the like with the V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b as reference positions, and the optical waveguide component as shown in FIG. Cut out the main body A ₁ individually. Then, the obtained optical waveguide component body is set in a mold. At this time, a pin having a diameter of, for example, about 0.3 mm is arranged in the mold at a position corresponding to the above-described V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b, and the V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b of the optical waveguide component main body are arranged on the pins. Press to set the optical waveguide component body in the mold.

Further, with the pin as a position reference, a core for a guide pin having a diameter of, for example, 0.7 mm is arranged in the mold, and then the mold resin is filled in the mold. After the resin curing is completed, the whole body is taken out of the mold and the core is removed. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical waveguide part body A ₁ and its outer periphery are filled with the V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b. And a resin mold A ₂ in which guide pin insertion holes 9a and 9b are formed on both end surfaces of the optical waveguide core portion 2 at predetermined positions.
Is obtained.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment, in this case, the substrate 1
Adhere a quartz glass plate 8 as a pressing plate member to the back surface of
V-shaped grooves 8a and 8b are engraved therein and the whole is resin-molded. Example 3 In FIG. 7, the quartz glass plate 8 adhered to the surface of the clad portion 3 in Example 1 is divided into two quartz glass plates 8c and 8d, each of which is formed in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide core portion 2. It shows the state where they are separately attached.

Also in this case, the desired optical waveguide component can be manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1. In the case of the third embodiment, when the resin is molded in the mold, the two quartz glass plates 8c and 8d are caught in the molding resin, and it is possible to effectively prevent the optical waveguide component body from being pulled out. To be

Incidentally, in Examples 1 to 3, the quartz glass plate 8 to be attached to the surface of the clad portion 3 as a pressing plate member.
Is a V-shaped groove 8 that is a marker portion that functions as a position reference when setting the optical waveguide component body in the mold.
The a and 8b are provided to prevent the optical waveguide core portion 2 from being cut, that is, provided to protect the optical waveguide core portion 2. Therefore, the thickness and material of the pressing plate member are not particularly limited as long as this object can be achieved.

The pressing plate member is not limited to the plate as described above, and for example, water glass is applied to the surface of the clad portion 3 in a desired thickness, or a known flame deposition method is used. The clad may be formed by thickly depositing. Further, although the V-shaped groove is shown as the marker portion in the above embodiments, the shape of the marker portion is not limited to this in the present invention, and for example, a conical shape may be formed in the direction in which the optical waveguide core portion extends. A plurality of concave portions may be formed.
In short, any mark may be used as long as the position is determined with reference to the optical waveguide core.

Embodiment 4 FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another manufacturing method. In FIG. 8, an optical waveguide component body A ₁ having an optical waveguide core portion 2 formed in the same manner as in Example ₁ is prepared. Then, the optical waveguide component body A ₁ has X, Y, Z, θ _x ,
It is set on a fine adjustment stand (not shown) that can make small movements in the θ _y and θ _z directions.

On the optical waveguide component body A ₁ , a holding plate member such as a quartz glass plate piece 8 is attached with an ultraviolet curable adhesive 11. On the surface of the quartz glass plate piece 8, there are formed poch holes 8e and 8f as marker portions, and there are pinch hole pressing pins 13 aligned with the optical fibers 12 and 12 to be aligned. By being fitted, the quartz glass plate piece 8 becomes the optical fibers 12, 12
Is positioned relative to.

Here, a fine adjustment table (not shown) is operated.
Since the quartz glass plate piece 8 is fixed to the optical waveguide component body A ₁ by the Poch hole pressing pin 13, it can move with respect to the optical waveguide component body A _1, but does not change with respect to the optical fibers 12 and 12. Keep the position. In this way, after the optical axes of the optical fibers 12 and 12 and the cores 2a of the optical waveguide core portion 2 are aligned, the ultraviolet curable resin is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the resin. The quartz glass plate piece 8 is fixed to the optical waveguide component body A ₁ .

Next, the potch hole pressing pin 13 is pulled out, the optical waveguide component body A ₁ to which only the quartz glass plate piece 8 is fixed is put in a mold, and the guide pin is set with the potch holes 8e and 8f as position references. A core for use is arranged, resin molding is performed, and after the molding resin is cured, the core is removed. As a result, it is possible to obtain an optical waveguide component in which guide pin insertion holes whose position reference is the potch holes 8e and 8f which are marker parts formed with the optical waveguide core 2 as the position reference are formed.

Embodiment 5 FIGS. 9 and 10 are perspective views for explaining a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide component of the present invention by directly setting the optical waveguide component main body in a mold without forming a marker portion. Is. First, the upper portions of both side walls of the mold 14 having the upper opening are cut out to form large V-shaped grooves 14a, 14a; 14b, 14
b is provided, and a small V is provided between these V-shaped grooves.
Character grooves 14c, 14c; 14d, 14d are provided. And the large V-shaped grooves 14a, 14a; 14b, 1
Two guide pins 4a and 4b are fixed to each 4b in a suspended state. Also, a small V-shaped groove 1
4c, 14c, 14d and 14d respectively have optical fiber ferrules 15, 15, 15, 15 for inputting / outputting light.
4 are fixed.

Here, between the guide pins 4a and 4b and the optical fiber ferrules 15, 15, 15 and 15, the respective V-shaped grooves are engraved so that their axial centers are aligned in a predetermined positional relationship. Has been done. Then, three or more (6 in the figure) pin rods 16 capable of minute movement in the vertical direction are projected from the bottom of the mold 14 such as the tip pointer of a dial gauge, and these pin rods are respectively X-shaped. , Y, Z, and θ _y directions can be micro-moved.

In the die 14 in this state, as shown in FIG.
As shown in, the optical waveguide component body A _{1 in} which the optical waveguide core portion 2 is embedded is placed on the pin rod 16 to hold the optical waveguide component body A ₁ in the hollow, and The end face of the core and the end face of each optical fiber ferrule 15 are opposed to each other. After that, the optical fiber ferrule 1
5, 15, 15, 15 and the optical fibers 12, 12, 12, 12 set in the respective cores 2 of the optical waveguide core portion 2.
The axial alignment with a is performed by finely adjusting the protruding length of each pin rod 16 and each pin rod.

After the alignment is completed, the optical waveguide component body A
While lightly pressing so that ₁ does not move, mold resin is poured into the mold 14. After curing the resin, cast the product into the mold 1
4, and the guide pins 4a, 4b and the optical fiber ferrules 15, 15, 15, 15 are removed. As a result, the periphery of the optical waveguide component body A ₁ is covered with the mold resin, and the guide resin insertion hole positioned with respect to the optical waveguide core portion 2 is formed in the mold resin portion.

As described above, in any of the above embodiments, by forming the guide pin insertion hole with the optical waveguide core portion as the position reference, it is possible to perform an unaligned connection with the optical fiber connector. When the guide pin insertion hole is formed in the end surface of the resin mold portion, the hole diameter of the guide pin insertion hole may be slightly larger than the diameter of the guide pin to be fitted. After filling the hole with an adhesive etc. and inserting / fitting the guide pin of the optical fiber connector here, and then performing a fine alignment between the optical fiber connector and the optical waveguide part, the adhesive Can be cured.

[0041]

As is apparent from the above description, in the optical waveguide component of the present invention, the guide pin insertion hole for connecting with the optical fiber connector is formed in the resin mold portion enclosing the optical waveguide component main body. Therefore, even if a load is applied after the connection, the occurrence of damage to the guide pin insertion hole, damage to the board, etc. is suppressed.

Further, since it is not necessary to engrave a deep groove from the upper surface of the clad portion and use the groove for the guide pin arrangement as in the conventional case, the pattern of the optical waveguide core portion having a two-dimensional expansion is required. Even in the case of a component having, the core pattern is not cut off.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical waveguide component of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical waveguide component body of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical waveguide component body having a V-shaped groove formed therein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a method for directly manufacturing the optical waveguide component body of the present invention on a Si wafer (substrate).

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another optical waveguide component of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another method of directly manufacturing the optical waveguide component body of the present invention on a Si wafer (substrate).

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a method of manufacturing the optical waveguide component body of the present invention, using the Poch hole positioned with respect to the optical fiber as a marker portion.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a mold used in another method of manufacturing the optical waveguide component of the present invention.

10 is a perspective view showing a state where the optical waveguide component body is hollowly held in the mold of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which an optical fiber connector is connected to a conventional optical waveguide component.

[Explanation of symbols]

A Optical waveguide component A ₁ Optical waveguide component main body A ₂ Resin mold part 1 Substrate 2 Optical waveguide core part 2a Core 3 Clad part 4a, 4b Guide pin 5 Holding plate (quartz glass plate) 6 Optical fiber connector 6a, 6b Optical fiber connector 6 pin holes 7 spring clips 8 quartz glass plates 8a, 8b V-shaped grooves 8c, 8d separated quartz glass plates 8e, 8f potch holes 9a, 9b guide pin insertion holes 10a, 10b height direction marker 11 UV curable adhesive 12 optical fiber 13 potch hole holding pin 14 mold 14a, 14b V-shaped groove (large) 14c, 14d V-shaped groove (small) 15 optical fiber ferrule 16 pin rod

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Takeo Shimizu 2-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An optical waveguide component whose end face is connected to an optical fiber connector via a guide pin, the optical waveguide component body having an optical waveguide core portion formed thereon, and other than the end face of the optical waveguide component body. And a resin mold portion formed so as to cover the periphery, and a guide pin insertion hole is formed on an end surface of the resin mold portion with the optical waveguide core portion as a position reference. Optical waveguide component. 2. The optical waveguide component body is formed by forming a clad portion in which an optical waveguide core portion is embedded on the surface of a substrate, and then closely fixing a holding plate member on the clad portion or on the back surface of the substrate. After forming, on the pressing plate member of the optical waveguide component body, a marker portion is formed with the optical waveguide core portion as a position reference, and then the optical waveguide component body with the marker portion as a position reference. After being housed in a mold having a core for the arranged guide pin, a mold resin is cast into the mold, and then the obtained cast product is taken out from the mold and the core is removed. A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide component, which is formed by withdrawing and forming a guide pin insertion hole in an end face of a resin mold portion that covers the periphery other than the end face of the optical waveguide component. 3. A guide pin and an optical fiber ferrule in which an optical fiber is set are arranged in a state of being positioned on the upper part of a mold having at least three pin rods capable of micromovement at the bottom. Then, the optical waveguide component main body in which the optical waveguide core portion is embedded is placed on the at least three pin rods so that the end surface of the optical waveguide core portion and the end surface of the optical fiber ferrule face each other. Then, finely adjusting the movement of the pin rod, after adjusting the axis of the optical waveguide core portion and the optical fiber of the optical fiber ferrule, mold resin is poured into the mold, and then the obtained casting Take out the mold product from the mold, remove the guide pin, and insert the guide pin into the end face of the resin mold part that covers the periphery other than the end face of the optical waveguide part body. A method of manufacturing an optical waveguide component, which comprises forming a hole.