JPH07151929A - Fiber array - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent peeling between optical fibers and adhesive layers, etc., and to facilitate alignment by providing a substrate with grooves in positions not in contact with optical parts in a direction perpendicular to V-grooves for arraying plural optical fibers in a transverse direction. CONSTITUTION:The plural V-grooves 2 for holding the optical fibers 3 are formed by cutting using a diamond blade on the front surface of the substrate 1, such as quartz plate, Si substrate or glass substrate, and further, the substrate is provided with the grooves 4 in the positions not facing the surface for connection to the optical parts, such as optical waveguides, in the direction perpendicular to the V-grooves 2. A cap 5 placed on these grooves 2, 4, the optical fibers 3 and the substrate 1 are fixed by adhesives. As a result, the peeling between the optical fibers 3 and the adhesive layers or between the V-grooves 2 and the adhesive layers is suppressed. Transmission loss and the degradation in reflection attenuation quantity are eliminated. The grooves 4 existing in the direction perpendicular to the V-grooves 3 which receive the optical fibers 3 exist in the positions not facing the contact surfaces and, therefore, the problem that the movement of the optical fibers 3 is inferior and the aligning is difficult is eliminated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fiber array used for connecting an optical component such as an optical waveguide and an optical fiber. Further, the present invention comprises a substrate having a V groove for arranging at least two or more optical fiber strands laterally, one or more optical fibers and a lid, and fixing them with an adhesive. The present invention provides a new fiber array.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A fiber array is used for connecting one or more optical fibers to an optical component such as an optical waveguide, and has a V groove for arranging at least two or more optical fiber strands in a lateral direction. It is composed of a substrate, one or more optical fibers and a lid, which are fixed by an adhesive.

A fiber array is very effective in connecting optical components such as an optical waveguide and an optical fiber.
In particular, if there are multiple optical fibers, it is possible to collectively connect other optical fibers by aligning two of these fibers without aligning each one individually. It has the advantage that it can be done.

A conventional fiber array is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-73.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 607, it has a structure in which an optical fiber is received by a V groove, and the lid is fixed by using an adhesive.

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-204510, at a position facing the connecting surface, 1 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the guide groove.
A fiber array having more than one groove is shown.

[0006]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-73607
In the conventional example shown in Japanese Patent Publication, there is a V groove for receiving an optical fiber, and this and the lid are fixed with an adhesive. Therefore, when the optical fiber is fixed to the V groove with an adhesive, peeling occurs due to the contraction of the adhesive between the optical fiber and the adhesive layer or between the V groove and the adhesive layer. . Due to the occurrence of the peeling, the peeling reaches the joint between the optical component such as the optical waveguide and the optical fiber, resulting in a problem that the transmission loss and the return loss are significantly deteriorated.

Further, in the conventional example disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-204510, since the end face of the optical fiber is positioned perpendicularly to the end face of the optical waveguide, the groove facing the connection face is formed in the direction perpendicular to the guide groove. Had. For this reason, the movement of the optical fiber is deteriorated, and there is a problem that it is difficult to align the optical fiber.

An object of the present invention is to prevent delamination between an optical fiber and an adhesive layer, or between a V groove and an adhesive layer in a fiber array, so that transmission loss and return loss are significantly deteriorated. To reduce such problems,
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new fiber array that can be easily aligned.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in a fiber array having V-grooves, one or more grooves are provided at a position not facing the connecting surface in a direction perpendicular to the V-grooves. According to this, the above-mentioned conventional problems are solved. The shape of the groove orthogonal to the V groove for receiving the fiber is preferably V-shaped, but the shape is not limited to this. Furthermore, the depth of the groove located in the direction perpendicular to the V groove is preferably shallower than the V groove, and particularly preferably shallower than the V groove and 50% of the depth thereof.
It is desirable to set the above.

[0010]

By providing the groove located in the direction perpendicular to the V groove for receiving the fiber, the adhesive present in the groove is prevented from shrinking due to the curing of the adhesive interposed between the optical fiber and the V groove. Since it moves along with it, it has a function of compensating for the decrease of the adhesive agent between the optical fiber and the V groove due to the contraction.

As a result, peeling between the optical fiber and the adhesive layer or between the V groove and the adhesive layer is suppressed, peeling at the joint between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber is reduced, and transmission loss and reflection attenuation amount are reduced. The problem of drastic deterioration of is solved. Further, since the groove that is positioned at a right angle to the V groove that receives the fiber is located at a position that does not face the connection surface, the problem that the function of the optical fiber is poor and alignment is difficult is solved.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate, on the surface of which a V groove 3 for holding the optical fiber 2 is provided. Reference numeral 4 denotes a groove provided in a direction perpendicular to the V groove 3, which is provided at a position that does not face a connection surface with an optical component such as an optical waveguide. Reference numeral 5 denotes a lid, which is placed on each of the above-mentioned grooves, and the lid 5, the optical fiber 2 and the substrate 1 are fixed by an adhesive.

By the way, the groove 4 provided in a direction perpendicular to the above V groove 3 is preferably formed in a V shape as shown in the drawing, but is not limited thereto. Instead of a rectangular groove, a rectangular groove, an arc groove, or the like may be used. Further, the depth of the groove 4 is preferably shallower than the V groove 3, and particularly preferably shallower than the V groove and 50% or more of the depth thereof. This is because the shallower the depth of the groove, the easier it is to compensate for the shrinkage that occurs when the adhesive is cured.

That is, when the tips of the V-shaped groove 3 and the groove 4 orthogonal thereto are 90 degrees, when the depth of the V-shaped groove 3 is 100, the orthogonal groove 4 is shallow (less than 50%). ,
The flow of the resin that compensates the volume change due to the contraction of the adhesive is hindered. And when the groove 4 is too deep (100% or more)
In this case, the total amount of the adhesive that shrinks increases, and the amount of change increases accordingly, which makes it difficult to compensate. Based on the above matters, it is judged that the depth of the groove 4 orthogonal to each other is about 75%, which is the most effective.

The substrate 1 described above is preferably a quartz plate, a Si substrate, a glass substrate, or the like. A quartz substrate was used in the illustrated embodiment.

The above V groove 3 is suitable to be formed by cutting or etching. In the illustrated embodiment, it was formed by cutting using a diamond blade.

The lid 5 is made of the same material as that of the substrate 1 and is good against temperature changes. Therefore, a quartz plate is used in the illustrated embodiment. Further, as the adhesive, an epoxy-based ultraviolet curing adhesive is most suitable.

In the illustrated embodiment, an epoxy-based ultraviolet curing adhesive was used to connect to the optical waveguide, and the initial connection loss was measured. As a result, it was confirmed that connection was possible only with an increase of 0.1 dB due to excess loss. Also, the return loss was 40 dB or more.

Further, the above element was tested at 70 ° C. under high temperature and high humidity of 95%. No peeling occurred even after 1000 hours, and reflection attenuation, excess loss, etc. showed almost no change. There was no

[0020]

According to the present invention, peeling between the optical fiber 2 and the adhesive layer or between the V groove 3 and the adhesive layer is suppressed, and an optical component such as an optical waveguide caused by the peeling occurs. Peeling can be reduced to the joint between the optical fiber and
It is possible to solve the problem that the transmission loss and the return loss significantly deteriorate, which have occurred in the past.

Further, since the groove 4 located in the direction perpendicular to the V groove 3 for receiving the optical fiber 2 is located at a position not facing the connecting surface, the movement of the optical fiber 2 generated conventionally is poor and it is difficult to align the optical fiber 2. The problem like, is solved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 substrate 2 optical fiber 3 V groove 4 groove 5 lid

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Hiromasa Nemoto 5-1-1 Hidaka-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi Cable Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In a fiber array having a V groove for arranging at least two or more optical fiber strands in a lateral direction, the V array is provided at a position not facing a connection surface with an optical component.
A fiber array, wherein one or more grooves are provided in a direction perpendicular to the grooves. 2. The fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the groove located in the direction perpendicular to the V groove is formed in a V shape. 3. The fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove located in the direction perpendicular to the V groove is shallower than that of the V groove. 4. The fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove located in the direction perpendicular to the V groove is shallower than the V groove and 50% or more of the V groove depth. .