JPH07270633A - Method for working optical parts - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form a groove for reflecting constituted so that loss is drastically reduced by forming it by cutting a substrate while rotating a disk-like blade consisting of a range containing diamond grains. CONSTITUTION:The disk-like blade consisting of a resin with diamond grains obtained by mixing the diamond grains in a resin material is used as the blade. By rotating the blade and cutting the optical waveguide substrate of a double ion exchange glass on which an optical waveguide is formed while an abrasive grain consisting of SiO2 and cooling solution are poured, the groove for reflecting 13 is formed. Thus, an excellent reflecting surface is obtained. Since the blade containing the diamond grains is used, it is hard, the shake thereof is not caused at a cutting time and the cuttability thereof is excellent. Besides, since the side surface of the groove obtained by cutting is polished with the small grain-size diamond brought into contact with the side surface of the blade, it becomes smooth.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of processing an optical component in which a reflecting groove intersecting an optical waveguide formed on a substrate is formed on the substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an optical waveguide 12 is formed on a double ion exchange glass substrate 11 at a position of about 10 μm below the surface thereof. A reflection groove 13 is formed so as to intersect with the optical waveguide 12, for example, is inclined at 45 ° with respect to the surface of the substrate 11 and intersects the extension direction of the optical waveguide 12 at a right angle in a plane parallel to the substrate surface. 13 is formed. For example, the light traveling from the left in the optical waveguide 12 in the figure reaches the reflection groove 13, is reflected by the cut surface of the optical waveguide 12, and is emitted to the outside as light 14.

The reflection groove 1 intersecting the optical waveguide in this way
By forming 3, the light can be emitted from the optical component to the outside, or conversely, the light can be made incident from the outside into the optical component. Conventionally, such a reflection groove 13 is formed by a ceramic (SiC) having a diameter of 30 mm and a thickness of 30 μm.
The disk-shaped blade was made to rotate at a speed of 50.000 rpm, the substrate 11 was cut while pouring a cooling liquid containing abrasive grains, and the processing speed was 0.1 to 0.2 mm / min.

[0004]

In the reflection groove formed by the conventional processing method, the optical waveguide 12 shown in FIG. 1 is used.
Has a beam diameter of about 10 μm, which corresponds to the mode diameter of a single-mode optical fiber and has a propagation loss of about 0.2 dB / cm, but the total reflection loss due to the reflection groove 13 is 1.5 μm for a wavelength of 1.5 μm. There was a problem that it was relatively large as 02 dB.

The side surface of the reflection groove 13 formed by the conventional processing method, that is, the total reflection surface has small streaks or crevices when viewed under a microscope.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a disc-shaped blade made of a resin containing diamond grains is rotated to cut a substrate to form a reflection groove.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. As a blade, diamond particles with a particle size of # 6.000 (particle size 2 μm to 2.5 μm) are phenol resin, polyimide resin,
Diameter 32mm, thickness 300μm made of resin with diamond grains mixed in resin material such as modified phenolic resin
The disk-shaped one was used. 20.000 rpm with this blade
The optical waveguide is formed at a position of about 10 μm below the surface while pouring a cooling liquid containing 5% by weight of polishing abrasive grains made of SiO ₂ having a particle size of 0.24 μm in water. The optical waveguide substrate of double ion exchange glass is cut with a 45 ° inclination on the surface and the processing speed is set to 0.
The reflection groove 13 was formed at a rate of 1 to 0.2 mm / min.

In this case, the total reflection loss in the reflection groove 13 is 0.3 dB with respect to the wavelength of 1.5 μm, which is a significant improvement over the conventional case. When observed under a microscope, no streak or crack was found on the total reflection surface. As described above, according to the method of the present invention, an excellent reflecting surface can be obtained because it is hard because a diamond grain-containing blade is used, no deviation of the blade occurs in the cutting process, and the cutting property is good. It is considered that the side surface of the groove formed by cutting is polished by the diamond having a small grain size, which is in contact with the side surface of, and the side surface of the groove becomes smooth.

Particularly in the above example, the thickness of the blade is 300 μm.
m, which is 10 times that of the conventional one, and blurring is less likely to occur, and because the cutting is performed while pouring a cooling liquid containing abrasive grains, the side faces of the groove due to the abrasive grains and the side face of the diamond grain resin blade. Seems to be polished. On the other hand, since the conventional ceramic blade is thin, it is rotated at a high speed to make it difficult for the shake to occur due to centrifugal force. It seems that it is to get on. It is also considered that the ceramic blade has poor machinability, and because the amount of cutting is small, it is forcibly abraded and cracked.

In the above description, the optical waveguide forming substrate is not limited to the glass substrate and may be composed of other substrates.
Further, the specific numerical value of the formation of the reflection groove is an example,
A considerable range is allowed for these numbers.
The reflection groove is not limited to total reflection, and may be a partially reflective or partially transmissive surface depending on the selection of the angle with the optical waveguide.

[0011]

As described above, according to the processing method of the present invention, it is possible to form the reflection groove with much less loss than the conventional processing method.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an optical waveguide substrate as an optical component, and B is a plan view thereof.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for processing an optical component, wherein a reflection groove intersecting an optical waveguide formed on a substrate is formed on the substrate, the disc-shaped blade made of a resin containing diamond grains is rotated to cut the substrate. And a groove for reflection is formed to process the optical component.