JPH08110442A - Optical waveguide module, arranged body and its production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make the process of aligning the optical waveguide or waveguide element an optical fiber unnecessary and to enable attachment and detachment of an optical fiber by forming plural numbers of guide holes along grooves in a resin molded body so as to position an optical fiber to be connected to the optical waveguide or optical waveguide element. CONSTITUTION: A block 401 having V-shaped grooves and pressing blocks 409a, 409b, 409c are used as a molding die for a resin and these blocks form a cavity (the space for injection of a resin) inside. An optical waveguide unit 800 is disposed in this cavity by positioning with a first guide pin and a first guide groove. Then an epoxy resin with a glass filler is supplied through a resin injection port 310 and molded, then the first guide pin 407a and second guide pins 408a, 408b are removed. The end face is ground to obtain a waveguide molded body as an optical waveguide module.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical waveguide type module, an array thereof and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the fields of communication, measurement, information processing, etc., optical integrated circuits having various functions such as light combining and branching have been studied in order to utilize light at higher levels. An optical waveguide type module in which an optical fiber and an optical waveguide are connected is used as an element forming an optical integrated circuit.

As such an optical waveguide type module, as shown in FIG. 8, a quartz glass or single crystal silicon substrate 1 is used.
01, a core region 102 having a high refractive index and a clad region 103 having a low refractive index are formed, and an optical fiber 105 including a core 106 and a clad 107 is connected to an optical waveguide element 104 for confining and propagating light in the core region 102. What has been done is proposed.

To connect the optical waveguide element and the optical fiber, the optical fiber 105 is attached to the optical fiber holder 108,
A method of performing optical axis alignment with the waveguide core and adhering and fixing both end surfaces with an adhesive 109 is often used.

The optical axis alignment between the optical fiber and the waveguide is
Usually, light is made incident on one end of the optical waveguide core, light at the exit end is received by the optical fiber, and the position of the optical fiber is adjusted so that the amount of light incident on the optical fiber is maximized. Therefore, it takes a lot of time to perform the centering work, which is a factor of increasing the cost of the module.

In order to reduce such an optical axis aligning work time, a method has been proposed in which the optical axis is simply aligned by using a guide mechanism having a precise positional relationship with the optical waveguide core position (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 10-1999) 4-128809).

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another conventional example. As shown in the figure, a guide groove 202 is formed by anisotropic etching on a single crystal silicon substrate 201, and flame deposition and dry etching are further performed to form a GeO ₂ --SiO ₂ core 203 and a quartz quartz SiO ₂ cladding 204. A system optical waveguide element 205 was formed.

The optical fiber holder 206 is formed by arranging optical fibers 208 in an epoxy resin molding 207 and implanting guide pins 209. In the centering work of this embodiment, the guide pin 20 of the optical fiber holder 206
By fitting 9 into the guide groove 202 on the optical waveguide element 205, the alignment work time is shortened.

[0009]

However, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 9, when an optical fiber is attached without alignment using a guide mechanism, the positional relationship between the guide groove and the core of the optical waveguide is changed. If deviation from the design value occurs,
There is a problem that correct alignment with the optical fiber cannot be performed.

This is because the guide groove for positioning the optical fiber is formed on the optical waveguide substrate, and therefore the waveguide core position and the guide groove position cannot be adjusted according to the deviation. ing. Since the positional deviation from this design value is caused by the difference in etching conditions when forming the side groove by etching and the deformation in the thermal process at the time of forming the optical waveguide, the deviation amount varies from manufacturing lot to manufacturing lot. Is often the case.

The optical waveguide element having the positional deviation in this manner cannot be corrected in its positional relationship, and therefore has a defect in lot units, resulting in problems such as reduction in yield and high cost.

Further, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 9, since the positional relationship between the guide groove and the optical waveguide core needs to be three-dimensionally arranged with precision (for example, with an accuracy of 1 μm or less), the guide groove and the optical waveguide core are arranged. In reality, there is no choice but to precisely form the same on the same substrate by using a semiconductor process or the like, and a substrate having independent guide grooves and an optical waveguide element are provided.
It was practically difficult to dimensionally position and bond and use. Therefore, in the conventional method, two regions of the guide groove portion and the optical waveguide circuit portion are mixed on one wafer. This means that when the same number of optical waveguide elements are manufactured, only the optical waveguide element without the guide groove is formed. There is also a problem in that a larger number of wafers have to be processed than in the case of manufacturing the device, and the unit price of the optical waveguide device is greatly increased. Moreover, since the optical waveguide element is adhesively fixed to the substrate,
There is also a problem that it cannot be replaced with another optical waveguide device.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to manufacture an optical waveguide module which does not require alignment with an optical fiber, an optical waveguide module in which an optical fiber can be attached and detached, and an optical waveguide module. And an optical waveguide module array using the above.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical waveguide unit in which an optical waveguide is formed or an optical waveguide element is fixed on a bench having at least two parallel grooves. , A resin molded body surrounding the outer periphery of the optical waveguide unit, and a plurality of guide holes for positioning the optical waveguide or the optical fiber connected to the optical waveguide element are formed along the groove in the resin molded body. Is
The guide hole is located outside the optical waveguide unit.

In addition to the above structure, in the present invention, the bench may be made of Si.

In addition to the above construction, the present invention is one in which an optical waveguide is formed in the middle of two grooves on a bench or an optical waveguide element is fixed.

In addition to the above structure, the present invention is formed such that the groove on the bench and the optical axis of the optical waveguide are parallel to each other, or the optical waveguide element is fixed.

In addition to the above structure, the present invention comprises the steps of forming an optical waveguide on a bench having at least two parallel grooves or fixing an optical waveguide element to form an optical waveguide unit, and at least four. Forming a groove block having parallel grooves, of which at least two grooves are formed at the same pitch as the two grooves of the optical waveguide unit;
A step of positioning two opposing grooves of the groove block and the optical waveguide unit by using two guide pins, and a pin for forming a guide hole for positioning an optical fiber in the remaining groove of the groove block. Is placed, the optical waveguide unit and the pins are surrounded, and a resin is molded.

In addition to the above structure, the present invention forms a positioning index on both the bench and the waveguide element and positions the bench groove and the optical waveguide core by matching the indexes of both.

In addition to the above structure, the present invention positions and fixes the bench and the optical waveguide element using solder bumps.

In addition to the above structure, the present invention changes the outer diameters of the two guide pins for positioning the groove block and the optical waveguide unit, thereby changing the positions of the guide holes for positioning the optical fiber and the positions of the optical waveguide core. To adjust.

The present invention comprises an optical waveguide and a resin molded body that surrounds the outer periphery of the optical waveguide. The resin molded body has a plurality of guide holes for positioning the optical waveguide and the optical fiber or the optical waveguides. The optical waveguide molded body of 1 is housed in one housing.

In addition to the above configuration, the present invention is one in which a plurality of molded optical waveguides are connected via guide pins fitted into the guide holes.

[0024]

According to the above construction, since the resin molded body of the optical waveguide type module has the guide hole, by inserting the guide pin into this guide hole and inserting it into the guide hole of another module, Connected without adjusting the optical axis. When replacing the optical waveguide module, the optical waveguide module can be removed by pulling out the guide pin from the guide hole.

When the index for positioning is formed on both the bench and the waveguide element, the positioning can be easily performed by matching these indexes.

By changing the outer diameters of the two guide pins for positioning the groove block and the optical waveguide unit, the height and inclination of the optical waveguide unit are changed. The position of the waveguide core can be changed.

[0027]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 are explanatory views for explaining one embodiment of a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module of the present invention.

First, the optical waveguide type unit shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured. Single crystal silicon substrate 301 with a thickness of about 0.7 mm
(This is referred to as a "bench") is subjected to anisotropic etching using a KOH solution, and two V grooves 302 having a deep depth are formed.
One V groove 303 having a shallow depth is formed. Each V groove 30
Reference numerals 2 and 303 are parallel to each other (in this embodiment, the groove is a V-shaped groove, but the groove is not limited to this, and may be trapezoidal or U-shaped. Referred to as "V groove".).

The distance between the vertices of the two V-shaped grooves 302 is 2.4 m.
m, the depth was 0.35 mm, and one V groove 303 was formed to a depth of 0.04 mm at a position 0.5 mm away from the bisector center line 320 of the V groove 302.

Here, the V groove 302 is referred to as a "first guide groove", and this first guide groove is for positioning with a V groove block which will be described later. The V groove 303 is referred to as an "index", and this V groove 303 serves as a mark for positioning and fixing an optical waveguide element described later on the bench. Although the V groove is used for the index, the present invention is not limited to this, and any other shape such as a circular or polygonal concave shape or a metal coating can be used as long as it serves as a positioning mark. Good.

Next, an optical waveguide device is formed. In the optical waveguide device, first, one index V groove 305 having a depth of 0.04 mm is formed on a silicon single crystal substrate 304 having a thickness of 0.5 mm by anisotropic etching using a KOH solution, and then an ion beam is formed. 306 and the clad 3 made of TiO ₂ —SiO ₂ by using the dry etching method and the dry etching method.
07 is formed. The formed optical circuit is an optical waveguide circuit having four optical inputs and four outputs. The four cores are the substrate center line 308.
Is formed with a pitch of about 0.25 mm as a line of symmetry, and the index V groove 305 is formed at a position about 0.5 mm away from the center line 308 so as to be parallel to the optical axis. As shown in FIG. 2, the bench and the optical waveguide element formed in this way are viewed from the upper surface of the bench 301 and the optical waveguide element with the index V groove 303 on the bench and the index V groove 305 on the optical waveguide element. The infrared light source and the infrared microscope are used for alignment so that they coincide with each other, and the optical waveguide unit 800 is formed by bonding and fixing using an ultraviolet curable resin. The material for fixing the optical waveguide device to the bench 301 may be solder instead of adhesive. The alignment method is not limited to the index alignment, and a self-alignment method using solder bumps may be used.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, V-shaped grooves 402a, 40 having an apex angle of 90 ° are formed in a box-shaped block 401 made of zirconia.
2b, 403a, 403b, 404a, 404b, 40
5a and 405b are formed at eight locations. Of these, the V groove 40
2a, 402b, 405a and 405b have the same coaxial shape and a depth of about 0.5 mm, and V grooves 403a and 403.
b, 404a and 404b have the same coaxial shape and a depth of about 0.28 mm. Each V groove 402a, 402b, 40
3a, 403b, 404a, 404b, 405a, 40
5b are arranged symmetrically with respect to the V groove block center line 406,
V of groove 402a, 405a and V groove 402b, 405b
The groove top spacing is 4.6 mm, and the V groove tops of the V grooves 403a and 404a and the V grooves 403b and 404b are about 2.4 mm.
And These V grooves 402a, 402b, 403a, 4
Of the 03b, 404a, 404b, 405a and 405b, the inner V grooves 403a and 404b are the "first guide grooves" on the V groove block, and the outer V grooves 402a and 402b and the V grooves 405a and 405b are the "second guide". "Groove".

Next, the above-mentioned optical waveguide unit is set to have a diameter of 0.4.
Positioning is performed using the two first guide pins 407a and 407b of mm, and the first guide groove on the V-groove block and the first guide groove on the waveguide unit are placed so as to face each other.

Then, two second guide pins 408a and 408b having an outer diameter of about 0.7 mm are placed on the V grooves 402a and 402b and the V grooves 405a and 405b, and three pressing blocks 409a, 409b and 409c are attached. Using the first guide pins 407a, 407b and the second guide pins 408a,
408b is used as a pressing resin molding die. Of these, a resin injection port 410 is formed in the pressing block 409b.

A cross section of the resin molding die thus assembled is shown in FIG.

V-groove block 401 and presser block 409
a, 409b, 409c are resin molding dies, and a cavity (resin injection space) 501 is formed inside.
In the cavity 501, the above-mentioned optical waveguide unit 8
00 is positioned and arranged by the first guide pin and the first guide groove. Next, after transfer molding epoxy resin containing glass filler from the resin injection port 410,
Guide pin 407a and second guide pins 408a, 40
By removing 8b and polishing the end face, a waveguide molded body 601 as an optical waveguide type module as shown in FIG.
Is obtained. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a connection state between the optical waveguide module shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and another module.

Optical fiber positioning guide hole 801 formed by the second guide pin of the optical waveguide molding 601.
And the optical waveguide core 306 are measured, and when there is a positional deviation with respect to the design value, it is easy to adjust the optical waveguide core position by changing the first guide pin diameter in resin molding in the next product. Can be done.

The optical fiber array 603 has a diameter of 0.7 mm.
The two guide pins 602 and the four-fiber tape fiber are transfer-molded with a glass filler-containing epoxy resin, the guide pin interval is about 6.4 mm, and the arrangement pitch of the optical fibers is 0.25 mm. When the two guide pins of the optical fiber array 603 are inserted into the guide holes 801 of the optical waveguide molded body 601, they are molded so that the optical fiber position and the optical waveguide core position face each other.

As shown in FIG. 5, if the molded optical waveguide 601 and the optical fiber array 603 are fitted together using the guide pins 602, an optical waveguide type module with an optical fiber pigtail can be obtained. Since this optical waveguide type module can be attached and detached with an optical fiber, an application system as shown in FIG. 6 can be configured. FIG. 6 shows an optical waveguide array 702 in which a plurality of optical waveguide molded bodies 601 are arrayed using a housing 701. Housing 7
The optical circuit of the optical waveguide molded body 601 installed in 01 can be applied to devices having various functions such as optical multi-branching and optical multiplexing / demultiplexing as in the above-described embodiments. Such an optical waveguide array 702 can deliver the input information from the optical fiber only by replacing the pigtail according to the request status of the receiver. For example, if optical waveguide array bodies having different number of branches such as 1 × 4 branch, 1 × 8 branch, 1 × 16 branch are prepared, the optical fiber array body 602 can be simply replaced to meet the demand. You can select the number of distributions.

As another modification, it is conceivable that a plurality of optical waveguide circuits having different demultiplexing wavelengths are installed as an optical waveguide array, and a plurality of wavelengths are multiplexed and transmitted to an input optical fiber. In this system, optical information of a specific wavelength can be obtained by replacing the optical fiber array 602. Further, by arranging optical waveguide molded bodies having functions such as multiplexing / branching, branching, and filtering, and connecting them by an optical fiber array, it is possible to obtain a composite function having these functions together.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the optical waveguide array according to the present invention.

The system shown in the figure has a plurality of molded optical waveguides 601a 601b and 601c having different functions.
Are connected using a guide pin. As the respective functions, the multiplexing / branching, branching, filtering, etc. as described above can be applied, and various combined functions can be obtained by combining these.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to omit the optical axis alignment between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber, which is conventionally required, and the optical waveguide core position deviation is caused by the outer diameter of the first guide pin. Can be corrected and the yield is improved,
The manufacturing of the optical waveguide module is facilitated and the cost is significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the optical fiber can be attached and detached,
The application range of the optical waveguide module can be expanded.

[0045]

In summary, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects are exhibited.

It is possible to realize a method of manufacturing an optical waveguide module that does not require alignment work with an optical fiber, an optical waveguide module in which an optical fiber can be attached and detached, and an optical waveguide module array body using the optical waveguide module. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining one embodiment of a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining one embodiment of a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining one embodiment of a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining one embodiment of a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a connection state between the optical waveguide module and another module according to the manufacturing method described in FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an optical waveguide array according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the optical waveguide array according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a conventional example of an optical waveguide module.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another conventional example of an optical waveguide module.

[Explanation of symbols]

 301 Bench (silicon substrate) 302 Groove 800 Optical waveguide unit 801 Guide hole

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An optical waveguide unit in which an optical waveguide is formed or an optical waveguide element is fixed on a bench having at least two parallel grooves, and a resin molded body which surrounds the outer periphery of the optical waveguide unit. A plurality of guide holes for positioning the optical waveguide or the optical fiber connected to the optical waveguide element are formed along the groove in the resin molded body, and the guide holes are formed from the optical waveguide unit. An optical waveguide module characterized in that they are located outside and apart from each other. 2. The optical waveguide module according to claim 1, wherein the bench is made of Si. 3. The optical waveguide module according to claim 1, wherein an optical waveguide is formed in the middle of the two grooves on the bench or an optical waveguide element is fixed. 4. The optical waveguide module according to claim 1, wherein the groove on the bench and the optical axis of the optical waveguide are formed to be parallel to each other, or the optical waveguide element is fixed. 5. A step of forming an optical waveguide on a bench having at least two parallel grooves or fixing an optical waveguide element to form an optical waveguide unit, and having at least four parallel grooves. A step of forming a groove block in which at least two of the grooves are formed at the same pitch as the two grooves of the optical waveguide unit, and the two opposing grooves of the groove block and the optical waveguide unit Using two guide pins, and a pin for forming a guide hole for positioning an optical fiber is placed in the remaining groove of the groove block to surround the optical waveguide unit and the pin. And a step of molding a resin, the method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module. 6. The manufacturing of an optical waveguide module according to claim 5, wherein positioning indexes are formed on both the bench and the waveguide element, and the bench groove and the optical waveguide core are positioned by matching both indexes. Method. 7. The method of manufacturing an optical waveguide module according to claim 5, wherein the bench and the optical waveguide element are positioned and fixed using solder bumps. 8. A position of an optical fiber positioning guide hole and a position of an optical waveguide core are adjusted by changing outer diameters of two guide pins for positioning the groove block and the optical waveguide unit. Item 6. A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide module according to item 5. 9. An optical waveguide and a resin molded body that surrounds the outer periphery of the optical waveguide, wherein the resin molded body is provided with a plurality of guide holes for positioning the optical waveguide and the optical fiber or the optical waveguides. An optical waveguide type module array, wherein a plurality of molded optical waveguides are housed in a single housing. 10. The optical waveguide module according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of molded optical waveguide bodies are connected to each other via guide pins fitted into the guide holes.