JPH08122563A - Optical fiber array with metallic housing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent the deviation or settled optical axis alignment to obtain a high reliability by fixing an optical fiber array and a metallic housing by plastic deformation of an interposed sleeve or fixing them by welding to an interposed metallic member. CONSTITUTION: This device consists of a V-grooved substrate having plural V grooves, a plane plate which fixes these optical fibers arranged in these V grooves to constitute an optical fiber array 30, a metallic housing 42 provided on the outside of the optical fiber array 30, and a caulked sleeve 41 which is inserted to a space between the optical fiber array 30 and the metallic housing 42 and is plastically deformed to fix the optical fiber array 30 and the metallic housing 42. The optical fiber array 30 is inserted to a fixing hole 42a of the metallic housing 42 together with the caulked sleeve 41 and is caulked by a punch. The end part of the caulked sleeve 41 is plastically deformed as a flange piece 41a on the outside of the metallic housing 42, and the fixing hole 42a is filled, and the optical fiber array 30 and the metallic housing 42 are fixed into one body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber array with a metal housing, and more particularly to an optical fiber used for an optical coupling part between an optical element array for optical communication and an optical fiber or an optical coupling part between an optical waveguide element and an optical fiber. Regarding a fiber array.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 shows a conventional optical fiber array 21. In this optical fiber array 21, a plurality of V grooves 12 are processed by grinding or etching on a plate 11 made of quartz glass, alumina ceramics, silicon or the like, and optical fibers 13 are arranged on the V grooves 12 and pressed by a cover plate 14 to form an epoxy system. The adhesive is fixed by an adhesive, an ultraviolet curable adhesive, solder 15 or the like. FIG. 11 shows this optical fiber array 2
1 is fixed to, for example, an optical element array module 23 such as an LD or PD. After the optical element array 22 and the optical fiber array 21 located at one end of the optical tape fiber 24 are aligned and fixed, an adhesive is applied. It is fixed with solder or solder.

[0003]

However, the conventional optical fiber array has the following problems. (1) When fixing with an adhesive, if it is kept in a high temperature and high humidity state for a long period of time, the adhesive may absorb moisture, and the optical axis may be displaced to increase optical coupling loss or reduce bonding strength. (2) In the case of soldering, for example, after the optical axis is aligned at room temperature, the fixing portion is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the solder melting temperature to melt the solder, and is cooled and fixed. Optical element array is LD
Thus, when the optical fiber is in single mode, in order to reduce the coupling loss, the positional deviation allowed at the time of fixing is only a few μm. The solder melting temperature is, for example, Pb-S.
The n-eutectic solder has a high temperature of 183 ° C, and the thermal expansion of each member of the fixed part and the jig that holds them during alignment becomes a non-negligible value, which causes the optical axis to shift. Therefore, low-loss optical coupling cannot be performed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable optical fiber array which can be fixed with low loss coupling with an optical element array or the like.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a first feature that a V-groove substrate having a plurality of V-grooves for arranging an optical fiber, and the V-groove substrate. A flat plate for fixing a plurality of optical fibers arranged in the plurality of V grooves to form an optical fiber array, a metal housing provided on the outer periphery of the optical fiber array, the optical fiber array and the metal housing An optical fiber array with a metal housing is provided, which is inserted into the gap between the optical fiber array and the metal housing to fix the optical fiber array and the metal housing by being plastically deformed. A feature is that a V-groove substrate having a plurality of V-grooves for arranging optical fibers and a plurality of optical fibers arranged in the V-grooves of the V-groove substrate are fixed to form an optical fiber array. A flat plate, a metal member joined to the outer periphery of the optical fiber array, and a metal housing surrounding the optical fiber array at the position where the metal member is joined, and the metal member and the metal housing are fixed by welding. The present invention provides an optical fiber array with a metal housing having the above-mentioned configuration.

[0006]

According to the first feature of the present invention, (1) since the metal housing is attached to the outside, YAG welding is possible when the optical axis is aligned with the optical element array, and low loss optical coupling and fixing are possible. Is. (2) Since the optical fiber array and the metal housing are fixed by plastic deformation, if solder or the like is used to fix the V groove, the optical fiber, and the flat plate to the V groove substrate, an adhesive agent is not used. It is possible to eliminate the change in the characteristics due to the deterioration of and improve the reliability.

According to the second feature of the present invention, (1) since the metal housing is attached to the outside, YAG welding is possible when the optical axis is aligned with the optical element array, and low loss optical coupling fixing is possible. Is. (2) Since the optical fiber array and the metal housing are fixed by welding with a metal member joined to the outside of the optical fiber array with a low melting point metal, the V groove of the V groove substrate, the optical fiber, and the flat plate are fixed. If a low melting point metal is used, since no adhesive is used, it is possible to eliminate the change in characteristics due to the deterioration of the adhesive, and the reliability is improved.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the optical fiber array 30 shown in FIG. 1, optical fibers 32 are arranged on a V-groove plate 31 in which zirconia ceramic is ground to form a V-groove 31a, and a cover plate 33 is arranged.
And is fixed by Au—Sn eutectic solder 34. 2A shows a step of covering the outer side of the optical fiber array 30 with the caulking sleep 41 made of annealed copper with the optical fiber 32 as 10 cores, and FIG.
2 shows a metal housing 42 made of SUS430 material with 2a.

FIG. 3 shows a fixing hole 42a of the metal housing 42.
The step of inserting the optical fiber array 30 together with the crimping sleeve 41 and applying a force in the axial direction (arrow) to the crimping sleeve 41 with the punches 43 and 44 to give plastic deformation to the crimping sleeve 41 is shown.

In FIG. 4, the end portion of the caulking sleeve 41 serves as a flange piece 41a outside the metal housing 42 and is plastically deformed, and the gap in the fixing hole 42a is caulked sleeve 4a.
The optical fiber array 30 and the metal housing 42 are fixed and integrated by being filled with the plastic deformation 1.

In this embodiment, the force applied in the axial direction when the crimping sleeve 41 is plastically deformed is set to 300 kg.
At this time, the force required to pull out the optical fiber array 30 is 40 kg on average and 25 kg at a minimum, and it has sufficient fixing strength. Further, even if the thermal shock test at -40 ° C to 70 ° C is carried out for 1000 cycles, the pulling force is not deteriorated, and it is confirmed that it has sufficient reliability. Furthermore, there was no change in the characteristics of the optical fiber before and after crimping and before and after the thermal shock test. The optical fiber array with a metal housing of the present invention was used to align the optical axis with a 10-channel LD array, and welded and fixed with a YAG laser to obtain an LD module. The positional deviation before and after welding was within 1 μm, and the deterioration of the coupling loss was within 0.5 dB, enabling highly accurate positioning and fixing. This LD module is -40 ° C ~
Even if the thermal shock test at 70 ° C is performed for 1000 cycles,
It was confirmed that the coupling loss was not deteriorated and the reliability was high.

FIG. 5 shows the LD module described above. The IC 64 of the package 66 is connected to the LD array 61 by the bonding wires 65.
Are aligned with the optical fibers of the optical fiber array 30. The flange piece 41a of the caulking sleeve 41 is fixed by a metal flange 62, and the metal housing 42 is integrated with the metal flange 62 by a YAG welding portion 63.

The shape, the number of optical fibers of the optical fiber, and the material in this embodiment do not limit the present invention. In this embodiment, the caulking sleeve is made of soft copper, but any material that can be plastically deformed, such as aluminum, can be used. Further, although the low melting point metal is used for fixing the optical fiber of the optical fiber array, the V groove, and the cover plate, an adhesive may be used instead of this. However, when considering the improvement of reliability, it is desirable to use a low melting point metal. Further, although the optical fiber array of the present invention is intended for an optical parallel transmission module, it can be applied to a connecting portion between an optical waveguide element and an optical cable or a connecting portion between optical cables in the optical communication field.

6 to 9 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, V-groove plate 31 obtained by grinding V-groove 31a by grinding zirconia ceramics and at least the outer surface of cover plate 33 are metallized in advance, and metal members 72 and 73 of SUS430 having a melting point of 350 ° C. It is bonded with Au-Ge eutectic solder. Metal member 72,
73 may be metallized only on the joint surface.

In FIG. 7, the optical fiber 3 is formed on the V-groove substrate 31.
2 are arranged, held down by the cover plate 33, and fixed by the Au—Sn eutectic solder 34 to form the optical fiber array 30.

In this embodiment, the optical fiber 30 has 10 cores. On the outside of this optical fiber array, as shown in FIG.
The metal housing 42 having the fixing hole 42a made of SUS430 is covered, and the metal housing 42 and the metal members 72 and 73 are fixed via the YAG welding portion 74 as shown in FIG. 9 to obtain an optical fiber array with a metal housing.

In this embodiment, the force required to pull out the optical fiber array 30 is 25 kg on average, and at least 15 k.
g, which has a sufficient fixing strength. Also, -40
It has been confirmed that even if the thermal shock test at ° C to 70 ° C is carried out for 1000 cycles, the pulling-out force is not deteriorated and the reliability is sufficient. In addition, there was no change in the characteristics of the optical fiber before and after welding and before and after the thermal shock test.

Using the optical fiber array with the metal housing of the second embodiment, the optical axis is aligned with the 10-channel LD array as in the first embodiment. The positional deviation before and after YAG welding was within 1 μm, and the deterioration of the coupling loss was within 0.5 dB, enabling highly accurate positioning and fixing. Further, it was confirmed that even if the LD module was subjected to a thermal shock test of −40 ° C. to 70 ° C. for 1000 cycles, deterioration of the coupling loss was not observed and the LD module had high reliability.

As described above, according to the optical fiber array with a metal housing of the present invention, the optical fiber array and the metal housing are fixed by plastic deformation of the intervening sleeve or by welding with the intervening metal member. Therefore, it is possible to obtain high reliability without shifting the established optical axis alignment. Further, if the V-groove substrate holding the optical fiber and the flat plate are fixed with a low melting point alloy, the hygroscopicity is improved and high stability is obtained for a long period of time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is an exploded view showing a manufacturing process of the optical fiber array with a metal housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (B)
FIG. 3 is a perspective cutaway view showing a metal housing in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a manufacturing process of the optical fiber array with the metal housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cutaway view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective cutaway view showing an LD module using the optical fiber array with a metal housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a V-groove substrate and a cover plate used in the optical fiber array according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber array according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view showing a manufacturing process of an optical fiber array with a metal housing according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a conventional optical fiber array.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional optical element module.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 V-groove substrate 12 V-groove 13,32 Optical fiber 14,33 Cover plate 15,34 Adhesive, Au-Sn eutectic solder, etc. 21,30 Optical fiber array 22 Optical element array 23 Optical element array module 24 Optical tape fiber 31 V-groove substrate 31a V-groove 41 Caulking sleeve 41a Flange piece 42 Metal housing 43,44 Punch 61 LD array 62 Metal flange 63,74 YAG welded portion 64 IC 65 Bonding wire 66 Package 72,73 Metal member

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shinichi Kajiyama 5-1-1 Hidaka-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi Cable Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A V-groove substrate having a plurality of V-grooves for arranging optical fibers, and a plurality of optical fibers arranged in the V-grooves of the V-groove substrate are fixed to form an optical fiber array. A flat plate that constitutes the optical fiber array, a metal housing provided on the outer periphery of the optical fiber array, and an intervening member that is inserted into a gap between the optical fiber array and the metal housing and is plastically deformed to fix the optical fiber array and the metal housing. An optical fiber array with a metal housing comprising a member. 2. The V-groove substrate and the flat plate are made of zirconia ceramics, and the optical fibers arranged in the V-groove substrate, the flat plate and the V-groove are fixed by using a low melting point alloy. The optical fiber array with a metal housing according to claim 1. 3. A V-groove substrate having a plurality of V-grooves in which optical fibers are arranged, and a plurality of optical fibers arranged in the V-grooves of the V-groove substrate are fixed to form an optical fiber array. A flat plate, a metal member joined to the outer periphery of the optical fiber array, and a metal housing that surrounds the optical fiber array at a position where the metal member is joined, and the metal member and the metal housing are fixed by welding. An optical fiber array with a metal housing having the above-mentioned configuration. 4. The metal member and the metal housing are
4. A structure fixed by a YAG weld portion.
An optical fiber array with a metal housing according to the item. 5. The V-groove substrate and the flat plate are made of zirconia ceramics, and the optical fibers arranged in the V-groove substrate, the flat plate and the V-groove are fixed using a low melting point alloy. An optical fiber array with a metal housing according to claim 3.