JPH0843673A - Optical waveguide module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the unbalance of thermal stress caused by the thermal contraction of an adhesive and the change of environment and to restrain the deviation of the optical axis of the optical waveguide of an optical waveguide chip from that of the optical fiber of optical parts for connection by providing a projected upper cover on the optical waveguide chip. CONSTITUTION:This optical waveguide module is constituted of the optical waveguide chip 8 and the optical parts for connection 1 arraying and holding at least one or more optical fibers 2 connected to both ends of the chip 8, and the opposed optical fibers of the chip 8 and the parts 1 are aligned and mutually coaxially fixed, and the projected upper cover 10 is disposed on the chip 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical waveguide module, and more particularly to improvement of a housing of the optical waveguide module.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional optical waveguide module is mainly composed of an optical waveguide chip and a connecting optical component. As the connecting optical component, for example, a V groove is formed on a quartz substrate and a desired position is provided. An optical fiber in which an optical fiber is arranged and fixed with an adhesive or the like is used. Further, as the optical waveguide chip, an optical waveguide substrate having a high refractive index and forming a portion for confining and guiding light is used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of connection between a conventional 1 × 4 branch type optical waveguide chip 8 and a connecting optical component 1. The connecting end faces of the optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting optical component 1 are shown in FIG. The end faces are polished perpendicularly to the optical axis, and the core intervals of the four-core optical fiber array of the connecting optical component 1 are made to match the core intervals of the optical waveguide chip 8. The optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting component 1
A guide hole 9 and a guide pin 7 are formed in each of them, and by inserting the guide pin 7 into the guide hole 9, the opposing optical axes can be coaxially aligned.

However, in the above-mentioned connection structure, since the step between the optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting optical component 1 is large, the adhesive is nonuniformly accumulated, and the thermal stress caused by the thermal contraction of the adhesive and the change in the environment is reduced. As a method for solving this problem, which is likely to cause a balance, there has been proposed a method in which an upper cover 11 for thickness adjustment is provided near the connection end face of the optical waveguide chip 8 as shown in FIG.

[0005]

However, in the connection structure with the connecting optical component in the above-mentioned optical waveguide module, since the adhesive portion is only the connecting end face having a minute area, the adhesive shrinks and the environment changes. There has been a problem that the imbalance of thermal stress cannot be completely eliminated and the optical axes of the optical waveguide of the optical waveguide chip and the optical fiber of the connecting optical component are easily displaced from each other.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the adhesive area between the optical waveguide chip and the connecting optical component is provided not only in the connecting cross section but also in the upper portion of the connecting optical component, so that the adhesive heat (EN) Provided is an optical waveguide module having a structure that prevents an imbalance of thermal stress due to contraction and a change in environment, and prevents an optical axis shift between an optical waveguide of an optical waveguide chip and an optical fiber of an optical component for connection.

[0007]

The present invention comprises an optical waveguide chip and a connecting optical component for arranging and holding at least one optical fiber connected to both ends of the optical waveguide chip. An optical waveguide module in which optical fibers facing each other of a waveguide chip and the connecting optical component are aligned and coaxially fixed to each other, and a convex upper cover is provided on the optical waveguide chip. It is a waveguide module.

[0008]

[Function] By providing the convex upper cover on the optical waveguide chip as described above, imbalance of thermal stress due to thermal contraction of the adhesive and change of environment is prevented, and the optical waveguide of the optical waveguide chip is connected. The optical axis deviation of the optical component from the optical fiber is suppressed.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are schematic views of the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Figure 1
It is the schematic top view (a) and schematic side view (b) of the 1st Example of the optical waveguide module concerning this invention. As shown in the figure, the core 3 of the optical waveguide chip 1 and the core 3 of the optical fiber 2 fixed to the connecting optical component 1 facing each other in the optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting optical component 1 are aligned and, for example, photocured. The upper surface of the optical waveguide chip 8 and the upper surface of the cover 6 of the connecting optical component 1 and the upper section of the connection section between the optical waveguide chip 8 and the waveguide chip 8 are bonded and fixed to the convex upper cover 10. There is. Also, the convex upper cover 10
The height of the convex portion is made such that the sum of the height of the convex portion and the height of the optical waveguide chip 8 matches the height of the connecting optical component 1.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1B, the connecting optical component 1 has four V grooves 5 on a V groove substrate 4 formed with high precision by cutting at a desired interval. Fiber 2
4 are arranged, and they are bonded and fixed using a thermosetting adhesive or the like in a state of being pressed from above by the cover 6.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a second embodiment of the optical waveguide module, in which the convex portion of the convex upper cover 10 is located near the connecting cross section between the connecting optical component 1 and the optical waveguide chip 8. It is formed only on the upper part of the waveguide chip 8.

In the above embodiment, the height of the convex portion of the convex upper cover 10 and the height of the optical waveguide chip 8 are the same as the height of the optical component 8 for connection. And the total height of the connecting optical component 1 is equal to or less than the height of the connecting optical component 1, and the convex portion of the convex upper cover 10 is formed in the vicinity of the connecting cross section of the optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting optical component 1. However, the distance between the end faces of the optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting optical component 1 may be adjusted by the length of the convex portion in the optical axis direction. Further, the convex portion of the convex upper cover 10 is formed in the vicinity of the connecting cross section of the optical waveguide chip 8 and the connecting optical component 1, but in addition to the convex portion, positioning in the optical axis direction and the optical axis vertical direction is performed. You may provide the convex part for use.

[0013]

As described in detail above, according to the optical waveguide module of the present invention, the thermal stress imbalance due to the heat shrinkage of the adhesive and the change of the environment is prevented, and the optical waveguide chip is connected to the optical waveguide. Optical axis misalignment with the optical fiber of the optical component for use is suppressed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a connection structure of a conventional optical waveguide device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a conventional optical waveguide module with a reduced optical axis shift.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Optical component for connection, 2: Optical fiber, 3: Core, 4: V
Groove substrate, 5: V groove, 6: cover, 7: guide pin, 8:
Optical waveguide chip, 9: guide hole, 10: upper cover, 1
1: Thickness adjustment cover

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical waveguide chip and a connecting optical component for arranging and holding at least one optical fiber connected to both ends of the optical waveguide chip. The optical waveguide chip and the connecting optical component. An optical waveguide module in which optical fibers facing each other are aligned and coaxially fixed to each other, wherein a convex upper cover is provided on the optical waveguide chip.