JPH1114860A - Optical coupling structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the machining time for the optical coupling structure and to obtain high-precision optical coupling between an optical component and an optical waveguide component. SOLUTION: This optical coupling structure supports an optical component including an optical element or optical waveguide by making an optical wave component 7 such as an optical fiber or a ferrule containing the optical fiber abut against the optical component support that their optical axes are aligned with each other. In this case, a necessary irreducible V-shaped or trapezoidal groove 3b which is a groove part 3 extending along the optical axis so as to support the optical waveguide 7 and positions the optical waveguide component 7 is formed by the anisotropic etching of a crystal substrate 1 and other parts are made into recessed grooves 3a and 3c cut by a mechanical means to shorten the anisotropic etching time and improve the surface precision of the V-shaped or trapezoidal groove 3b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an optical coupling structure,
More specifically, the present invention relates to an optical coupling structure in which an optical waveguide component is abutted against an optical component including an optical element or an optical waveguide and supported so that their optical axes are aligned. Today, optical transmission is indispensable for high-speed, large-capacity information communication, and the development of optical communication networks is being promoted. In an optical communication network, a great demand for an optical transmission module that performs electrical-optical and optical-electrical signal conversion is expected. Therefore, the number of components, man-hours, manufacturing time, etc. of the module are reduced as much as possible, and optical components and optical fibers are reduced. It is required that the alignment with the optical waveguide component can be performed with high accuracy and high reliability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 18 to 20 are diagrams (1) to (3) for explaining the prior art. FIG. 18A is an external perspective view of an optical coupling structure using anisotropic etching of a crystal substrate, and FIG.
FIG. 8B is a plan view of the etching step, and FIG. 18C is a side view of the optical fiber mounted state.

In FIG. 18A, reference numeral 1 denotes, for example, silicon.
(S_i), 2 is S _iO_TwoBy mask
(Insulating film) 3 is a platform on which the optical fiber 6 is mounted
(V-groove), 4 is a cladding layer of the optical waveguide, and 5 is the optical waveguide.
The core layer 6 of the waveguide is an optical fiber. In such a configuration,
The optical fiber 6 is brought into contact with (mounted on) the wall surface (slope) of the V groove 3.
Thus, both core layers of the optical fiber 6 and the optical waveguide (optical
Axis) and precise optical coupling is obtained.

[0004] As a matter of manufacturing process of the V-grooves 3, form a rectangular mask 2 by <110> crystallographic axis parallel to the S _i O ₂ of S _i substrate 1, KOH aqueous solution S _i crystals of the mask region Etching. In this case, (1) of the substrate 1
The etching rate ratio between the 11) plane and the (100) plane is about 1: 1.
Because of the anisotropy of the etching rate, the V groove 3 having an angle of 54.7 ° is accurately formed. Since such a V-groove 3 can theoretically be processed with an accuracy of an atomic unit, highly accurate optical coupling can be obtained. The use of an inexpensive substrate material (S _i, etc.), it can be supplied inexpensively a large number of parts by batch processing and production.

[0005]

However, the above method is suitable for forming a shallow V-groove 3 for mounting an optical fiber (outer diameter φ = about 125 μm). When mounting a relatively large-diameter optical waveguide component, a deep V-groove 3 of, for example, about 10 times is required.
There is a disadvantage that anisotropic etching requires a long time. For example, an etching rate of the S _i substrate is 15 to 20 [mu] m / time required for fixation of small-diameter ferrule depth 650
It takes 30 hours or more to form the μm V groove 3.

[0006] In the photolithography process of forming a mask 2 to the S _i over the substrate, although notch normally is provided on the circular substrate (wafer) to (orientation flat) and the reference, from the limit on board manufacturing The orientation flat has an error of about ± 1 ° from the <110> crystal axis. Therefore, the side of the mask 2 and <110>
An error of about ± 1 ° occurs with the axis.

In FIG. 18B, a mask pattern 2
When there is a tilt of angle θ between the long side of A and the <110> axis, as shown in FIG.
The etching of the substantially (111) plane proceeds at an abnormal speed in the direction parallel to the 110> axis, and the width of the V-groove 3 increases with the etching time. In this case, when forming a shallow V-groove for mounting an optical fiber (short etching time), there is not much problem. However, when forming a deep V-groove for mounting a ferrule (long etching time), there is a problem. Become.

Now, assuming that the length of the mask pattern 2A is L and the width is W, when the abnormal etching has proceeded to the maximum, the increment ΔW of the V-groove width due to the angle θ becomes about Lsin θ. For example, if the size of the ferrule mounting mask pattern 2A is 4 mm × 1.5 mm and the inclination θ = 1 °, △ W
≒ 69 μm, so that optical coupling with an optical fiber that requires accurate alignment on the order of μm becomes impossible.

In order to solve this problem, conventionally,
There is known an optical coupling structure in which a plurality of protrusions are provided in a longitudinal direction of a mask pattern 2A to reduce an increase ΔW of a V-groove width W (JP-A-7-35948). This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 19 (A), the optical fiber 6 is supported in contact with the plurality of slopes of projections V grooves 3 ₁ formed in the portion, 3 _2.

FIG. 19 (B) shows a plan view of the etching step, and one example of the mask pattern 2A has projections 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ (laterally symmetric) having a width a in the longitudinal direction. When this is anisotropically etched with KOH or the like, the length a of the useful V-grooves 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ is sufficiently shorter than the entire length L of the V-groove, so that the V-groove width W in this case is sufficient. Can be reduced to about asin θ. Therefore, the mounting accuracy of the optical fiber 6 is improved.

However, even in this method, a shallow optical fiber is required.
V-groove 3₁, 3_TwoIs good when forming
Deep V groove 3 for rule₁, 3_TwoTo form
Requires a long time for the anisotropic etching. Moreover,
When this anisotropic etching is performed for a long time, the V groove 3₁, 3_Two
The worst case, the V-groove 3₁, 3 _Two
Slope disappears.

As another method for solving the problem of alignment between the optical element and the ferrule, a receptacle-type optical transmission module using a fiber-projecting ferrule has been conventionally known. Proceedings of the General Conference of the Society of Japan C-207 (Reference 1), 1996
IEICE General Conference Proceedings SC-2-7
(Reference 2) ２. FIG. 20 shows the contents of Reference 1 (similar to Reference 2).
It will be described according to.

This optical transmission module comprises a transfer mold package 50 and a receptacle (sleeve) 60.
And two parts. In the mounting process, first
_An LD mounting index marker 52, an optical fiber shallow groove 53, and a ferrule deep groove 54 are formed on the _i- substrate 51 by anisotropic etching. Next, the obtained S _i
The LD 55 is mounted on the V-groove substrate 51. Then the ferrule 56 of the fiber protrudes type mounted on S _i -V groove substrate 51, it is fixed by heat-resistant epoxy resin. Next, LD55
And the fiber 57 is covered with S _i cap 58 to secure and sealing the periphery with a heat-resistant epoxy resin. Next, ferrule 5
6 except for the end portion of, is to mold at lower thermal expansion of the epoxy resin to the whole of S _i substrate 51 and the cap 58.

According to this structure, the shallow groove 53 for optical fiber is used.
Precise alignment between the optical fiber 57 and the LD 55 mounted on the device. However, as described above, generally, the accuracy of the ferrule deep groove 54 is not always sufficient with respect to the accuracy of the optical fiber shallow groove 53. The ferrule 56 of this for the fiber protrudes type when mounted on S _i -V-groove substrate 51 easily takes strain stress in the boundary portion between the optical fiber 57 and the ferrule 56, is questionable in terms of reliability .

The optical fiber 57 protruding from the ferrule 56 is difficult to handle (handling in a mounting process or the like), and is considered to be a bottleneck in mass production. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and aims at shortening the processing time, and is excellent in mass productivity, low cost, and high precision and high reliability. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical coupling structure capable of obtaining a coupling.

[0016]

The above-mentioned problem is solved, for example, by referring to FIG.
Is solved. That is, in the optical coupling structure of the present invention (1), the optical component including the optical element or the optical waveguide is brought into contact with the optical waveguide component 7 such as an optical fiber or a ferrule that accommodates the optical fiber, and the optical axes thereof are aligned. In the optical coupling structure for supporting the optical waveguide component, a crystal substrate is provided on the floor side of the first groove 3a, which is a groove portion 3 extending in the optical axis direction to support the optical waveguide component, the first groove 3a being cut by mechanical means. And a second groove 3b having a V-shaped or trapezoidal cross section formed by anisotropic etching.

According to the present invention (1), since the first groove 3a cut in advance by mechanical means is provided, a required V-shaped (or trapezoidal) groove 3b in cross section is obtained on the floor side thereof. Is completed in a relatively short time. Moreover,
If the time of the anisotropic etching is short, even if there is inclination angle θ between the long side and the <110> crystal axis of the mask pattern on the S _i substrate, a <110> axis from the long sides It is possible to reduce the degree of progress of the abnormal etching that proceeds in the parallel direction, thereby improving the width accuracy of the V-shaped (or trapezoidal) groove 3b.

Preferably, in the present invention (2), in the present invention (1), a third groove 3c cut by mechanical means is provided on the floor side of the second groove 3b. If the third groove 3c is provided on the floor side of the second groove 3b, the interference between the optical waveguide component 7 and the platform 3 can be effectively avoided, and the anisotropy for forming the second groove 3b is provided. The etching time (depth) can be shortened to a necessary minimum. Therefore, the width accuracy of the second groove 3b is further improved.

The above-mentioned problem can be solved, for example, by the structure shown in FIG. That is, in the optical coupling structure of the present invention (3), the optical component including the optical element or the optical waveguide is brought into contact with the optical fiber or the optical waveguide component 7 such as a ferrule for accommodating the optical fiber, and the optical axes thereof are aligned. In the optical coupling structure supporting the optical waveguide component, the groove portion 3 extending in the optical axis direction to support the optical waveguide component has a V-shaped or trapezoidal cross section formed by anisotropic etching of the crystal substrate. The second groove cut by mechanical means on the floor side of the first groove 3b
Of the groove 3c.

In an application where an optical coupling position with an optical element or an optical waveguide is high, the first groove 3b is immediately formed on the surface of the substrate 1.
Can be formed. Even in this case, since the second groove 3c cut by a mechanical means is provided on the floor side of the first groove 3b, the time (depth) of anisotropic etching can be reduced to a necessary minimum. Therefore, the width accuracy of the first groove 3b is improved.
The above-mentioned problem is solved, for example, by the configuration shown in FIG.
That is, in the optical coupling structure of the present invention (4), the optical component including the optical element or the optical waveguide is brought into contact with the optical waveguide component 7 such as an optical fiber or a ferrule accommodating the optical fiber, and the optical axes thereof are aligned. In the optical coupling structure for supporting the optical waveguide component, the groove 3 extending in the optical axis direction to support the optical waveguide component, and the wall surfaces of the concave grooves 3a to 3d cut in a stepwise manner by mechanical means are crystallized. The groove 3 has a V-shaped or trapezoidal cross section formed on a continuous slope by anisotropic etching of the substrate.

The plurality of grooves 3a to 3a are previously prepared by mechanical means.
If d is provided stepwise along the target slope, the concave groove 3a
Anisotropy for forming each wall of ~ 3d into a continuous slope
Etching can be performed with high accuracy in a relatively short time. Therefore,
The width accuracy of the V-shaped (or trapezoidal) groove 3 is improved. Also above
The above problem is solved by, for example, the configuration of FIG. That is,
The optical coupling structure of the present invention (5) includes an optical element or an optical waveguide.
Optical component or a ferrite housing the optical fiber
Butt the optical waveguide components 7 such as rules, and align these optical axes.
The optical coupling structure supporting the optical waveguide component so as to match
Here, the crystal substrate is formed by anisotropic etching of the crystal substrate 1.
A plurality of independent V-shaped or trapezoidal first grooves on a plate
3 ₁~ 3_ThreeAre formed in a line over the required length L,
The first grooves 3₁~ 3_ThreeBetween the columns by mechanical means
The optical waveguide component 7 can be mounted by cutting at right angles.
It was done.

According to the present invention (5), the first grooves 3 ₁ to 3 ₁ .
3 ₃ because is anisotropically etched away from each other, good slopes are obtained respectively in the grooves 3 ₁ to 3 _3. That is, even if the anisotropic etching is performed for a long time, there is no fear that the corners of the slope disappear. Further, each of the mask patterns 2A ₁ to 2A 2
Since the length a of A ₃ can be reduced, the increment of each groove width W 幅 W
Can be reduced. Furthermore, each valid slope of each groove 3 ₁ to 3 _3, despite the existence of the angle offset between the crystal axis of the substrate 1 <110>, a row in the array direction of the mask pattern 2A ₁ to 2A region ₃ , The increment of each groove width W △ W
Exists, the optical waveguide component 7 can be accurately positioned.

[0023] Preferably, in the present invention (6), in the above invention (5), for example as shown in FIG. 10, the upper portion of the plurality of first groove 3 ₁ to 3 ₃ to line up over a required length by mechanical means and or the bottom side further comprises a second and or third groove 9 ₃ which is cut in the column direction. This applies the configuration of the present invention (1) to (3) to the present invention (5). Therefore, this case also can significantly reduce time (depth) of the anisotropic etching, the first of each groove 3 ₁ to 3
The width accuracy of ₃ is further improved.

The above-mentioned problem is solved, for example, by referring to FIGS.
The problem is solved by the configuration of (B). That is, in the optical coupling structure of the present invention (7), in an optical coupling structure in which an optical waveguide component is abutted against an optical component including an optical element or an optical waveguide and the optical components are supported so that their optical axes are aligned, a common support substrate 1 is provided. An optical component 12 configured so that convex slopes 12a and 12b having a complementary inclination to the V groove are supported on the V groove 3 formed on the V groove 3 so as to abut on the V groove. (For example, ferrules 7) are mounted thereon, and the optical component 12 and the optical waveguide component 7 are supported so that the respective end faces thereof abut each other.

In FIG. 13B, when the convex slopes 12a, 12b of the optical component 12 are superimposed on the V-groove 3 of the support substrate 1, the slopes 3a, 3b of the V-groove 3 and the convex slope of the optical component 12 are obtained. Since they are complementary to each other (the inclination angles are the same and opposite directions), they are in close contact with each other at the groove width W2. At this time, the light input / output terminal of the optical component 12 is located just below the center of the groove width W2 by a predetermined length. In this state, when, for example, a ferrule 7 is mounted in the V-groove 3, the ferrule 7 is aligned in the X and Z-axis directions by the action of the outer peripheral surface and the inclined surfaces 3a and 3b. That is, the center of the ferrule 7 in the X-axis direction is always at the center of the groove width W2. The center of the ferrule 7 in the Z-axis direction is the groove width W2.
For example, the outer diameter of the ferrule is determined so that the ferrule is located just below the center by a predetermined length. Therefore, according to the present invention (7), simply aligning the optical component 12 and the ferrule 7 on the common V-groove 3 automatically performs high-precision alignment in the X, Z-axis and Y-axis directions. can get.

Moreover, the accuracy of the positioning does not depend on the accuracy of the width or the depth of the V-groove 3 of the support substrate 1. This will be described with reference to FIG. Now, assuming that the width of the V-groove 3 is increased by ΔW from the specified value, the optical component 12 in this case is such that the convex slope 12b is shifted downward on the slope 3b of the V-groove 3 to the lower right side in the drawing. Then, the opposite slope 12a comes into contact with the slope 3a and is newly supported, and accordingly, the light input / output terminal of the optical component 12 also shifts to the lower right side in the figure.

However, even in this case, the center of the ferrule 7 mounted on the new V-groove 3 is always located at a position directly below the center of the bottom width W2 by the predetermined length. Therefore, also in this case, accurate alignment between the two is automatically obtained. Preferably, in the present invention (8), in the present invention (7), the optical component 12 has a support member having a support plane having a trapezoidal cross section on the side where the convex slope intersects; And an optical circuit part including an optical element and / or an optical waveguide fixedly supported by the optical element.

That is, the support member and the optical circuit component are separate components, and various optical circuit components can be mounted and fixed (adhered, soldered, etc.) to the support member. Preferably, in the present invention (9), in the above present invention (8), the optical circuit component is integrally formed on a supporting member made of a semiconductor crystal substrate by a device process.

That is, this is a case where optical circuits (LD, PD, optical waveguide, etc.) are directly integrated (built) by a hybrid method or a monolithic method on a supporting member made of a semiconductor crystal substrate, and the number of components (optical Since the number of circuit components can be reduced and the bonding, soldering and the like can be eliminated, the optical components (ie, the entire optical module) can be formed with high precision. Also preferably, in the present invention (10), in the above-mentioned present invention (7), as shown in FIG. 12, for example, the optical waveguide component is a ferrule 7 in which an optical fiber 6 is incorporated.

Preferably, in the present invention (11), in the above-mentioned present invention (7), as shown in FIG. 17, for example, the optical waveguide component 19 has a convex slope 19 a having a complementary inclination with the V-groove 3. , 19b abut on the V-groove. That is, both the optical component 12 and the optical waveguide component 19 have respective convex slopes (12a, 12b),
(19a, 19b) supported by the common V groove 3.

Preferably, in the present invention (12), in the present invention (7), as shown in FIG. 13 (A), for example, the optical coupling portion between the optical component 12 and the optical waveguide component 7 is transparent. The optical resin 17 is filled. Therefore, the optical component 12 can be protected, and the reflection and loss of light at the optical coupling portion can be effectively suppressed.

Preferably, in the present invention (13), in the present invention (7), at least one of the support substrate 1, the optical component 12, and the optical waveguide component 7/19 uses silicon as a material. It is used and the slope is formed by anisotropic etching of silicon. Silicon can be obtained at a low cost, and a highly accurate slope (V-groove 3, convex slopes 12a, 12b / 19) can be obtained by anisotropic etching of silicon.
a, 19b, etc.) can be easily obtained.

Preferably, in the present invention (14), in the above-mentioned present invention (8), at least one of the support substrate 1, the support member 12, and the optical waveguide component 7/19 is a molded product. Has been produced. Convex slopes 12a, 12
If the sizes of the b / 19a and 19b (particularly, the groove width W2) are accurately maintained, as described in the present invention (7), even if the width of the V groove 3 of the support substrate 1 increases / decreases, light Accurate alignment of the axes is obtained. Therefore, for example, the support substrate 1 can be formed as an inexpensive molded product, and the manufacturing process of the optical transmission module can be greatly simplified.

[0034]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to the first embodiment.
Figure 1 (A), the platform 3 is groove 3 having a step in the <110> axis perpendicular direction S _i substrate 1
has A～3c, groove 3a of which, 3c by mechanical processing (eg diced), also the inclined surface portion 3b is formed by anisotropic etching of S _i substrate 1. The ferrule 7 (that is, the optical fiber 6) is positioned with high accuracy by abutting (mounting) the ferrule 7 on the slope 3b.

FIG. 1B is a side view of FIG. 1A viewed in the direction of arrow a. The dimensions of the grooves 3 a to 3 c can be determined based on the optical coupling position of the optical fiber 6 and the outer diameter of the ferrule 7. The width of the slope portion 3b is set to a width enough to come into contact with the side surface of the ferrule 7 and to obtain a contact surface sufficient to accurately position and fix the ferrule 7. Width w ₃ of the depth d ₁ and the groove 3c of the groove 3a is preferably determined depth of the slant portion 3b that satisfies the above conditions (d ₂ -d ₁₎ so as to minimize. As a result, the anisotropic etching time is shortened, the progress of abnormal etching caused by the inclination from the crystal axis <110> is suppressed short, and the slope 3
The width accuracy of b is improved. The width w ₁ of the groove 3a is the wall is chosen so as not to interfere with the ferrule 7, and the depth d ₃ of the groove 3c the floor surface is selected so as not to interfere with the ferrule 7.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the optical coupling structure according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 2A, a length L (for example, 4 mm), a width w ₁ (for example, 1.5 mm), and a depth d ₁ (for example, 480 μm) are formed on the upper surface of the _Si substrate 1 by a mechanical means (a dicing saw or the like). A groove 3a is formed. The processing accuracy when a dicing saw is used is about ± 1 μm in the depth direction and about 2 μm in the width direction.

[0037] In FIG. 2 (B), the first thickness of 5000Å by thermal oxidation film manufacturing apparatus S _i substrate surface after the machining S _i
An O ₂ film is formed. Next, the groove 3a is formed by a photolithography process.
Length L (= 4 mm) and width w ₂ (= 850)
.mu.m) of the mask 2A and patterned by RIE.
_i O ₂ film is etched. In the formation of the next slope 3b uses the S _i O ₂ film as a mask material.

In FIG. 2C, the _Si substrate 1 is immersed in an aqueous solution of KOH and subjected to anisotropic etching at least to a depth Δd (= d ₂ −d ₁ ) or more. An example etching time is about 2.5 hours, which results in an etching depth Δd ≒
It becomes 50 μm. At this time, it is conceivable that the abnormal etching proceeds due to the inclination θ of the mask pattern 2A from the crystal axis <110>, and the width W of the V groove 3b increases.

In this specification, a trapezoidal groove may be called a V-shaped groove for convenience of explanation. This etching step is shown in FIG. According to the first embodiment, since the etching time for obtaining the slope portion 3b of a required size is sufficiently short, for example, 2.5 hours as described above,
The etching can be completed while the increment ΔW of the groove width W is small. In FIG. 3A, the progress of abnormal etching according to the first embodiment is schematically shown by a bold line, and the increase in V-groove width W is indicated by a dotted line.
(B) The vehicle stops sufficiently before the case (1).

Returning to FIG. 2, in FIG. 2 (D), the bottom of the slope 3b after the etching is dredged by a mechanical means (a dicing saw or the like) to obtain a length L and a width w ₃ (<w _2). ), forming the groove 3c of the depth d ₃ from the substrate 1. Thus,
A highly accurate platform 3 can be formed by processing in a relatively short time. In this step, mechanical processing of the grooves 3a and 3c is performed at the same time in advance, and then the corners formed between the grooves 3a and 3c are anisotropically etched to form the slopes 3b.
May be formed. As a result, the overall processing time can be reduced.

Returning to FIG. 1, after mounting the ferrule 7 accommodating the optical fiber 6 on the platform 3 and applying an epoxy-based adhesive on the surface of the _Si substrate 1 (around the platform 3), for example, _Si Then, the ferrule 7 is fixed to the slope 3b by pressing. In this case, the position of the ferrule 7 in the X and Z-axis directions is uniquely determined by the action of the slope portion 3b, and the position of the ferrule 7 in the Y-axis direction is also determined by abutting the end surface of the ferrule 7 on the short side of the groove portion 3. Determined uniquely.

It should be noted that instead of using the above-mentioned epoxy adhesive, it may be fixed with solder or the like. Further, by using a light-transmitting glass material for the upper lid 8, it is possible to fix the upper lid 8 with an ultraviolet-curable optical adhesive. Furthermore,
The upper lid 8 does not necessarily need to be a crystalline member, and it is possible to use a processing method with low accuracy, such as forming the concave groove portion.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an optical coupling structure according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 4A, reference numeral 11 denotes an optical element such as a laser diode (LD) or a photodiode (PD).
1A, the optical coupling position of which is somewhat higher than that of the optical waveguide of FIG. For this reason,
Not necessary to provide such grooves 3a in FIG. 1 in this platform 3, by mechanical means to a floor surface side of the V-groove 3b formed by anisotropic etching from the surface of the S _i substrate 1 (e.g., dicing) The structure is provided with the cut groove 3c.

After the grooves 3c are provided by mechanical means in advance, the upper corners of the grooves are anisotropically etched to form slopes 3b.
May be formed. In FIG. 4B, ferrule 7
Is pressed and fixed by the upper lid 8 in a state of contacting the high-precision slope 3b. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to the third embodiment.

This platform 3 has a ferrule 7
A groove 3 extending in the optical axis direction in order to mount the wall surfaces of each groove 3a~3d which is cut stepwise (the corners) continuous by anisotropic etching of S _i substrate in advance by mechanical means V-shaped groove 3 formed on slope {ie, (111) plane}
Is provided. In FIG. 5B, when the optical coupling position of the optical fiber 6 and the size of the ferrule 7 are determined, the size of the slope (V-groove) that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the ferrule 7 is determined.
The size of each of the grooves 3a to 3d can be determined along this slope (54.7 °). The aspect ratio of the steps formed by the concave grooves 3a to 3d is, for example, 1: 0.707.
The number of the grooves is determined in consideration of the fact that the V-grooves are formed by etching also on the floor side of the lowermost groove (the groove 3d in this example).

FIG. 6 shows an optical coupling structure according to the third embodiment.
It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of. In FIG. 6A, the mechanical hand
S by step (dicing saw etc.)_iLength on top of substrate 1
L, width w₁~ W_Four(W₁> W_Two> W_Three> W_Four), Depth d
₁~ D_Four(D₁<D _Two<D_Three<D_Four) Step-shaped groove 3
a to 3d are formed. In FIG. 6B, around the concave groove 3a
Then, a mask pattern 2A is formed.

[0047] Incidentally, in advance in the S _i substrate 1 to form a S _i O ₂ film 2, which may be cut to form a stepped groove 3 a to 3 d. In FIG. 6 (C), the anisotropic etching is performed with the S _i substrate 1 in an aqueous solution of KOH. Since the wall surface of the groove 3 is step-shaped, the anisotropic etching proceeds so as to cut off the convex portion of each step.

In FIG. 6D, a slope equivalent to the V-groove is formed by anisotropic etching for a relatively short time. Therefore, the width accuracy of the groove width W is improved. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 (A)
In this platform 3, a plurality of V grooves 3 ₁ to 3 ₃ are anisotropically etched at a distance from each other,
Grooves 9 ₁ , 9 ₂ are cut out so as to connect them by mechanical means. And bridging the ferrule 7 is placed between the V grooves 3 ₁ to 3 _3, performs positioning of the optical fiber 6.

FIG. 7B shows an outline of a method of manufacturing the platform 3. In S _i upper surface width w of the substrate 1, arranged in a straight line across the rectangular mask pattern 2A ₁ to 2A region ₃ of the length a to the required length L in the optical axis direction, the anisotropy of each mask pattern area Etching is performed to a required depth by etching. The grooves 9 ₁ in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis by a mechanical means so as to couple between the V grooves 3 ₁ to 3 ₃ obtained, 9
Form ₂ .

The concave grooves 9 ₁ and 9 ₂ are formed in the respective V grooves 3 ₁
It is sufficient that the ferrule 7 can be mounted so as to mount the ferrule 7 in the optical axis direction of ~ 3 ₃ , and it is not necessary to provide the ferrule 7 over the entire width of the platform 3. 8 and 9 are diagrams (1) for explaining a method of manufacturing an optical coupling structure according to a fourth embodiment.
In (2), it will be described here a case of collectively processing a plurality of platform 3 on the wafer of S _i.

In FIG. 8A, the width w is formed on the upper surface of the _Si substrate 1.
In sequence formed on each straight line over the predetermined length L of each platform 3 a rectangular mask pattern 2A ₁ to 2A region ₃ of length a. Around each mask pattern 2A ₁ to 2A region ₃ is covered with a protective film 2 of S _i O _2, and on the inside S _i
Crystals are exposed. In this case, each mask pattern 2
A ₁ to 2A region ₃ is formed in parallel with the machining axis direction based on the orientation flat (not shown), and has been arranged, the angle between the <110> axis of the machining axis and S _i crystal θ Error has occurred.

[0052] In FIG. 8 (B), the above S _i substrate (wafer)
1 is immersed in an aqueous solution of KOH to perform anisotropic etching,
At a distance from each other to form a V-groove 3 ₁ to 3 _3. V groove 3
The _{1-3 3} because it was anisotropically etched at a distance from each other, even if a relatively long time etching to obtain the required depth d _3, good V groove shape to each obtained.
In this case, each V is determined by the inclination of the angle θ of the machining reference axis.
Groove 3 is _{1-3 third} etching width W is increased, the V-grooves 3
_Since the length a of _1-3 is short, the increment ΔW of the width W can also be kept small. In particular, since the slopes p and q in the figure are the slowest portions of abnormal etching, the contact position accuracy of this portion is maximized. Moreover, such a slope p, q are obtained respectively with three V grooves 3 ₁ to 3 _3.

In FIG. 9A, mechanical means (dicing)
Saw etc.), based on orientation flat
Dicing in the direction perpendicular to the machining reference axis direction
Groove 3 ₁~ 3_ThreeGroove 9 to connect between₁, 9_TwoThe shape
To achieve. This groove processing is S_iMultiple plastics lined up on a wafer
This can be done all at once for each platform 3. Also dicing
Is V-groove 3₁~ 3_ThreeLeave the parts of each slope p and q in
Do it.

In FIG. 9B, after completion of the dicing,
Divide each platform 3. Each platform obtained
When mounting optical components on Form 3, ferrule 7 is
Groove 3 ₁~ 3_ThreePlace on top. V-groove 3 of this example₁~ 3_Threeof
Abnormal etching of each slope due to the inclination θ of the above processing reference axis
, And slightly spread in the left-right direction of the figure. But V
Groove 3₁~ 3_ThreeThe ferrule 7 placed in the vertical direction of
The abdominal surface will necessarily come into contact with the best slopes p and q.
You. Therefore, the optical fiber 6 is accurately aligned with the core 5 of the optical waveguide.
Aligned to

Although not shown, necessary electrodes are further formed by vapor deposition, a photolithography process, and the like, and the optical element is fixed. At this time, the groove 3 is protected so that the metal film is adhered. The ferrule 7 is previously coated with a metal coating, and the upper cover 8, the ferrule 7, and the platform 3 are fixed by soldering. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a fifth embodiment.

[0056] In FIG. 10 (A), the platform 3 is, in addition to the configuration of the platform 3 of FIG. 7, are cut in the optical axis direction by mechanical means to the lower side of the V grooves 3 ₁ to 3 ₃ concave further comprising a groove 9 _3. FIG. 10 (B)
The outline of the manufacturing method of this platform 3 is shown in FIG. A rectangular mask pattern 2 having a width w and a length a is formed on the upper surface of the _Si substrate 1.
A _{1 to} 2A ₃ are arranged in a straight line over a required length L in the optical axis direction, and the inside of each mask pattern region is etched by anisotropic etching. However, this anisotropic etching is performed with the V groove 3 having the minimum necessary depth for contacting the ferrule 7.
_{1-3 3} may be obtained, time (depth) of etching for this purpose may be short. Then, each obtained V-groove 3 ₁
~ 3 ₃ grooves 9 ₁ in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis by a mechanical means so as to couple between, 9 ₂ form a. Further, in order to avoid interference with the circumferential surface of the ferrule 7 placed, each V groove 3
Cutting in the direction of the optical axis across the floor of _{1-3 3} to the required depth.

According to the fifth embodiment, the V-grooves 3 ₁ to 3 ₁
Because it can shorten the 3 ₃ anisotropic etching time, high-precision V-grooves (especially slopes p, part of q) is obtained, mounting precision of the ferrule 7 is remarkably improved. In this case, if necessary, FIG advance width w ₁ in the same manner as in the 1, to form a groove 3a of the depth d _1, then a V-groove 3 ₁ to 3 ₃ are formed by anisotropic etching May be.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining an etching apparatus according to the embodiment. Anisotropic etching of said inserts a plurality of S _i wafer 10 vertically into the liquid tank 30 filled with an aqueous solution of, for example, KOH, and by example, by stirring the KOH solution, the mask pattern 20 ₁ to 20 _n Are maintained so as to be etched under the same conditions (temperature conditions, etc.).

However, in practice, it is extremely difficult to maintain the same etching conditions, and if etching is performed for a relatively long time, the mask pattern
₁ and the lower mask pattern 20
_A remarkable difference occurs in the groove width W from the V groove formed by _n . However, according to the present invention, since the time for anisotropic etching can be reduced, the difference in groove width W based on the difference in etching conditions can be sufficiently suppressed.

FIGS. 12 to 14 show a sixth embodiment.
FIGS. (1) to (3) for explaining an optical coupling structure, an optical element and an optical element;
Optical components with integrated waveguides (PLC: Planar light-wave
Circuit) and optical waveguide component (ferrule)
Receptacle that enables optical coupling with high precision on a plate (V groove)
An example of application to a type optical transmission module is shown. FIG.
FIG. 2 shows a conceptual diagram of an assembly of an optical coupling structure.
Is S_iA common support substrate consisting of
School (S_iO_Two3) are the same as those formed on the support substrate 1.
Platform (V-groove), 6 is optical fiber, 7 is
The optical fiber 6 is housed so that both end faces are flush with each other.
Ferrule (optical waveguide component), 8 is S_iOr plastic
And a lid member made of a molded product such as ceramic or the like.
_iThe optical component supporting member 12A is formed in the supporting member 12.
V convex portion formed in the central optical axis direction, 16 is V convex portion 12A
Optical component (PLC) provided on the bottom (top in the figure) of
13 is a sleeve type optical connector, 14 is an optical connector 13
Optical adapter (receptacle) that is detachably mounted on the
Reference numeral 15 denotes an optical cable connected to the optical adapter 14.

FIG. 11A is a schematic plan view of the PLC 16. An example of PLC16 is _{S i,} G _{a A} S or I _n P optical waveguide 16A on a crystalline substrate, such as a photodiode 16
B, an optical integrated circuit in which a laser diode 16C, an optical wavelength filter 16D, and the like are integrated. Here, LD
16C is emitted from the optical waveguide end face 16a, and the incident beam from the optical waveguide end face 16a is PD1.
6B.

An outline of the mounting process of this optical transmission module is as follows.
16 is adhered and fixed with an adhesive. At this time, PLC1
6 is aligned in the horizontal direction (optical axis) with the end face 16 of the optical waveguide.
The marker (not shown) on the PLC 16 provided corresponding to a is aligned with the marker M1 on the surface of the V-convex portion 12A. Positioning in the direction of inclination from the optical axis is performed, for example, on both front surfaces of the PLC 16. This is performed by matching the shoulder to the markers M2 and M3.

Next, the support member 12 is superimposed on the V-groove 3 of the support substrate 1 with the V-convex portion 12A facing downward. At this time, the support member 12 is in contact with both slopes 12a and 12b of the V-shaped protrusion 12A.
The two inclined surfaces 3a and 3b of the groove 3 are supported at positions where they are in close contact with each other. Then, an adhesive 18 is injected into a gap formed between both flange portions of the support member 12 and the upper surface of the support substrate 1 to bond and fix them.

Next, the ferrule 7 is mounted on the V-groove 3, and the front surface 7 a of the ferrule abuts against the end surface 12 c of the support member 12 to perform positioning in the optical axis direction. At this time, the alignment between the optical waveguide end face 16a and the ferrule 7 (that is, the fiber 6) in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis is automatically performed by a configuration in which the V-convex portion 12A and the ferrule 7 are butted on the common V-groove 3. Is obtained. Details will be described later. Further, in this state, the cover member 8 is put on the ferrule 7 from above.
Fix with heat resistant epoxy resin. A light transmitting resin 17 is provided at the optical coupling portion between the front surface 7a of the ferrule and the PLC 16.
Fill.

Next, the hole 13A of the optical connector 13 is fitted from the rear end 7b of the ferrule 7, and the optical connector 13 is bonded and fixed to both end surfaces of the support substrate 1 and the lid member 8. Thus, the main part of the main body of the optical transmission module is obtained. The optical adapter 14 is inserted into the hole 13A of the optical connector 13.
The optical coupling with the fiber cable 15 can be obtained by inserting the ferrule 14A with a split sleeve.

Thus, according to the sixth embodiment,
A common V-groove (platform) 3 includes a V-shaped convex portion 12A on which an optical component is mounted and a ferrule 7 which does not protrude the fiber.
Due to the simple structure of the mating above, the problems with the conventional optical fiber protruding type optical transmission module, such as reliability due to the stress applied to the base of the optical fiber and the handling of the protruding optical fiber, In addition, it is possible to avoid all the manufacturing problems that are difficult to perform, and to manufacture such an optical transmission module easily, with high accuracy and high reliability.

Hereinafter, the detailed structure will be described. FIG.
(A) shows a side view of the optical coupling structure. Support member 1
The front surface 7a of the ferrule 7 is brought into contact with the front surface 12c of the ferrule 7 to perform positioning in the optical axis (Y-axis) direction. In this case, the front surface of the PLC 16 is provided slightly behind (usually about 30 μm) behind the front surface 12c of the V-convex portion, so that the front surface of the PLC 16 does not directly hit the front surface 7a of the ferrule (ie, fiber). There is no. This allows PL
The front of C16 is protected. Further, the gap formed by this is filled with a translucent resin 17 having substantially the same refractive index as the core of the fiber 6, thereby effectively preventing light reflection and leakage (loss) at the optical coupling portion. Can be prevented.

FIG. 13B is a sectional view (1) taken along the line aa in FIG. 13A. A V-groove 3 on the supporting substrate 1, is created by anisotropic etching both by the KOH aqueous solution of S _i substrate from the V projection 12A of the support member 12. An example ferrule 7 has a diameter of 2500 μm, and the V-groove 3 for supporting the ferrule 7 is provided so as to accommodate at least half the height of the ferrule 7. Since such a V-groove 3 becomes a deep groove, it is generally difficult to manufacture the V-groove 3 only by an etching process.

Therefore, here, as described in the third embodiment of FIG. 6, for example, after the rough V-groove 3 is formed in advance by a dicing saw, the slopes 3a and 3b are smoothed by an anisotropic etching process. Is used. The opening width W1 of the V groove 3 thus obtained is, for example, 3516 μm, and the inclination of the slopes 3a, 3b is exactly 5
4.7 °.

On the other hand, the V-shaped protrusion 12A of the support member 12 has a bottom surface width W2 of 3092 μm (<W1),
Its height H2 is as low as 330 μm. Therefore,
Such V projection 12A is can be manufactured only at high accuracy etching process, for example as shown in FIG. 14, the portion other than the mask pattern 2 of S _i wafer 10, the depth 330 [mu] m (V protrusion (Equivalent to height H2 of 12A)
The anisotropic etching is performed until the center of the obtained V-groove (dotted line) is divided by a dicing saw or the like.
Thus, many support members 12 are obtained.

At this time, the width W2 of the V-shaped convex portion 12A can be accurately maintained by the anisotropic etching of the shallow groove (relatively short time). Of course, the slopes 12a, 12
The slope of b is exactly 54.7 °. Returning to FIG. 13B, the V-shaped groove 3 of the support substrate 1 is inserted into the V-shaped groove 12A of the support member 12.
Are overlapped, these slopes 3a, 3b and slope 12
a and 12b are always in close contact with each other at the groove width W2.

In this state, the PLC 16 is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the V-shaped protrusion 12A, and the optical waveguide end face 16a is located at the center of the PLC 16. That is, the end face 16a of the optical waveguide is always at a position just below the center position of the bottom width W2 of the V-shaped protrusion 12A by a predetermined length. In addition, this V convex part 12
The bottom of A is previously diced, for example, to a width of 500μ.
m and a depth of 20 μm are produced, and the adhesive is injected into the groove 12B so that the two adhere to each other to prevent the adhesive from oozing out. Accuracy in the height (Z-axis) direction with respect to the bottom surface is maintained.

Further, when the ferrule 7 is mounted in the common V-groove 3 in this state, the ferrule 7 is aligned in the X and Z-axis directions by the action of the outer peripheral surface and the slopes 3a and 3b. That is, the center of the ferrule 7 in the X-axis direction is always located at the center of the bottom width W2 of the V-shaped convex portion 12A because the inclinations of the slopes 3a and 3b are accurate. In addition, the diameter of the ferrule 7 can be determined and maintained such that the center of the ferrule 7 in the Z-axis direction is always located at a position immediately below the center position of the bottom width W2 by the predetermined length. Therefore, the ferrule 7 is
, The ferrule-centered optical fiber 6 and PL
The optical waveguide end face 16a of C16 is accurately aligned.

Thus, according to the sixth embodiment,
Only by abutting the V-shaped protrusion 12A of the support member 12 and the ferrule 7 on the common V-groove 3, high-precision alignment in the X and Y-axis directions is automatically obtained. In addition, V convex portion 1
Only by precisely maintaining (manufacturing) the bottom width W2 of 2A, highly accurate alignment in the Z-axis direction can be automatically obtained. In this case, since the V-shaped protrusion 12A can be formed in a relatively short time by anisotropic etching of the shallow groove, the bottom width W2 can be precisely maintained.

Further, the accuracy of the positioning does not depend on the accuracy of the width or the depth of the V-groove 3 of the support substrate 1. This will be described below. FIG. 13 (C) is a diagram of FIG.
-A shows a cross-sectional view (2). For example, it takes a long time to form a deep groove by anisotropic etching of the V-groove 3, and during this period, abnormal etching in the X-axis direction progresses, and the width of the V-groove 3 is converted to the slope 3 a side to be smaller than a specified value. Assume that it has increased by ΔW. However, the angles of the slopes 3a and 3b are each exactly 54.7.
°.

In this state, the original support member 12 shown by the dotted line in the figure is shifted downward on the slope 3b of the V-groove 3 to the lower right side in the figure as a result of the slope 12b of the V-shaped convex portion 12A. When the slope 12a comes into contact with the opposite slope 3a, it is newly supported. Accordingly, the PLC 16 (ie,
The end face 16a) of the optical waveguide is also shifted to the lower right side in the figure by the same amount.

However, even in this case, if the bottom width W2 of the V-shaped convex portion 12A is accurately maintained, the relative positional relationship with the slopes 3a and 3b based on the bottom width W2 is as shown in FIG.
There is no difference from the one described in (B). That is,
Even in this case, the center of the ferrule 7 mounted on the new V-groove 3 is always located at a position directly below the center of the bottom width W2 by the predetermined length. Accordingly, also in this case, accurate positioning between the optical waveguide end face 16a and the optical fiber 6 is automatically obtained.

The displacement of the support member 12 can be absorbed by reducing the amount of the adhesive 18 injected between the support member 12 and the support substrate 1. FIGS. 15 and 16 are views (1) for explaining an optical coupling structure according to the seventh embodiment.
(2) shows a case where the optical element 11 such as an LD or PD is mounted on the support member 12 instead of the PLC 16.

FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram of the assembly of the optical coupling structure. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes an optical element including an LD, a PD, and the like. Other configurations may be the same as those described with reference to FIG. However, generally, the mounting area of the optical element 11 is PLC16.
May be smaller than the mounted area. With this, V groove 3
Each size such as the width, length and depth of the V-shaped protrusion 12A and the diameter of the ferrule 7 can be reduced.

In the mounting process of the optical transmission module, the mounting of the optical element 11 on the lower surface of the V-shaped protrusion 12A is performed by, for example, soldering a conductor pattern formed on the lower surface of the V-shaped protrusion 12A. The accuracy in the height (Z-axis) direction of the optical element 11 by soldering can be controlled by ± 1 μm by controlling conditions such as the thickness of the solder paste and the load and temperature at the time of optical element bonding, even if the conventional technique is used. It can be controlled with the accuracy within. The lateral displacement of the optical element 11 can also be suppressed to within ± 1 μm by performing positioning using the marker.

FIG. 16A is a side view of the optical coupling structure. The front surface 7a of the ferrule 7 is brought into contact with the front surface 12c of the support member 12 to perform positioning in the optical axis (Y-axis) direction. Further, a gap formed between the optical element 11 and the fiber 6 is filled with a translucent resin 17. FIG. 16 (B)
FIG. 16A is a sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG.

In this example, the V-groove 3
And the size of the V-shaped protrusion 12A and the diameter of the ferrule 7 can be reduced. Therefore, the V groove manufacturing time can be shortened and the alignment accuracy can be further improved. FIG. 17 is a view for explaining an optical coupling structure according to the eighth embodiment, and shows a common V-shaped groove 3.
Above, instead of the ferrule 7 as the optical waveguide component,
A case is shown in which an optical waveguide component 19 configured to support a convex inclined surface having an inclination complementary to that of the V groove 3 so as to abut on the V groove 3 is mounted.

In the figure, 19 is an optical waveguide component formed on the basis of a _Si crystal, 19A is a V-convex portion formed in the central optical axis direction of the optical waveguide component 19, and 19B is an optical axis of the V-convex portion 19A. It is an optical waveguide formed in the direction. FIG. 17A shows a side view of the optical coupling structure. The alignment in the optical axis (Y-axis) direction is performed by abutting the front surface 19c of the optical waveguide component 19 against the front surface 12c of the optical component support member 12. Further, a gap formed between the optical element 11 and the optical waveguide 19B is filled with a translucent resin 17.

FIG. 17B is a sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. Optical waveguide component 19 (shown by dotted line in the figure)
As in the case of the optical component support member 12 described above, the slopes 19a and 19b of the V-shaped convex portion 19A abut against the slopes 3a and 3b of the V-groove 3, respectively, thereby supporting and aligning in the X and Z-axis directions. Therefore, also for the optical waveguide component 19, the bottom width of the V-shaped protrusion 19A (although the bottom width of the V-shaped protrusion 12A is illustrated in the drawing is the same as that of the V-shaped protrusion 12A), is always maintained accurately. An accurate optical axis alignment state with the optical element 11 is obtained. Incidentally, in this example, since the height of the V-shaped protrusion 19A is low, the bottom width of the V-shaped protrusion 19A can be accurately maintained.

In the first to fifth embodiments, the case where the relatively large-diameter small ferrule 7 is mounted on the platform 3 has been described. However, the present invention (1) to (6) is relatively There is also an effect when applied to the case where the small diameter optical fiber 6 is mounted. In each of the sixth to eighth embodiments, the optical component including the PLC 16 or the optical element 11 is added and fixed as a separate component to the bottom surface of the V-shaped convex portion 12A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the PLC 16 or the optical element 11 may be directly formed on the V convex portion 12A made of a crystal substrate by a planar technique or the like. By doing so, the number of components and the steps of bonding / soldering can be reduced, and the mounting accuracy of the PLC 16 or the optical element 11 is greatly improved.

In each of the sixth to eighth embodiments, the case where the two optical components and the optical waveguide component are aligned on the common V-groove 3 has been described. Obviously, the alignment may be performed. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the substrate 1 forming the platform 3 is _Si
Has been described the case of a crystal, S _i other than crystals, various crystalline substances (G _a A having anisotropy of suitable etching rate
_s, it is possible to use I _n P, etc.). Also, as the etchant, various known ones can be selected according to the crystal.

Although a plurality of embodiments suitable for the present invention have been described, it is needless to say that various changes can be made in the configuration of each part, the manufacturing method, and the combination thereof without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Not even.

[0088]

As described above, according to the present invention, a groove for mounting a relatively large optical waveguide component such as a ferrule can be formed easily, in a short time and with high precision. This greatly contributes to cost reduction of modules and improvement of mass productivity. In addition, direct optical coupling between the ferrule and the optical component, which has been difficult in the past, can be easily and accurately performed, which greatly contributes to high quality and low loss of the receptacle type optical transmission module. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical coupling structure according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an etching process according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical coupling structure according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram (1) illustrating a method of manufacturing an optical coupling structure according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram (2) illustrating a method of manufacturing the optical coupling structure according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an etching apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram (1) illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram (2) illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram (3) illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram (1) illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram (2) illustrating an optical coupling structure according to a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an optical coupling structure according to an eighth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram (1) illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 19 is a diagram (2) illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 20 is a diagram (3) illustrating a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 substrate 2 mask 3 Platform (V grooves) 4 cladding layer 5 the core layer 6 optical fibers 7 ferrule 8 cover member 9 grooves 10 S _i wafer 11 optical element 12 support member 12A V protrusion 13 the optical connector 14 the optical adapter 15 optical cable 16 Optical component (PLC) 17 Translucent resin 18 Adhesive 19 Optical waveguide component 20 Mask pattern 30 Liquid tank

Claims (14)

[Claims] An optical coupling that supports an optical component such as an optical element or an optical waveguide with an optical fiber or an optical waveguide component such as a ferrule that accommodates the optical fiber, and supports the optical waveguide component so that their optical axes are aligned. In the structure, a groove extending in the optical axis direction to support the optical waveguide component, a cross section V formed by anisotropic etching of the crystal substrate on the floor side of the first groove cut by mechanical means An optical coupling structure comprising a character-like or trapezoidal second groove. 2. The optical coupling structure according to claim 1, further comprising a third groove cut by mechanical means on a floor side of the second groove. 3. An optical coupling that supports an optical component such as an optical element or an optical waveguide with an optical fiber or an optical waveguide component such as a ferrule that accommodates the optical fiber, and supports the optical waveguide component so that their optical axes are aligned. In the structure, a groove extending in the optical axis direction to support the optical waveguide component is provided on a floor surface side of a first groove having a V-shaped or trapezoidal cross section formed by anisotropic etching of a crystal substrate. An optical coupling structure, comprising a second groove cut by a mechanical means. 4. An optical coupling that supports an optical component such as an optical element or an optical waveguide with an optical fiber or an optical waveguide component such as a ferrule that houses the optical fiber, and supports the optical waveguide component so that their optical axes are aligned. In the structure, a groove extending in the optical axis direction to support the optical waveguide component, and a wall surface of the concave groove cut in a stepwise manner by mechanical means is formed on a continuous slope by anisotropic etching of the crystal substrate. An optical coupling structure comprising a groove having a V-shaped or trapezoidal cross section. 5. An optical coupling that supports an optical component including an optical element or an optical waveguide with an optical fiber or an optical waveguide component such as a ferrule that houses the optical fiber, and supports the optical waveguide component so that their optical axes are aligned. In the structure, a plurality of independent V-shaped or trapezoidal first grooves are formed in a row over a required length on the crystal substrate by anisotropic etching of the crystal substrate, and the first grooves are formed. An optical coupling structure characterized in that the space between the optical waveguide components is cut by a mechanical means in a direction perpendicular to the row so that the optical waveguide component can be mounted. 6. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a second groove and / or a third groove cut in a row direction by mechanical means on upper and / or lower sides of the plurality of first grooves arranged in a line over a required length. The optical coupling structure according to claim 5, wherein 7. An optical coupling structure for abutting an optical waveguide component against an optical component including an optical element or an optical waveguide and supporting the optical components so that their optical axes are aligned with each other. An optical component and an optical waveguide component, which are configured so that a convex inclined surface having an inclination complementary to the V-groove is in contact with and supported on the V-groove, are mounted respectively, and each of the optical component and the optical waveguide component is mounted. An optical coupling structure characterized in that the end faces are supported against each other. 8. An optical circuit comprising: a support member having a support plane having a trapezoidal cross section on the side where the convex slope intersects; and an optical element and / or an optical waveguide supported and fixed on the support plane. The optical coupling structure according to claim 7, further comprising a component. 9. The optical coupling structure according to claim 8, wherein the optical circuit component is integrally formed on a supporting member made of a semiconductor crystal substrate by a device process. 10. The optical coupling structure according to claim 7, wherein the optical waveguide component is a ferrule containing an optical fiber. 11. The optical waveguide component according to claim 7, wherein the optical waveguide component is configured such that a convex inclined surface having an inclination complementary to the V-groove is supported on the V-groove. Optical coupling structure. 12. The optical coupling structure according to claim 7, wherein the optical coupling portion between the optical component and the optical waveguide component is filled with a translucent resin. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the support substrate, the optical component, and the optical waveguide component uses silicon as a material, and the slope is formed by anisotropic etching of silicon. 8. The optical coupling structure according to 7. 14. The optical coupling structure according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the support substrate, the support member, and the optical waveguide component is manufactured by a molded product.