JPS6360401A - Manufacture of optical film parts - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obviate the possibility that an optical film is damaged, to improve the yield, and to obtain optical film parts of low cost by forming a V-groove before providing an optical film on an optical substrate, forming the optical film, and thereafter, separating and cutting it to each separate optical film parts by a groove bottom edge line part. CONSTITUTION:A matrix-shaped V-groove 15 is formed symmetrically on the surface and the reverse side of an optical substrate 1, and a plane shape of optical film parts 10 to be manufactured is divided into equal square forms. This V-groove 15 is provided by placing the optical substrate 1 on a table which can be driven in parallel in the X axis and Y axis directions, respectively, and feed a rotating grinding wheel 16 for V-groove deeply into a desired depth from the upper part. After the V-groove 15 has been formed, a desired optical film (filter film polarization separating film, coupler film) 2 is formed by vapor-depositing alternately dielectric films whose refractive indexes are different, by scores of layers, onto the whole surface of the surface of the optical substrate 1 except a chamfered edge line 5 and the groove side wall of the V-groove 15. Thereafter, the optical substrate 1 is cut and separated by the respective groove bottom edge line 15a parts, part of the inner wall surface of the V-groove 15 is left as it is in the edge line part made by a cutting plane 4 of a substrate element piece 14A, and the surface and the reverse side, and the optical film parts 10 having the chamfered edge line 5 is obtained.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] After dividing both the front and back surfaces of an optical substrate into squares having the same shape as the optical film component by matrix-shaped grooves, and forming an optical film on the surface of each division, By separating the optical film parts into individual optical film parts at the groove bottom ridgeline part and obtaining an optical film part with the ridgeline part chamfered, there is less risk of damage to the optical film and the substrate piece. Provide membrane parts.

[Industrial application field]

The method of the present invention relates to an improvement in a method for manufacturing optical film components in which a desired optical film is formed on the surface of an optical substrate made of glass, silicon, or the like.

Optical films such as filter films, polarization separation films, coupler films, etc. are obtained by alternately forming several dozen layers of dielectric films with different refractive indexes on the surface of an optical substrate such as glass or silicon.

An optical film component in which a desired optical film is formed on the surface of an optical substrate can easily obtain desired optical characteristics, and is thin and small, so it can be used as an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer.

Widely used in polarization separators, optical attenuators, optical modulators, etc.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the steps of a conventional method for manufacturing optical film components.

In FIG. 3 (al), 1 is an optical substrate made of, for example, a glass plate, and has a rectangular shape from which a large number of optical film components 10 can be formed.

A desired optical film (filter film, polarization separation film, coupler film) 2 is formed by alternately depositing several tens of layers of dielectric films having different refractive indexes on the entire surface of the optical substrate 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3('b), the optical substrate 1 is adjusted to have the same planar shape as the optical film component 10 using, for example, a cutting grindstone.
The substrate piece IA is cut into a matrix shape using a thin diamond grindstone (disc-shaped and thin) to separate into optical film component pieces 10A each having an optical film 2 formed on the surface of the substrate piece IA.

In this state of the optical film component piece 10A, the ridgeline portion of the substrate piece IA may be chipped, or the substrate piece IA may be damaged from the ridgeline portion.
There is a risk that the optical film component piece 10A may be damaged.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3(C), the optical film component piece 1
Each ridgeline portion of 0A is lapped, polished, etc. to form a chamfered ridgeline 5, and the optical film component 10 is completed.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the conventional manufacturing method described above, after forming the optical film 2, the optical substrate 1 is cut to obtain the optical film component IO.

During this cutting, the optical film 2 is cut, and the optical film 2 is
There are problems in that the optical film 2 is damaged, such as cracks occurring in the optical film 2 or parts near the cut portion of the optical film 2 chipping and falling off, resulting in poor yield.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the method of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The planar shape of the optical film component 10 is divided into squares having the same shape.

Next, an optical film 2 having desired film characteristics is formed over the entire surface of the optical substrate 1 excluding the chamfered portion and the V-groove 15.

Thereafter, the optical substrate 1 is cut and separated at each groove bottom ridge line L5a to obtain an optical film component 10 in which the optical film 2 is formed on the surface of the substrate piece IA.

[Effect]

According to the method of the present invention, the optical substrate 1 is
Since the substrate piece IA is cut and separated, a part of the inner wall surface of the V-groove 15 remains at the ridge line formed by the cut surface 4 of the substrate piece IA and the front and back surfaces, and the ridge line of the optical film component 10 is formed by the chamfered ridge line 5. becomes. Therefore, chamfering work is not required after cutting and separation.

Further, since the optical film 2 is not formed in the groove 15, the optical film 2 is not cut when the optical substrate 1 is cut and separated. Therefore, there is no risk of damage to the optical film 2, the yield is high, and the resulting optical film component IO is low in cost.

〔Example〕

The method of the present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures.

In Fig. 1, (al and bl are diagrams showing the steps of the method of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the method of the present invention, where fa) is the ■ groove formed, and crest) is the side cross section at the time of cutting. It is a diagram.

In FIG. 1(a), l is an optical substrate made of, for example, glass, silicon, etc., and has a rectangular shape from which a large number of optical film components 10 can be taken, and the ridge line formed by the front and back surfaces and the side surface of the periphery is a surface. For example, the chamfered ridge line 5 is used.

Matrix-shaped grooves 15 are formed symmetrically on the front and back surfaces of the optical substrate 1, and are divided into squares having the same planar shape as the optical film component 10 to be manufactured.

This groove 15 may be formed by etching or machining, but as shown in FIG. 1. A groove grindstone 16 (for example, a diamond grindstone with fine diamond particles attached to the surface of the substrate), which is rotated from above, is cut to a desired depth to form the desired groove 15. This is advantageous because large groove sidewalls can be easily obtained.

The circumferential surface of the groove grindstone 16 is a convex surface with an apex angle of, for example, 90 degrees.

■After forming the groove 15, as shown in Figure 1 (bl), the chamfered ridge line 5
and (2) Alternately depositing several tens of layers of dielectric films with different refractive indexes on the entire surface of the optical substrate 1 except for the side walls of the grooves 15.
Desired optical film (filter film, polarization separation film, coupler film)
form 2.

After that, the optical substrate 1 is cut and separated at the respective groove bottom ridgelines 15a, and a part of the inner wall surface of the V-groove 15 remains on the ridgeline formed by the cut surface 4 of the substrate piece IA and the front and back surfaces. The optical film component 10 has a chamfered edge 5.

Note that this cutting and separation work can be done by bending the optical substrate 1 at the groove 15, but if a cutting wheel 17 is used as shown in FIG. is easy.

The cutting whetstone 17 is, for example, a diamond whetstone, and the thickness of the disc-shaped whetstone is smaller than the opening width of the groove 15.

Using such a cutting wheel 17, place the optical substrate 1 on a table that can be driven in parallel in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and while rotating the cutting wheel 17, cut the groove bottom ridgeline 15a from above. By making the cuts, it is possible to easily separate the substrate into pieces IA having clean cut surfaces 4.

As mentioned above, since the optical substrate l is cut and separated at the groove bottom ridge vA15a, a part of the inner wall surface of the groove 15 remains on the ridge line formed by the cut surface 4 of the substrate piece IA and the front and back surfaces. , the ridgeline of the optical film component 10 becomes a chamfered ridgeline 5. Therefore, chamfering work is not required after cutting and separation.

Further, since the optical film 2 is not formed in the groove 15, the optical film 2 is not cut when the optical substrate 1 is cut and separated. Therefore, there is no risk of damage to the optical film 2, and the yield is high.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the method of the present invention, a groove is formed on the optical substrate before the optical film is restrained, and after the optical film is formed, the optical film components are separated and cut into individual optical film components at the groove bottom ridgeline. This manufacturing method has excellent practical effects in that there is no risk of damage to the optical film, the yield is improved, and optical film components can be obtained at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

In Fig. 1, (al and (bl) are diagrams showing the steps of the method of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the method of the present invention, (al is a side sectional view during groove formation, and (b) is a diagram showing the steps of the method of the present invention. (al, (bl, (cl) in Fig. 3 are diagrams showing the steps of the conventional method. In the figure, 1 is an optical substrate, IA is a substrate piece, 2 is an optical film,
4 is a cut surface, 5 is a chamfered ridgeline, 10 is an optical film component, 10A is an optical film component piece, 15 is a V groove, 15a is a groove bottom ridgeline, 16 is a grindstone for grooves, and 17 is a cutting grindstone. ((1') (bn(b) Ditch 2 diagram

Claims (1)

[Claims] A matrix-like V-groove (15) is formed on both the front and back surfaces of a plate-shaped optical substrate (1) with a chamfered peripheral edge, which is divided into squares having the same planar shape as the optical film component (10). step, and the chamfered portion and the V-groove (15
) A step of forming an optical film (2) having desired film characteristics on the entire surface of the optical substrate (1) except for A method for manufacturing an optical film component, comprising the step of separating at a groove bottom ridgeline (15a).