KR200397004Y1 - Multi channel connection device Fiber Array by hydration solution bonding mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is applied to a fiber array, which is a multi-channel connection device, used in combination with a PLC (Planar Light Circuit) technology that integrates various devices onto a single board to enable the production of multifunctional devices. It is about. In particular, as planar optical waveguide technology and optical MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology are attracting attention as a production technology of optical communication components, these devices, such as AWG (Arrayed Waveguide Grating) and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), and optical fiber Optical Contact Bonding, Epoxy Bonding, or Frit Bonding Method for Fabrication of Fiber Array, an Optical Connection Device Used for Optically Aligning and Bonding The present invention relates to a fiber array using a method of bonding at room temperature using a hydroxide solution.

In this method, microwaves are used as heat treatment after bonding at room temperature, and they can be applied to bonding methods requiring extreme fine alignment and high reliability.

In addition, it has the advantages of ensuring the precision and transparency of optical contact bonding and the robustness and reliability of the vitrified bonding, and can be easily used at room temperature and can be manufactured at low cost. .

Description

Multi-channel connection device Fiber Array by hydration solution bonding mechanism

The present invention is applied to a fiber array, which is a multi-channel connection device, used in combination with a PLC (Planar Light Circuit) technology that integrates various devices onto a single substrate to enable the production of multifunctional devices. It is about. In particular, as planar optical waveguide technology and optical MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology are attracting attention as a production technology of optical communication components, these devices, such as AWG (Arrayed Waveguide Grating) and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), and optical fiber Optical Contact Bonding, Epoxy Bonding, or Vitreous Bonding in the manufacture of Fiber Array, an optical connection device used to optically align and bond The present invention relates to a fiber array using a bonding method at room temperature using a hydroxide solution rather than a method.

In order to prepare for the exploding data traffic due to the rapid increase in the number of Internet subscribers, research on optical parts has been focused on the development of optical communication networks. One of the biggest challenges currently faced by manufacturers of optical communication components is a multifunctional device in the form of a chip in which several devices are integrated on a single board in order to innovatively reduce the manufacturing cost due to the significant price drop of the communication parts. The importance of Planar Light Circuit (PLC) technology, which makes it possible to manufacture, is becoming more important. In the optical connection parts, the optical connector is an important part that directly affects communication quality. It is a high density, multi-channel device (Planar Light Circuit) technology and optical MEMS (Micro). As the Electro Mechanical System technology is attracting attention as a production technology for optical communication components, a fiber array, a multi-channel optical connection device, used to optically align and splice these devices and optical fibers The demand for arrays is gradually expanding.

The use of such multi-channel devices is expected to play a significant role in reducing the limit of mounting density due to the explosive increase in data traffic due to the implementation of FTTH (Fiebr To The Home).

The biggest problem in the fabrication of such a multi-channel device, the fiber array, is to secure the following elements in the alignment and splicing of the fiber block and fiber, which serve as optical ferrules. It is a big obstacle.

The ease of use and reliability of the application of the bond, the precision of the bond, the physical strength of the bond, the optical properties, the temperature properties, the chemical properties, the simplicity of the bond, and the like.

Bonding methods that have been used for sorting and splicing fibers can be roughly classified into three types. It is divided into optical contact bonding, epoxy bonding, and glass bonding.

First, the bonding method by optical contacting is a material having a good surface condition at room temperature, without using a bonding agent, so it has advantages of precision and transparency, but it is weak in rigidity and environmental test (reliability test). Weak and empty space is generated.

Second, in the case of epoxy bonding method, epoxy is cured by applying epoxy or filling gap between substrates and curing the epoxy through room temperature or heat and ultraviolet curing. (Adsorption), a chemical bond (an intermolecular polar-polar dipole dispersion force, not a fully covalent bond). In this case, the strength of the bond is stable, but stress may occur due to the difference between the shrinkage rate and the thermal expansion rate of the substrate and epoxy, which may cause misalignment due to thermal and physical deformation. It has the disadvantage of being sensitive to moisture and the like.

Third, in the case of vitrification bonding (Frit Bonding) is very excellent in the reliability and robustness of the bonding, but the mechanical and physical deformation caused by the high temperature during bonding has a disadvantage that can not be used in the precise process.

Although the above bonding methods are three representative methods generally used in various devices, each of them has problems of coupling robustness, high cost, or precision.

As described above, bonding methods used in the related art have problems of bonding robustness, high cost, ease of bonding, and precision, and thus require optical devices, especially fiber arrays, which require ultra-precision and high reliability. The application of arrays exposes a number of problems.

Therefore, the present invention can be used at room temperature for easy bonding, low cost, and ultra-fine sorting, which is precise, and has a high reliability and high reliability. Was produced.

When manufacturing a conventional fiber array, the reliability of the device is most secured, such as the deformation of the microarray due to the difference in thermal expansion and shrinkage caused by the difference between the substrate and the epoxy material by epoxy bonding. It became a big problem.

However, in the present invention, conventional epoxy bonding (Hydroxide catalyzed hydration) and dehydration of the chemical bonding between the materials by using the hydroxyl catalyst reaction between the glass (Glass) and glass (glass) of the same material Bonding or glass soldering has superior advantages in bonding strength, thermal stability and temperature stability.

In particular, since it is a method of inducing pure chemical bonding by an aqueous alkali solution in a solid-solid state without an intermediate material such as a bonding agent, it has a free advantage in deformation due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between materials.

Referring to the configuration and operation of the present invention with reference to the drawings as follows.

Referring to FIG. 3, the molecular structure of Fused Silica, which is a glass material of Micro Optics, is made of Si—O—Si bonds as shown in (6), (7), and (8). Eventually, the surface of the material is exposed to Si groups, and each material is placed at a very close distance and an O group is introduced therebetween so that each Si group is hydrated like (10) and (11). ). This expression

Si-O-Si + H2O ← OH- → Si-OH + Si-OH

It can be represented as.

The aqueous solution and the mixing ratio of the substrate are modified according to the surface roughness of the substrate. When the surface roughness of the substrate is sub-micrometer, KOH: H 2 O in the form of a hydroxide solution is used. The mixing ratio is about 30 minutes of bonding time when the ratio of 1: 500 is used, so that the alignment time is sufficient, and the bonding time can also be adjusted when adjusting the mixing ratio. do. However, if the surface roughness is several millimeters (Sub-milimeter), add the powder SiO 2. The mixing ratio of NaOH: SiO 2: H 2 O in its aqueous hydroxide solution is used in a ratio of 1: 1.3: 57, and the bonding time is about several tens of seconds.

Hydoxide catalyzed hydration and dehydration using the hydroxide catalysis are shown in detail from FIGS. 4A to 4C.

Figure 4a shows the morphology before fused silica (13), (14) (Fused Silica) with the OH- ion (15). As the fused silica (Fused Silica) is combined with the hydroxide ions, Figure 4b changes to the state of the hydrated fused silica (Hydrated Fused Silica), when approaching these hydrated silica (Hydrated Fused Silica) as shown in Figure 4c (Dehydration), a strong bonding force is generated by the covalent bond of Si-O-Si.

Hydoxide catalyzed hydration and dehydration using the hydroxide catalysis is shown in (2), the glass substrate (2) and (3) multi-core fiber (Ribbon Fiber), (4) V. When applied to Groove, it is possible to manufacture a precise fiber array that has excellent bonding strength by covalent bonding and is not affected by impurities.

This shows the form as shown in FIG.

The present invention is excellent in bonding strength by using a chemical bond (covalent bond) by hydration (hydroxide catalyzed hydration) and dehydration (hydration) using a catalytic reaction rather than epoxy and frit bonding. It is a design of a fiber array, a multi-channel connection device, which is highly accurate, has excellent thermal and temperature stability, and realizes low cost.

The present invention is applied to a fiber array, which is a multi-channel connection device, used in combination with a PLC (Planar Light Circuit) technology that integrates various devices onto a single substrate to enable the production of multifunctional devices. It is about. In particular, as planar optical waveguide technology and optical MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology are attracting attention as a production technology of optical communication components, these devices, such as AWG (Arrayed Waveguide Grating) and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), and optical fiber Optical Contact Bonding, Epoxy Bonding, or Frit Bonding Method for Fabrication of Fiber Array, an Optical Connection Device Used for Optically Aligning and Bonding The present invention relates to a fiber array using a method of bonding at room temperature using hydration catalyzed hydration and dehydration using a hydroxide catalytic reaction.

In particular, the present invention relates to a fiber array which is free from deformation due to a difference in thermal expansion rate between materials because it is a method of inducing pure chemical bonding by an aqueous alkali solution in a solid-solid state without an intermediate material such as a bonding agent. to be.

The fiber array fabricated in this way is a chemical bond between materials by hydration catalyzed hydration and dehydration using a hydroxide catalytic reaction between glass and glass, which are the same materials. It has superior advantages in bonding strength, thermal stability, and temperature stability over epoxy bonding and glass soldering, and can reduce device manufacturing cost.

Figure 1 shows the form of a fiber array (Fiber Array) which is a multi-channel connection device (Multi Channel Connection Device) made by the present invention.

Figure 2 shows the components and coupling structure of a fiber array (Fiber Array) which is a multi-channel connection device made by the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a single substrate (Hydration) and dehydration (Dehydration).

4 is a hydration catalyzed hydration (Hydroxide catalyzed hydration) which is a bonding method by a hydroxide solution for bonding a fiber array that is a multi-channel connection device (Multi Channel Connection Device) made by the present invention It shows a continuous reaction process of and dehydration.

4A shows a process before the fused silica substrate (Fused Silica Substrate) reacts with hydroxide ions.

4B shows that a fused silica substrate (Fused Silica Substrate) reacts with hydroxide ions to form a hydrated silica substrate (Hydrated Fused Silica Substrate).

4C shows a form in which a fused silica substrate (Hydrated Fused Silica Substrate) is bonded by dehydration.

Claims (2)

In the fabrication of a multi-channel connection device fiber array (Multi Channel Connection Device Fiber Array), It is based on the application of hydration catalyzed hydration and dehydration techniques, rather than commonly used optical contact bonding, epoxy bonding, and vitrification bonding. Multi Channel Connection Device Fiber Array manufactured by Bonding Method. The method of claim 1, Hydroxides used for hydration catalyzed hydration and dehydration include ionic salts NaOH, KOH, NH4OH, sodium ethoxide, and Potassium ethoxide, and the surface roughness of the substrate. When the surface roughness of the substrate (Substrate) is a water-micrometer (Sub-micro), KOH: H2O in the aqueous hydroxide (Hydroxide) solution state is used, and the substrate surface roughness Multi-Channel Connection Device Fiber Array using Bonding Mechanism in which Powder material is added and NaOH aqueous solution is mixed in case of Sub-milimeter.