KR20070018074A - Film optical waveguide and method for manufacture thereof, and electronic instrument device - Google Patents

Abstract

As a mixture of the urethane monomer containing a group as shown in FIG. 4, a urethane oligomer, and a polymerization initiator, the precursor of the elastomer whose hardening modulus after hardening becomes 1,000 Mpa or less is used as a clad material. This clad material is applied onto the substrate, and the clad material is pressed thinly by pressing it with a stamper from above. After the clad material is cured to form a lower clad layer, a core is formed on the lower clad layer. Subsequently, the cladding material is applied onto the lower cladding layer, pressed from above with a stamper, the cladding material is spread out thinly, and the cladding material is cured to obtain an upper cladding layer. Finally, the substrate is removed to obtain a film optical waveguide that can be bent to a small radius of curvature.

Film optical waveguide, electronic device device

Description

FILM OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE THEREOF, AND ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a film optical waveguide and its manufacturing method. Moreover, this invention relates to the electronic device apparatus using the said film optical waveguide.

In recent years, advances in the optical communication technology capable of high-speed and large-capacity data communication have been remarkable, and the optical communication network has continued to expand. Although optical communication technology is used for long-distance communication across a country or medium-distance communication in an area, it is used also for optical signal transmission, etc. in the inside of an apparatus or between apparatuses in a short communication distance.

In portable apparatuses and small apparatuses, since various components are densely arranged, wiring should be performed with a narrow gap between the components. Therefore, flexible printed wiring boards are widely used as electrical wiring. Similarly, in order to transmit an optical signal in a short distance, such as inside an apparatus or between apparatuses, the flexible film optical waveguide is desired. In particular, in the case of wiring the optical waveguide inside the portable small apparatus, there are many cases where wiring is performed by crawling the surface of the component for space saving, and a polymer film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small curvature radius is required.

On the other hand, as a material having high bending performance and easy deformation, an elastomer may be mentioned. Elastomer is a general term for the polymer material which has rubber elasticity at normal temperature, and generally means that a bending elastic modulus is low like rubber | gum. Here, the reason why the bending elastic modulus of the elastomer is low is described. The elastomer has a low glass transition temperature, and at room temperature, the polymer molecule is causing Brownian motion. That is, the elastomer has shown fluidity. On the other hand, the polymer molecules constituting the elastomer exhibit fluidity because the molecular chains are chemically crosslinked, but the fluidity is partially. Therefore, the elastomer has a rubbery property of being solid and easily bent.

Elastomer is obtained by hardening the monomer and oligomer which are its precursor by energy irradiation. Elastomers often have monomers and oligomers linked and crosslinked by hydrogen bonds between hydrophilic groups, and their precursors often contain hydrophilic groups in the molecule. Since the hydrophilic groups are hydrogen-bonded, the mixture of precursors has low fluidity and exhibits the property of high viscosity. And when the mixture of this precursor is irradiated and hardened | cured, it will become a rubber-like elastomer with a small bending elasticity.

Therefore, it is thought that the use of an elastomer can produce a film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small radius of curvature. 1 (a) to 1 (g) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing a film optical waveguide that has been proposed in the past. In this manufacturing method, the clad material 12 is first dripped on the board | substrate 11, as shown to FIG. 1 (a). The cladding material 12 is a monomer or oligomer which is a precursor of a low refractive index elastomer. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1B, the clad material 12 on the substrate 11 is made thin by a spin coater, the clad material 12 is cured by energy irradiation, and the lower clad layer ( 13) Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the surface of the lower clad layer 13 is patterned to form the recess 14, and then as shown in FIG. 1 (d), the recess The core material 15 having a higher refractive index than the lower cladding layer 13 is filled into the 14. The core material 15 is a monomer or oligomer which is a precursor of a polymer having a higher refractive index than the lower clad layer 13. When the core material 15 is irradiated with energy, as shown in FIG. 1E, the core material 15 hardens and the core 16 having a higher refractive index than the lower cladding layer 13 in the concave groove 14. ) Is formed. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1F, a clad material 12 (a precursor of an elastomer), such as the lower clad layer 13, is dropped on the lower clad layer 13 and the core 16. After thinning by spin coating, the clad material 12 is cured by applying energy to it, thereby forming the upper clad layer 17 made of the clad material 12 as shown in FIG. 1 (g). To produce a film optical waveguide 18.

As a film optical waveguide which can be bent at a small radius of curvature, it is preferable to use an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. However, in the precursor of such an elastomer, since the viscosity is increased to about 1,000 cP (= 10 Pa · s), this is a spin when the elastomer is used for the upper cladding layer 17 or the lower cladding layer 13. The film thickness of the cladding layer obtained by the coating cannot be thinned at most to about 600 µm, and it was difficult to obtain a thin film optical waveguide having a thickness of 1,200 µm or less. Therefore, even if an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less was used, it could not be bent at a small radius of curvature because of its thickness.

On the other hand, when the viscosity of the precursor of the elastomer is reduced, the film thickness of the clad layer obtained by spin coating can be reduced. However, when the viscosity of the precursor of the elastomer is reduced, the bending elastic modulus of the elastomer (clad layer) after curing is large, and eventually, it is difficult to obtain a film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small radius of curvature.

Therefore, in the conventional method for producing a film optical waveguide using the spin coat method, when the elastomer having a large viscosity of the precursor is used, the film thickness of the cladding layer cannot be reduced, and conversely, the elastomer having a small viscosity of the precursor When the mer is used, the bending elastic modulus of the clad layer becomes large. Therefore, neither of these films could produce a film optical waveguide that can bend to a small radius of curvature of about several millimeters.

When the thin film optical waveguide 18 is obtained by such a manufacturing method, after the lower cladding layer 13 or after the upper cladding layer 17 is cured, the lower cladding layer 13 or the upper cladding layer 17 ) Has only a method of flakes by polishing or the like, and many processes are required to obtain a thin film optical waveguide 18, which has a problem in productivity.

Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that a urethane-based ultraviolet curable resin is used as the core material. However, in this optical waveguide, even if the thickness of one clad substrate is only 1.5 mm, it cannot be bent at a small radius of curvature.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-90532

This invention is made | formed in view of the technical subject mentioned above, The objective is to provide the film optical waveguide which can be bent by a small curvature radius, and its manufacturing method.

In the film optical waveguide according to the present invention, at least one of the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer is formed by an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less, and the sum of the thicknesses of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer is 300. It is characterized by being less than micrometer.

In the film optical waveguide of the present invention, at least one of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer is formed of an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less, and further, the sum of the thicknesses of the upper and lower cladding layers is 300 µm or less. As a result, the film optical waveguide can be bent at a small radius of curvature (for example, several mm or less). Therefore, in a portable small apparatus or the like, it is possible to wire the film optical waveguide along the surface of the component or to connect the gap of the component subsequently.

In one embodiment of the film optical waveguide of the present invention, a core may be formed between the lower clad layer and the upper clad layer by an elastomer having a higher refractive index than both clad layers and a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. If the bending elastic modulus of the core is formed of an elastomer having 1,000 MPa or less, the core also tends to bend, so that the film optical waveguide can be bent at a smaller radius of curvature.

In another embodiment of the film optical waveguide of the present invention, the bending elastic modulus of the core is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper clad layer and the lower clad layer. In this embodiment, since the bending elastic modulus of the core is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer, even when the film optical waveguide is stretched or twisted, the deformation of the core can be suppressed to be small, so that the core is propagated in the first half. (I) The loss of light can be made small.

The manufacturing method of the 1st film optical waveguide of this invention is a process of supplying the board | substrate which supplies the precursor which consists of monomers or oligomers of the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus after hardening is 1,000 Mpa or less, and the stamper to the precursor of the said elastomer. Pressing to apply pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by a stamper to thin the film thickness of the precursor of the elastomer, curing the precursor of the elastomer to form a lower clad layer, and the lower clad And a step of forming a core on the layer, and a step of forming an upper clad layer on the lower clad layer and the core. In addition, the board | substrate is not limited to the glass substrate for shape | molding a lower clad layer, etc., but may be a table of the apparatus for shape | molding a lower clad layer, etc. This substrate is preferably removed last from the film optical waveguide.

When an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less is used, the viscosity of the precursor of the elastomer is relatively large, making it difficult to reduce the thickness of the cladding layer formed by the elastomer. However, in the manufacturing method of the 1st film optical waveguide of this invention, even if it uses the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less, a thin film thickness (for example, pressurizing the precursor of an elastomer with a stamper and making it thin) A lower cladding layer of 150 탆 or less) can be obtained. Therefore, according to this invention, the bending cladding modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less, and a thin lower clad layer can be obtained, and the film optical waveguide which can be bent by a small curvature radius can be manufactured.

The manufacturing method of the 2nd film optical waveguide of this invention is a monomer of the elastomer of which the process of forming a lower clad layer, the process of forming a core on the said lower clad layer, and the bending elastic modulus after hardening are 1,000 Mpa or less. Or supplying a precursor made of an oligomer onto the lower clad layer and the core, pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer, and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by a stamper to obtain a precursor of the elastomer. It is characterized by including the process of thinning a film thickness, and the process of hardening | curing the precursor of the said elastomer and forming an upper cladding layer.

In the manufacturing method of the 2nd film optical waveguide of this invention, although using the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less, the thin film thickness (for example, 150 micrometers) is carried out by pressing the stamper of an elastomer with a stamper and making it thin. The upper cladding layer of the following film thickness can be obtained. Therefore, according to this invention, the upper cladding layer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, and the film optical waveguide which can be bent by a small curvature radius can be manufactured.

The manufacturing method of the 3rd film optical waveguide of this invention is a process of supplying the precursor which consists of monomers or oligomers of the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus after hardening is 1,000 Mpa or less to a 1st board | substrate, and the precursor of the said elastomer Pressing the stamper to apply pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the film thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; and curing the precursor of the elastomer to form the lower cladding layer; The step of supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or an oligomer of an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less to a second substrate, and pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the second substrate, Applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the film thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the plate to form an upper cladding layer, and inserting the lower cladding layer or a core formed in the upper cladding layer to form the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer. It is characterized by including the step of joining. The substrate is not limited to a glass substrate for forming an upper clad layer or a lower clad layer, but may be a surface plate of an apparatus for forming an upper clad layer or a lower clad layer. This substrate is preferably removed last from the film optical waveguide.

In the manufacturing method of the 3rd film optical waveguide of this invention, even if it uses the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less, a thin film thickness (for example, 150 micrometers) is carried out by pressurizing and thinning the precursor of an elastomer with a stamper. The upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer of the following film thickness) can be obtained. Therefore, according to the present invention, an upper cladding layer and a lower cladding layer having a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, whereby a film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small radius of curvature can be produced.

Further, when forming the upper clad layer or the lower clad layer, warpage occurs in the upper clad layer or the lower clad layer due to the internal stress generated by the pressure from the stamper, but according to the method of manufacturing the third film optical waveguide After pressing with a stamper to form the upper clad layer and the lower clad layer, respectively, the upper clad layer is inverted up and down to be bonded on the lower clad layer, so that the warpage of the upper clad layer and the lower clad layer is canceled, and the film light is offset. The occurrence of warpage in the waveguide can be suppressed.

The manufacturing method of the 4th film optical waveguide of this invention is a process of supplying the precursor which consists of monomers or oligomers of the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus after hardening is 1,000 Mpa or less to a 1st board | substrate, and the precursor of the said elastomer Pressing the stamper to apply pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the film thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; and curing the precursor of the elastomer to form the lower cladding layer; The step of supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending modulus of elasticity of 1,000 MPa or less to a second substrate, and pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the second substrate, Applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the film thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the plate to form an upper cladding layer; bonding the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer with a core material, and between the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer And a step of forming a core by the core material.

In the manufacturing method of the fourth film optical waveguide of the present invention, a thin film thickness (for example, 150 µm) is obtained by pressing the stamper of the elastomer with a stamper and making it thin while using an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. The upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer of the following film thickness) can be obtained. Therefore, according to the present invention, an upper cladding layer and a lower cladding layer having a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, whereby a film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small radius of curvature can be produced.

In addition, according to the fourth film optical waveguide manufacturing method, since the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer are bonded to the core material and the core is formed from the core material, the core material is formed from the core material. The bonding operation of the upper and lower cladding layers by the core material can be performed at once, so that the manufacturing process of the film optical waveguide can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be streamlined.

The film optical waveguide module according to the present invention is characterized in that the film optical waveguide and the light transmitting element or the light receiving element according to the present invention are arranged and integrated to each other.

According to the film optical waveguide module according to the present invention, since the film optical waveguide module having a thin thickness of the optical waveguide portion and excellent in bending performance can be obtained, such a film optical waveguide module is assembled into an apparatus having a rotating portion such as a hinge portion. In one case, even if the rotating portion is repeatedly rotated, the optical waveguide portion is less likely to be damaged, and the durability of the apparatus can be improved.

The 1st electronic device apparatus which concerns on this invention is a folding electronic device which connected one member and the other member by the rotation part freely, WHEREIN: One member is made to pass the said rotation part. And the film optical waveguide according to the present invention are wired between the other member and the other member.

According to the electronic device device according to the present invention, since the film optical waveguide having a thin thickness and excellent in bending performance can be obtained, when such an optical waveguide device is used in an electronic device device having a rotating part such as a hinge part, the rotating part is used. Even if it rotates repeatedly, a film optical waveguide becomes difficult to be damaged and the durability of an electronic device apparatus can be improved.

A second optical waveguide device according to the present invention is an electronic device device including a moving part in an apparatus main body, wherein the moving part and the apparatus main body are optically formed by the film optical waveguide according to claim 1 or 2. It is characterized by combining.

According to the film optical waveguide according to the present invention, since the film optical waveguide having a thin thickness and excellent in bending performance can be obtained, when such an optical waveguide device is used in an electronic device device having a moving part, the film optical wave is accompanied by the movement of the moving part. Even if the waveguide is repeatedly deformed, the waveguide is hardly damaged, and the durability of the electronic device device can be improved.

In addition, the component demonstrated above of this invention can be combined arbitrarily as much as possible.

1 (a) to 1 (g) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing a film optical waveguide according to a conventional example.

2 (a) to 2 (d) are schematic cross-sectional views sequentially illustrating the manufacturing steps of the film optical waveguide according to Example 1 of the present invention.

3 (a) to 3 (e) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process following the steps shown in Figs. 2 (a) to 2 (d).

4 is a chemical formula showing some of the groups included in the monomers and oligomers of the precursors of the elastomers used in the clad material.

5 (a) to 5 (d) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the upper clad layer in Example 2 of the present invention.

6 (a) to 6 (e) illustrate a process of manufacturing a film optical waveguide by laminating a lower clad layer formed on a substrate and an upper clad layer formed on another substrate in Example 2 of the present invention. Outline section.

7 (a) to 7 (e) illustrate a process of manufacturing a film optical waveguide by laminating a lower clad layer formed on a substrate and an upper clad layer formed on another substrate in Example 3 of the present invention. Outline section.

8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a film optical waveguide module for unidirectional communication according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the film optical waveguide module shown in FIG. 9 in an enlarged manner.

Fig. 11A is a diagram schematically showing a film optical waveguide in which a core is deformed by a tensile force, and Fig. 11B is a diagram schematically showing a film optical waveguide in which a core is deformed by a tensile force.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a film optical waveguide module for bidirectional communication according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a mobile phone according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit configuration of a cellular phone in phase.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view schematically showing a mode in which the display unit side and the operation unit side of the in-phase mobile phone are connected with a film optical waveguide.

Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of another mobile telephone according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 (a) is a diagram showing an aspect where the film optical waveguide in the mobile phone is twisted, and Fig. 17 (b) is an enlarged view showing a cross section taken along the line X-X in Fig. 17 (a).

18 is an explanatory diagram showing a length αW of a twisted region of a film optical waveguide;

FIG. 19 shows the relationship between the ratio α of the length of the twisted region to the width of the film optical waveguide and the required limit of elastic modulus.

20 (a) and 20 (b) are schematic diagrams showing the structure of another cellular phone according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 20 (a) shows a state in which two folded states are shown. (b) is a figure which shows the expanded state.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the printer according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit configuration of a printer in phase.

23A and 23B are perspective views showing aspects in which the film optical waveguide deforms when the print head of the printer moves.

24 is a perspective view of a hard disk device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

25 is a diagram illustrating an example of a connection form of a film optical waveguide to an electronic circuit board.

It is a figure which shows another example of the connection form of the film optical waveguide to an electronic circuit board.

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing another example of a connection form of a film optical waveguide to an electronic circuit board. FIG.

Fig. 28 is a perspective view showing another method of using the film optical waveguide according to the present invention.

It is a side view which shows the flexible composite transmission path which overlapped the film optical waveguide and flexible printed wiring board which concerns on this invention.

(Explanation of the sign)

21: substrate

22: cladding material

23: stamper

24: convex pattern

25: concave groove

26: lower clad layer

27: core material

28: core

29: stamper

30: upper cladding layer

31: film optical waveguide

32: substrate

33: stamper

34: adhesive resin

35: film optical waveguide

36: film optical waveguide

37: stamper

51: film optical waveguide

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, of course, this invention is not limited to the following example.

Example 1

2 and 3 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing a film optical waveguide according to Example 1 of the present invention. In manufacture of the film optical waveguide which concerns on this invention, the flat substrate 21 which has light transmittance, such as a glass substrate, is prepared first. The cladding material 22 is apply | coated on this board | substrate 21, as shown to Fig.2 (a). The clad material 22 used in this Example 1 is a mixture of a urethane monomer and urethane oligomer containing a group as shown in FIG. 4 and a polymerization initiator, and has a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less. It is a precursor of an elastomer to be. In addition, this clad material 22 is an ultraviolet curing type.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the stamper (molding die) 23 is pressed against the clad material 22 from above, and pressure is applied to the stamper 23 to the substrate 21 and the stamper 23. The cladding material 22 is spread thinly between the layers, thereby reducing the thickness of the cladding material 22. Since the convex pattern 24 for forming a groove | channel is formed in the lower surface of the stamper 23, the recessed groove 25 is formed in the upper surface of the clad material 22 pressurized by the stamper 23. As shown in FIG. ) As shown in FIG. 2 (c), the clad material 22 is irradiated with ultraviolet energy from the lower surface through the substrate 21 to cure the clad material 22.

When the clad material 22 is cured to form the lower clad layer 26, the stamper 23 is separated from the lower clad layer 26 as shown in FIG. 2 (d). When the stamper 23 is separated, the concave groove 25 is formed on the upper surface of the lower clad layer 26 by the convex pattern 24.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3A, the core material 27 is filled in the concave groove 25 of the lower clad layer 26. The core material 27 is made of a monomer or oligomer which is a precursor of a polymer having a higher refractive index than the lower clad layer 26, and is a precursor of an ultraviolet curable polymer. Of course, as this core material, a precursor of an elastomer in which the refractive index is higher than that of the lower cladding layer 26 and the bending elastic modulus after curing is 1,000 MPa or less may be used. After filling the concave groove 25 with the core material 27 and smoothing the surface of the core material 27 by an appropriate method, as shown in FIG. The core material 27 is cured by irradiating energy to form the core 28 in the concave groove 25 by the core material 27.

After that, as shown in FIG. 3C, the same clad material 22 used in the case of the lower clad layer 26 is applied on the lower clad layer 26 and the core 28, and FIG. As shown in 3 (d), the stamper 29 is pressed against the clad material 22 to apply pressure to reduce the film thickness of the clad material 22. Subsequently, the clad material 22 is cured by irradiating the clad material 22 with ultraviolet energy to form the upper clad layer 30. Then, the stamper 29 is separated from the upper cladding layer 30, the substrate 21 is peeled off from the lower cladding layer 26, and the film optical waveguide 31 as shown in FIG. 3E is formed. Get

In order to reduce the thickness of the cladding layer, it is preferable that the viscosity of the cladding material 22 is lower. However, in this film optical waveguide 31, since the bending elastic modulus of the lower cladding layer 26 and the upper cladding layer 30 is small at 1,000 MPa, the viscosity of all the spheres of the elastomer is increased. However, in Example 1, since the cladding material 22 is pressed and pressed by the stamper 23, the film thickness of the cladding material 22 can be forcibly thinned, and even if the viscosity is about 30,000 cP, the film thickness is 150. It can be set to micrometer or less. Therefore, the thickness of the film optical waveguide 31 becomes 300 micrometers or less, and it becomes possible to bend the film optical waveguide 31 to a small radius of curvature.

In fact, in the film optical waveguide 31 of Example 1 using the elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa, even when the elastomer having a precursor viscosity of 30,000 cP or less is used, the thickness of the film optical waveguide 31 is 250. It was possible to thin about mm. As a result, the minimum curvature radius at the time of bending the film optical waveguide 31 in the thickness direction became about 3 mm. And when it bent so that it might become smaller radius of curvature, the film optical waveguide was bent.

In addition, when the elastomer with bending elastic modulus was 500 Mpa or less, the obtained film optical waveguide was able to bend until the curvature radius became about 2 mm. Moreover, when the elastomer with bending elastic modulus was 200 Mpa or less, the obtained film optical waveguide was able to be bent until the radius of curvature became about 1 mm.

In addition, in the said Example 1, although the clad material 22 supplied on the board | substrate 21 and the clad material 22 supplied on the lower cladding layer 26 were immediately pressurized with the stamper 23, 29, The supplied clad material 22 may be thinned by a spin coater and then pressed by stampers 23 and 29 to make it thinner. When the spin coater is used in combination, the thicknesses of the upper and lower clad layers 30 and 26 can be made thinner, so that the minimum bending curvature of the film optical waveguide can be made smaller.

In addition, in Example 1, although both the upper cladding layer 30 and the lower cladding layer 26 were formed by the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less, the upper cladding layer 30 and the lower cladding layer 26 ) May be formed of an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. In that case, the modified acrylate resin etc. whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less can be used for the cladding layer of the side which does not use the elastomer.

Example 2

5 and 6 are views for explaining a method for manufacturing a film optical waveguide according to Example 2 of the present invention. The lower clad layer 26 shown in FIG. 6 (a) is the lower clad layer 26 formed on the substrate 21 by the same process as that of FIGS. 2 (a) to 3 (b) of the first embodiment. ) And a core 28 is formed on the upper surface thereof.

The upper clad layer 30 shown in FIG. 6B is formed on the substrate 32 by the steps shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D. That is, the clad material 22 is apply | coated on the flat board | substrate 32 which has transparency, such as a glass substrate, as shown in FIG. This clad material 22 is a mixture of the urethane monomer and urethane oligomer containing group as shown in FIG. 4, and a polymerization initiator, and is a precursor of the elastomer whose bending elastic modulus after hardening becomes 1,000 Mpa or less. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5B, the plate-shaped stamper 33 is pressed against the clad material 22 to apply pressure to the stamper 33 between the substrate 32 and the stamper 33. The cladding material 22 is spread out thinly to make the film thickness thinner. As shown in FIG. 5C, the clad material 22 is cured by irradiating ultraviolet light to the clad material 22 through the substrate 32. When the clad material 22 is cured to form the upper clad layer 30, the stamper 33 is separated from the upper clad layer 30 as shown in FIG. 2 (d). When the stamper 33 is separated, the upper cladding layer 30 having a flat upper surface is formed on the substrate 32.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the UV curable adhesive comprising a monomer or oligomer, which is a precursor of a polymer having a lower refractive index than the core material 27, on the lower clad layer 26 and the core 28. Resin 34 is applied, and the upper cladding layer 30 is inverted up and down together with the substrate 32 to overlap on the adhesive resin 34, and is bonded between the lower cladding layer 26 and the upper cladding layer 30. The resin 34 is sandwiched and pressed thinly.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), ultraviolet ray energy is irradiated to the adhesive resin 34 through the substrate 21 or 32, the adhesive resin 34 is cured, and the adhesive resin 34 is applied to the adhesive resin 34. The upper clad layer 30 and the lower clad layer 26 are bonded to each other. Finally, the front and back substrates 32 and 21 are peeled off from the upper cladding layer 30 and the lower cladding layer 26, respectively, to form a film, thereby obtaining a film optical waveguide 35 as shown in Fig. 6E.

In the lower cladding layer 26 as shown in Fig. 6 (a) and the upper cladding layer 30 as shown in Fig. 6 (b) where the film thickness is reduced by pressing with a stamper, since the pressure always acts from the same direction, Internal stresses (or residual moments) as shown by arrows in Figs. 6 (a) and 6 (b) occur. Therefore, the lower clad layer 26 and the upper clad layer 30 are warped in a direction concave to the upper surface side of Figs. 6 (a) and 6 (b). When the lower clad layer 26 and the upper clad layer 30 are joined by inverting the upper clad layer 30 up and down as shown in Fig. 6 (c), the interior of the upper clad layer 30 is generated. Since the stress and the internal stress of the lower cladding layer 26 cancel each other, the warpage hardly occurs in the film optical waveguide 35 as a bonded body.

Example 3

It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the film optical waveguide by Example 3 of this invention. The lower clad layer 26 shown in FIG. 7A is the lower clad layer 26 formed on the substrate 21 by the same process as that of FIGS. 2A to 2D of the first embodiment. ), A recess 25 is formed in the upper surface thereof. The upper clad layer 30 shown in FIG. 7 (b) is the upper clad layer 30 formed on the substrate 32 by the same process as that of FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (d) of the second embodiment. )to be.

In Example 3, as shown in FIG.7 (c), the core material 27 is apply | coated to the area | region of the recessed groove 25 of the upper surface of the lower clad layer 26 of FIG.7 (a). The core material 27 is an ultraviolet curable resin as a monomer or oligomer which is a precursor of a polymer having a higher refractive index than the lower cladding layer 26 and the upper cladding layer 30. Subsequently, the upper cladding layer 30 is inverted up and down together with the substrate 32 to overlap the core material 27, and the core material 27 is interposed between the lower cladding layer 26 and the upper cladding layer 30. The core material 27 is filled in the recess 25 and the core material 27 is pressed lightly into the whole between the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7 (d), ultraviolet energy is irradiated to the core material 27 through the substrate 21 or 32, the core material 27 is cured, and the core material 27 is applied. By forming the core 28 in the recess 25, the upper cladding layer 30 and the lower cladding layer 26 are bonded to each other. Finally, the front and back substrates 32 and 21 are peeled off from the upper cladding layer 30 and the lower cladding layer 26, respectively, to form a film, thereby obtaining a film optical waveguide 36 as shown in Fig. 7E.

According to the third embodiment, the molding of the core 28 by the core material 27 and the joining operation of the upper cladding layer 30 and the lower cladding layer 26 by the core material 27 can be performed at once. The manufacturing process of the film optical waveguide 36 can be reduced. Therefore, according to Example 3, the manufacturing process of the film optical waveguide 36 can be streamlined.

In addition, in the case of Examples 1-3, the groove part 37 for letting the core material 27 escape on at least one side of the recessed groove 25 provided in the lower cladding layer 26 as shown in FIG. ) May be provided. After supplying the core material 27 into the concave groove 25 of the lower clad layer 26, the core material 27 is pressed into the stamper 38 or the upper clad layer 30 to form the core in the concave groove 25. In the case of forming 28, the excess core material 27 in the recess 25 is extruded from the recess 25. At this time, if the extruded core material 27 becomes a thick resin film between the upper surface of the lower clad layer 26 and the stamper 38 or the like, an optical signal in the core 28 passes through the resin film and the film is leaked. The reliability of the optical waveguide is lowered.

As shown in FIG. 8, if the groove part 37 is provided in the vicinity of the recessed groove 25, the excess core material 27 will be rapidly extruded from the recessed groove 25, and will fall out into the groove part 37. FIG. Since it can be made to go out, the resin film between the upper surface of the lower clad layer 26 and the stamper 38 can be made thin enough by a short press, and the reliability of a film optical waveguide can be improved.

In addition, the location which provides the groove part for letting out a core material is not limited to the upper surface of the lower cladding layer 26, The stamper 38 and the upper cladding layer may be sufficient.

In each of the above embodiments, a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a carbonyl group, an amino group is formed on the upper cladding layer 30 or the core 28 in contact with the lower cladding layer 26 manufactured by the elastomer. When the modified acrylate resin containing the hydrogen bond group called imino group is used, the adhesive force of the interface which contact | connects the lower clad layer 26 can be improved. Similarly, the lower clad layer 26 or the core 28 in contact with the upper cladding layer 30 manufactured by the elastomer includes an hydrogen bond group such as a hydroxyl group, a carboxy group, a carbonyl group, an amino group, or an imino group. By using resin, the adhesive force of the interface which contact | connects the upper clad layer 30 can be improved.

Example 4

9 is a plan view showing a film optical waveguide module for one-way communication according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a portion thereof in an enlarged manner. The film optical waveguide module 91 is a film according to the present invention in the light transmitting element 93 mounted on one wiring board 92 and the light receiving element 95 mounted on the other wiring board 94. Both ends of the optical waveguide 96 are connected to each other so that the wiring substrates 92 and 94 are connected to each other by the film optical waveguide 96.

On the wiring board 92 on the transmission side, a driver IC 97 and a surface light emitting element 93 such as a VCSEL are mounted. The light output direction of the light transmitting element 93 is a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the wiring board 92. One end of the film optical waveguide 96 is cut at an angle of 45 °, as shown in FIG. 10, so that the corresponding end of the film optical waveguide 96 is parallel to the wiring board 92, and It is fixed on the support 98 so that the surface 100 cut at 45 degrees may face upward. In addition, the surface 100 cut at 45 ° of the core 28 is located on the optical axis of the light beam emitted from the light transmitting element 93.

The amplification IC 99 and the light receiving element 95 are mounted on the wiring board 94 on the receiving side. The other end of the film optical waveguide 96 is also cut at an angle of 45 degrees, so that the corresponding end of the film optical waveguide 96 is parallel to the wiring board 94, and the surface cut at 45 degrees It is fixed on the support (not shown) so as to face upward. The light receiving element 95 is located just below the plane cut at 45 ° of the core 28.

Therefore, when the electric signal input to the driver IC 97 is converted into an optical signal (modulated light) and the optical signal is emitted from the light transmitting element 93, the light exiting from the light transmitting element 93 is the lower surface of the film optical waveguide 96 Enters into core 28 from. The optical signal entering the core 28 is bent in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the core 28 by total reflection of the facets cut at 45 ° of the core 28, thereby engaging with the core 28. It is done.

In this way, the optical signal coupled to one end of the film optical waveguide 96 propagates within the core 28 and reaches the other end of the film optical waveguide 96. The light reaching the other end of the film optical waveguide 96 is totally reflected at the surface cut at 45 ° of the core 28 and is emitted downward from the other end of the film optical waveguide 96 to receive the light at the light receiving element 95. do. The optical signal received by the light receiving element 95 is converted into an electric signal, and the electric signal is amplified by the amplifying IC 99 and then output from the wiring board 94 to the outside.

In such a film optical waveguide module 91, although the wiring board 92 and the wiring board 94 are not necessarily provided in the same plane, even if the wiring boards 92 and 94 are provided in any plane, the film optical waveguide ( By flexibly bending the 96, an optical signal can be transmitted from the wiring board 92 side to the wiring board 94 side.

However, when the wiring board 92 and the wiring board 94 respectively connected through the film optical waveguide 96 are respectively provided, a mechanical tensile force may be applied to the film optical waveguide 96. In the film optical waveguide module 91 of the present invention, since the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 is as small as 1,000 MPa or less, as shown in Fig. 11A, only a small tensile force is applied to the film. The optical waveguide module 91 is extended so that the width of the film optical waveguide module 91 is narrowed. At this time, if the bending elastic modulus of the core 28 and the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 are equal, the core 28 also increases, and the core diameter thereof becomes thinner, or the core cross section deforms and the core 28 The mode of the optical signal propagating through is changed, so that the transmission characteristic of the optical signal is deteriorated.

Therefore, in this film optical waveguide module 91, the bending elastic modulus of the core 28 is made larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper lower cladding layers 30 and 26. That is, the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 is 1,000 MPa or less, and the bending elastic modulus of the core 28 is made larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26. As a result, the rigidity of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 is lower than that of the core 28, and since the core 28 is not directly fixed to the wiring boards 92 and 94, the film optical waveguide 96 is provided. Even when mechanical tensile force or the like is applied to the tensile force, the tensile force is absorbed by the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the deformation | transformation of the core 28 can be made small, and the deterioration of the transmission characteristic of the film optical waveguide 96 can be suppressed.

In addition, even when the film optical waveguide 96 is distorted, deterioration in the transmission characteristics of the film optical waveguide 96 is caused by the core diameter and the core cross-sectional shape, which will be described later in connection with the mobile telephone.

Moreover, in the said Example, although the film optical waveguide module 91 for unidirectional communication was demonstrated, the film optical waveguide module for bidirectional communication may be sufficient. For example, in the film optical waveguide module 101 for bidirectional communication illustrated in FIG. 12, both the wiring boards 92 and 94 have a drive and amplification IC 102 in which both of the driving and amplifying ICs have functions. ), A light transmitting element 93, and a light receiving element 95 are mounted. Then, using the two-core film optical waveguide 103 as the film optical waveguide, the light transmitting element 93 of the wiring board 92 and the light receiving element of the wiring board 94 are formed on one core 28. 95 is connected, and the light transmitting element 93 of the wiring board 94 and the light receiving element 95 of the wiring board 92 are connected to the other core. Therefore, according to this film optical waveguide module 101, the electric signal input to either wiring board 92 or 94 is propagated as an optical signal through the film optical waveguide module 101, and the other wiring board The electric signal is recovered from 94 or 92 and output.

In the above embodiment, the film optical waveguide module in which the light emitting element and the light receiving element are connected by the film optical waveguide has been described. However, even when the circuit boards are connected to each other by connecting both ends to the optical connector mounted on the circuit board. good.

Example 5

Next, the application example (Example 5) using the film optical waveguide which concerns on this invention is demonstrated. The film optical waveguide 51 used below is not limited to having one core as shown in the past, but may be one in which a plurality of cores are wired in parallel, or a core is branched. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a folding cellular phone 41 that can be folded in two, and Fig. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram thereof. The mobile phone 41 includes a display unit 44 including a liquid crystal display panel 42 and a digital camera 43, and an operation unit 47 including a key panel 45 such as a ten key or an antenna 46. The hinge portion 48 is pivotally connected freely. The digital camera 43 is provided on the back side of the liquid crystal display panel 42. In the display unit 44, an external memory 49 is mounted, and in the operation unit 47, an integrated circuit (LSI) for receiving a communication function or input from the key panel 45 to execute each function. 50 is mounted.

Therefore, it is necessary to allow signals to be transmitted and received between the integrated circuit 50 in the operation unit 47 and the liquid crystal display panel 42, the digital camera 43, and the display unit 44 in the display unit 44. In the mobile telephone 41 of the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the film optical waveguide 51 according to the present invention is used to connect the operation unit 47 side and the display unit 44 side. That is, the integrated circuit 50 in the operation unit 47, the liquid crystal display panel 42, the digital camera 43, and the external memory 49 in the display unit 44 are connected to the film optical waveguide 51 to form an optical signal. As a result, transmission and reception are performed.

In order to realize such a structure, the film optical waveguide 51 needs to pass through the hinge portion 48. In the fifth embodiment, as shown therein, as shown in FIG. 15, the bending of the film optical waveguide 51 in a spiral shape in the hinge portion 48 is used. In order to manufacture such a film optical waveguide 51, after manufacturing the flat film optical waveguide 51, what is necessary is just to keep the flat film optical waveguide 51 wound around an indicator rod etc., and to keep it. Since the film optical waveguide 51 according to the present invention can be bent to have a small radius of curvature, the film optical waveguide 51 may not be damaged even if the film optical waveguide is shaped in a spiral shape in this way.

In this manner, according to the fifth embodiment, high speed and large capacity communication can be realized in a limited space in the mobile telephone 41. Moreover, since the film optical waveguide 51 of this invention has high bending performance, there is little possibility that the film optical waveguide 51 will be damaged even if the cellular phone 41 is repeatedly opened and closed. In addition, since the film optical waveguide 51 is formed in the hinge portion 48 in a spiral shape, even when the mobile phone 41 is opened and closed, it is difficult for the hinge portion 48 to apply a large load to the film optical waveguide 51. The durability of the film optical waveguide 51 is further improved.

In addition, the mobile telephone 41 is not limited to having the display unit 44 and the operation unit 47 folded in two, and the display unit 44 is rotated in a plane parallel to the operation unit 47 even if the display unit 44 is folded. good.

16 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the mobile telephone 111. This mobile phone 111 is a two-axis rotary mobile phone. That is, the display part 44 and the operation part 47 are connected by two by the hinge part 48, and can be extended. Moreover, the display part 44 can rotate also around the axial direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the hinge part 48 by the hinge part 112. As shown in FIG.

In the mobile phone 111, the optical connector 114 is provided on the wiring board 113 accommodated in the operation unit 47, and the optical connector 116 is provided on the wiring board 115 stored in the display unit 44. It is prepared. The optical connector 117 provided at one end of the film optical waveguide 51 is coupled to the optical connector 114, and the optical connector 118 provided at the other end of the film optical waveguide 51 is coupled to the optical connector 116. The wiring board 113 of the operation unit 47 and the wiring board 115 of the display unit 44 are connected via the film optical waveguide 51. And in the state which opened the display part 44 and the operation part 47, the film optical waveguide 51 connects between the wiring board 113 and the wiring board 115 almost straightly.

In this manner, in the cellular phone 111, when the display unit 44 and the operation unit 47 are folded in two, the film optical waveguide 51 is bent and bent, and the display unit 44 is rotated by the hinge 112. The film optical waveguide 51 is distorted. Since the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 of the film optical waveguide 51 is 1,000 MPa or less, the film optical waveguide 51 is easily bent or twisted with a small external force.

However, since the bending elastic modulus of the core 28 is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26, even if the film optical waveguide 51 is stretched or twisted, the core diameter and core shape are hard to change, The transmission characteristics of the film optical waveguide 51 are hardly deteriorated. That is, when the film optical waveguide 51 is twisted as shown in Fig. 17 (a), as shown in Fig. 17 (b), deformation occurs in the film optical waveguide 51, and the core 28 is also deformed, thereby There exists a possibility that the transmission characteristic of the film optical waveguide 51 may deteriorate. However, if the bending elastic modulus of the core 28 is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26, the core shape becomes difficult to change even if the film optical waveguide 51 is twisted, so that the film optical waveguide 51 It is difficult to deteriorate the transmission characteristics of (the degradation of the transmission characteristics due to deformation of the core shape or the like when the film optical waveguide 51 is stretched is as described above).

Considering the twisted film optical waveguide 51 shown in FIG. 18, the width of the film optical waveguide 51 is W, and the length of the portion where the twist occurs among the entire lengths of the film optical waveguide 51 is α × W. It is called. In consideration of the wiring space in the mobile telephone 111, it is preferable that the value of? Be as small as possible. However, it is known that when the value of α is smaller than almost 1, the shape of the twisted film optical waveguide 51 is distorted and its transmission characteristics deteriorate. Therefore, it is preferable to make wiring value occupied by the film optical waveguide 51 small so that the value of (alpha) may become close to 1 as much as possible.

There is a relationship as shown in FIG. 19 between the value of α and the limit value of the bending elastic modulus required for the upper and lower clad layers 30 and 26. Therefore, in order to make the value of (alpha) close to 1, it turns out that the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 may be made into about 250 Mpa or less.

On the other hand, when the value of α is reduced, the repulsive force of the torsion increases, thereby causing the connectors 117 and 118 at both ends to be tensioned, thereby causing the optical connector 114 of the wiring board 113 and the optical connector 116 of the wiring board 115 to be stretched. It may come off from. Usually, in an optical connector or the like, it is required not to apply a load of 0.5 kgf or more, and for that purpose, it is sufficient to set the bending elastic modulus of the film optical waveguide 51 to 250 MPa or less. Therefore, by setting the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26 of the film optical waveguide 51 to 250 MPa or less, the value of α is made close to 1 without causing poor connection of the optical connectors 117 and 118. can do.

Moreover, in order to reduce the stress by torsion of an optical cable, there is also the method of providing a female part in an optical cable. However, when the lid is provided, the hinge portion requires space for accommodating the lid, so that the hinge portion becomes large, and further, the miniaturization of the mobile telephone is hindered. On the other hand, if it is the same structure as this mobile telephone 111, even if the film optical waveguide 51 is twisted in the hinge part 112, the hinge part 112 will not become thick.

In addition, in the case of a mobile phone in which the film optical waveguide 51 is not wound in a spiral shape and is not a biaxial rotary type, as shown in Figs. 20 (a) and 20 (b), the hinge portion 48 is shown. Can be made smaller. In such a mobile phone, when the display portion 44 and the operation portion 47 are removed from each other as shown in FIG. 20B, the film optical waveguide 51 has a natural length that is not loose. Similarly, when the display portion 44 is folded, the film optical waveguide 51 is wound around the hinge portion 48 so that the tensile force is applied to the film optical waveguide 51. However, also in this case, if the bending elastic modulus of the core 28 is made smaller than the bending elastic modulus of the upper and lower cladding layers 30 and 26, as described in the locations of Figs. 11 (a) and 11 (b), the core ( The deformation | transformation of the film optical waveguide 51 can be made small by the deformation | transformation of 28) small.

Example 6

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of a printer 61, which is a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In an inkjet printer or a dot impact printer, the printing head 62 is fixed on the head 62, and the head 62 travels left and right along the guide bar 63. have. In addition, printing information is sent from the printer main body 64 to the printing head 62.

In the sixth embodiment, in order to transmit the printing information from the printer main body 64 to the printing head 62, as shown in FIG. 22, the control section 66 and the printing head 62 in the printer main body 64 are moved. The film optical waveguide 51 according to the present invention is connected. When the printing quality of the printer is improved, the dot density (dpi) is increased, and the printing speed is high, the amount of signal transmitted from the printer main body 64 to the printing head 62 is also increased by rapid feeding. By using the waveguide 51, a large capacity signal can be transmitted to the print head 62 at high speed.

23 (a) and 23 (b), when the print head 62 travels at high speed from side to side, the portion where the film optical waveguide 51 is bent moves with it, Although a large load is applied, since the bending performance is high in the film optical waveguide 51 of the present invention, the durability of the film optical waveguide 51 can be increased.

Example 7

24 is a perspective view of a hard disk device 71, which is a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In this hard disk device 71, a data read head drive device 73 is provided in the vicinity of the hard disk 72, and the tip of the read head 74 extending from the data read head drive device 73 is hard. It faces the surface of the disk 72. Further, one end of the film optical waveguide 51 is connected to the circuit board 75 on which the control circuit is mounted, and the other end of the film optical waveguide 51 passes through the base of the read head 74 and is read out. It is connected to the optical element at the tip of 74. The film optical waveguide 51 transfers the data (optical signal) between the circuit board 75 and the read head 74 when reading or writing data stored in the hard disk 72. It has a function.

The data stored in the hard disk device 71 is increasing in capacity. On the other hand, in a flexible printed circuit board which has conventionally been used as a data transmission path, there is a limit in the transfer density, so that the number of flexible printed circuit boards can be increased or increased in order to use the data transmission path of a hard disk device to increase the capacity. There is no other means than that, which causes problems in bending performance and size. By the way, when the film optical waveguide 51 is used, it has flexibility, and it is possible to realize a small and large capacity data transmission path.

Example 8

25-27 is an Example which shows the connection form of the film optical waveguide 51 to an electronic circuit board. That is, in the form shown in FIG. 25, the film optical waveguide 51 is bent to connect the respective electronic circuit boards 82 and 83 in the device 81. In addition, in the form shown in FIG. 26, the front and back of the electronic circuit board 82 are connected by the film optical waveguide 51. In the form shown in FIG. 27, the electronic circuit board 82 and the connector 84 are connected by the film optical waveguide 51. In any of these connection modes, high-speed, high-capacity communication between electronic circuit boards located in a limited space can be realized.

Example 9

28 is an embodiment showing another method of using the film optical waveguide 51 according to the present invention. In the ninth embodiment, the film optical waveguide 51 is mounted on an electronic circuit board 86 having an uneven portion 85, for example, an electronic circuit board 86 on which an electronic component or the like is mounted and the uneven portion 85 is formed. The film optical waveguide 51 is provided along the surface of the uneven portion 85. According to this aspect, it can be used for the transmission path etc. which connect the inside of the electronic circuit board in which the electronic component was mounted, and high speed and large capacity communication in an electronic circuit board can be realized.

Example 10

29 is an embodiment showing another method of using the film optical waveguide 51 according to the present invention. In the tenth embodiment, the film optical waveguide 51 is overlaid on the flexible electronic circuit board 86. According to such a form, it is overlapped on the flexible electronic circuit board 86. According to such a form, the flexible composite transmission path which has the electric power transmission and arithmetic function by the flexible electronic circuit board 86, and has a high speed and a large capacity communication function can be implement | achieved.

According to the film optical waveguide of the present invention, at least one of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer is formed of an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less, and the sum of the thicknesses of the upper and lower cladding layers is 300 µm or less. Since it becomes thin, it becomes possible to bend the film optical waveguide with a small radius of curvature (for example, several mm or less). Therefore, in a portable small apparatus or the like, it is possible to wire the film optical waveguide along the surface of the component or to connect the gap of the component subsequently.

According to the film optical waveguide of the present invention, a core may be formed between the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer by an elastomer having a higher refractive index than both cladding layers and a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. If the bending elastic modulus of the core is formed of an elastomer having 1,000 MPa or less, the core also tends to bend, so that the film optical waveguide can be bent at a smaller radius of curvature.

According to the film optical waveguide of the present invention, the bending elastic modulus of the core is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper clad layer and the lower clad layer. In this embodiment, since the bending elastic modulus of the core is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer, even when the film optical waveguide is extended or twisted, the deformation of the core can be suppressed to be small, so that the core can be suppressed. The loss of light propagating can be made small.

According to the manufacturing method of the 1st film optical waveguide of this invention, the lower cladding layer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, and the film optical waveguide which can be bent by a small curvature radius can be manufactured. have.

According to the method for manufacturing the second film optical waveguide of the present invention, a thin film thickness (for example, 150 is obtained by pressing the stamper of the elastomer with a stamper and making it thin while using an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less). Upper clad layer) having a thickness of not more than m. Therefore, according to this invention, the upper cladding layer whose bending elastic modulus is 1,000 Mpa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, and the film optical waveguide which can be bent by a small curvature radius can be manufactured.

According to the third film optical waveguide manufacturing method of the present invention, a thin film thickness (e.g., 150) is obtained by pressing the stamper of the elastomer with a stamper to make it thin while using an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. Upper clad layer and lower clad layer) can be obtained. Therefore, according to the present invention, an upper cladding layer and a lower cladding layer having a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, whereby a film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small radius of curvature can be produced.

In addition, according to the third film optical waveguide manufacturing method, the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer are formed by pressing with a stamper, and then the upper cladding layer is inverted up and down to be bonded on the lower cladding layer. The deflection of the cladding layer and the lower cladding layer can be canceled to suppress the occurrence of warping in the film optical waveguide.

According to the fourth film optical waveguide manufacturing method of the present invention, a thin film thickness (e.g., 150) is obtained by pressing the stamper of the elastomer with a stamper to make it thin while using an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. Upper clad layer and lower clad layer) can be obtained. Therefore, according to the present invention, an upper cladding layer and a lower cladding layer having a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less and a thin thickness can be obtained, whereby a film optical waveguide that can be bent at a small radius of curvature can be produced.

In addition, according to the fourth film optical waveguide manufacturing method, since the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer are bonded to the core material and the core is formed from the core material, the core material is formed from the core material. The bonding operation of the upper and lower cladding layers by the core material can be performed at once, so that the manufacturing process of the film optical waveguide can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be streamlined.

According to the film optical waveguide module according to the present invention, since the film optical waveguide module having a thin thickness of the optical waveguide portion and excellent in bending performance can be obtained, such a film optical waveguide module is assembled into an apparatus having a rotating portion such as a hinge portion. In one case, even if the rotating portion is repeatedly rotated, the optical waveguide portion is less likely to be damaged, and the durability of the apparatus can be improved.

According to the electronic device device according to the present invention, since the film optical waveguide having a thin thickness and excellent in bending performance can be obtained, when such an optical waveguide device is used in an electronic device device having a rotating part such as a hinge part, the rotating part is used. Even if it rotates repeatedly, a film optical waveguide becomes difficult to be damaged and the durability of an electronic device apparatus can be improved.

According to the film optical waveguide according to the present invention, since the film optical waveguide having a thin thickness and excellent in bending performance can be obtained, when such an optical waveguide device is used in an electronic device device having a moving part, the film optical wave is accompanied by the movement of the moving part. Even if the waveguide is repeatedly deformed, the waveguide is hardly damaged, and the durability of the electronic device device can be improved.

Claims (10)

At least one of the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer is formed by an elastomer having a bending modulus of 1,000 MPa or less, and the film optical waveguide is characterized in that the sum of the thicknesses of the upper cladding layer and the lower cladding layer is 300 µm or less. . The method of claim 1, A film optical waveguide, wherein a core is formed between the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer by an elastomer having a higher refractive index than both cladding layers and a bending elastic modulus of 1,000 MPa or less. The method of claim 1, The bending elastic modulus of the said core is larger than the bending elastic modulus of the said upper clad layer and the said lower clad layer, The film optical waveguide characterized by the above-mentioned. Supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less to a substrate; Pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by a stamper to reduce the thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer to form a lower clad layer; Forming a core on the lower clad layer; And a step of forming an upper clad layer on the lower clad layer and the core. Forming a lower clad layer; Forming a core on the lower clad layer; Supplying a precursor made of a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending modulus of elasticity of 1,000 MPa or less on the lower clad layer and the core, Pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by a stamper to reduce the thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; A method for producing a film optical waveguide, comprising the step of curing the precursor of the elastomer to form an upper clad layer. Supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less to a first substrate, Pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer to form a lower clad layer; Supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less to a second substrate; Pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the second substrate, and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the second substrate to form an upper cladding layer, And a step of joining the lower clad layer and the upper clad layer by sandwiching a core formed in the lower clad layer or the upper clad layer. Supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less to a first substrate, Pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer to form a lower clad layer; Supplying a precursor comprising a monomer or oligomer of an elastomer having a bending elastic modulus after curing of 1,000 MPa or less to a second substrate; Pressing a stamper against the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the second substrate, and applying a pressure to the precursor of the elastomer by the stamper to reduce the thickness of the precursor of the elastomer; Curing the precursor of the elastomer supplied to the second substrate to form an upper cladding layer, Bonding the lower clad layer and the upper clad layer to a core material, and forming a core between the lower clad layer and the upper clad layer by the core material. Manufacturing method. The film optical waveguide module of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the film optical waveguide and the light transmitting element or the light receiving element are optically coupled and integrated. In the folding-type electronic device which connected one member and the other member freely by the rotation part, The film optical waveguide of Claim 1, 2 or 3 was wired between the member and the other member through the said rotating part. The electronic device apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the electronic device device provided with a moving unit in the main body of the device, An electronic device device, wherein the moving unit and the device main body are optically combined by the film optical waveguide according to claim 1, 2 or 3.

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