KR20080072298A - Pattern roll and method of forming light guide using pattern roll - Google Patents

Abstract

A pattern roll and a method of manufacturing a light waveguide using the same are provided to successively form the light waveguide by preventing remaining coating solution from flowing sideways. A first cladding material is applied and UV(Ultra-Violet)-cured on a base film(10). Core coating solution(12) is applied on the base film and the base film is embossed by using a pattern roll(13). The base film is UV-cured. A second cladding material is applied and UV-cured on the embossed base film. The pattern roll has a main core area(16) and a sub core area(17), which contains the coating solution. The pattern roll is applied to form a main core region(18) and a sub core region(19). The light is actually guided in the main core region, while the light is not guided in the sub core region.

Description

Pattern roll and optical waveguide manufacturing method using the same {Pattern roll and method of forming light guide using pattern roll}

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of use of a conventional pattern roll used in the embossing method

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of the optical waveguide manufactured by the embossing method applying the pattern roll according to an embodiment of the present invention

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of use of the pattern roll according to an embodiment of the present invention used in the embossing method

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: base film 11: primary cladding material

12 core coating liquid 13 pattern roll

14: secondary cladding material 15: top film

16: main coating area 17: sub coating area

18: main core section 19: sub core section

20: roll end area

The present invention relates to a pattern roll for manufacturing an optical waveguide and a method for producing a long optical waveguide continuously in length using the pattern roll, and more particularly, a pattern roll that can accommodate a coating liquid in an embossing process. By applying to prevent the excess coating liquid flows out to the side, it is possible to prevent the process is stopped due to the coating liquid contamination, and thus relates to a pattern roll and an optical waveguide manufacturing method using the same to increase the productivity according to the continuous process secured .

In general, information transmission means using various types of electrical wiring including printed circuit boards leads the electronic age of the 20th century and is applied to most industries such as computers, automobiles and mobile phones.

Recently, with the increase of the Internet usage, information has been accelerated and the capacity has been increased, and new information that can solve problems such as speed limitations, crosstalk characteristics between electric lines, constraints on mounting density, and noise (EMS) There is a need for delivery.

In order to overcome the limitations of electrical wiring in recent years, a method of using an optical connection has been widely applied.

Therefore, in order to overcome the limitations of electrical wiring as described above, the development of technology for a printed circuit board having an optical waveguide inserted therein has been rapidly developed.

In particular, long-wavelength optical waveguides are required for applications in next-generation high-speed parallel computers, information transfer between systems, and optical connections for back plans.

In general, an optical waveguide is manufactured by depositing silica and performing an etching process by chemical hydrodeposition (FHD), chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), or the like.

Although the optical waveguide manufacturing method using the silica process can realize good characteristics, the production cost is expensive and the manufacturing process is complicated, so it is not suitable for commercial mass production, and the optical waveguide length is limited to the photo mask size.

Therefore, research into the manufacture of optical waveguides using polymers has been actively conducted recently.

Polymers can be quickly manufactured, cost-effective, and have high yields and low light losses, making them suitable for optical waveguide materials.

Representative methods of manufacturing an optical waveguide using a polymer include a wet etching method, a dry etching method, and an embossing method.

Each has advantages and disadvantages, but has limitations in the manufacture of long length optical waveguides beyond commercial mass production and photomask sizes.

In order to manufacture an optical waveguide in this manner, a mask for photolithography or a master for embossing is required, which complicates the process or limits the length of the optical waveguide.

In order to manufacture a long optical waveguide, a photo mask or a master of that size is required.

However, the large size photolithography method is not easy, and the representative methods of manufacturing the master, the Riga process, the photoresist patterning, the etching method, and the electroplating method have difficulty in producing a long length master beyond the wafer size.

In order to solve this problem, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an embossing method using a roll-type master, that is, a pattern roll 100, for a continuous process is proposed.

Here, reference numeral 110 denotes a base film, and 120 denotes a core coating liquid.

However, in the case of the embossing method using the conventional roll-type master, the core coating liquid remaining after embossing flows to the side during the embossing process of core coating to less than 10 μm, which contaminates the pattern roll and lowers productivity. there is a problem.

For example, when coating liquid is contaminated, the process must be stopped and the coating liquid on the pattern roll must be removed in the middle, thereby reducing the overall efficiency.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, by implementing a new type of optical waveguide manufacturing system applying a method that can accommodate the coating liquid in the embossing process, the excess coating liquid flows to the side to interfere with the process It is an object of the present invention to provide a pattern roll and a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide using the same, which can be removed and, thus, enable a continuous process to increase productivity.

The optical waveguide manufacturing method using the pattern roll of the present invention for achieving the above object is a first step of applying ultraviolet curing after applying the primary cladding material to the base film, and the core coating liquid to the base film coated with the primary cladding material After applying the embossed using a pattern roll and then UV curing, and a second step of applying a secondary cladding material to the base film embossed core coating solution, and then laminating the top film and then UV curing In the optical waveguide manufacturing method, the second step is a section other than the main core section where actual light is guided by applying a pattern roll having a sub-core section capable of accommodating the coating liquid to a region other than the main core section for forming the core. Edo is characterized in that it comprises a step of forming a sub-core section is not guided light.

In the second step, the sub core region of the pattern roll may be disposed between the main core regions such that the sub core region where light is not guided is positioned between the main core sections where actual light is guided.

In addition, the width of the sub-core section formed in the second step is characterized in that the 0.01 ~ 50mm.

In addition, the number of each channel of the main core section and the sub-core section formed in the second step is characterized in that 2 to 100.

On the other hand, the optical waveguide manufacturing pattern roll of the present invention for achieving the above object is a sub-core region for forming a sub-core section in which light is not guided in a region other than the main core region for forming the main core section to which the actual light is guided Characterized in that it comprises a.

In addition, the sub-core region is characterized in that disposed between the main core region, or in the roll end region.

In addition, the width of the sub-core region is characterized in that the 0.01 ~ 50mm.

In addition, the number of channels in the main core region is characterized in that 2 to 100.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing process of the optical waveguide manufactured by the embossing method to which the pattern roll according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a state of use of the pattern roll according to an embodiment of the present invention used in the embossing method It is sectional drawing which shows.

As shown in Fig. 2, the flow of the overall process of manufacturing the optical waveguide is shown here.

The optical waveguide manufacturing process can be roughly divided into a lower cladding material coating process, a core material patterning process, and an upper cladding material coating process.

The lower cladding coating process is a process of applying a primary cladding material 11 to an unloaded base film 10 and curing it by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, where the primary cladding material is laminated on the base film. Will be made.

In the core material patterning process, the core coating liquid 12 is applied onto the primary cladding material 11 that is laminated and cured on the base film 10, and then a predetermined pattern roll, that is, the pattern roll 13 provided in the present invention. ) Is a process of implementing a pattern by embossing method, where an optical waveguide is made by the core to be embossed.

For example, a pattern roll having a transmissive property, such as a glass substrate, and a core coating liquid, i.e., a polymer are contacted and embossed, and then irradiated with ultraviolet rays on the pattern roll while the polymer is embossed on a pattern roll having a transmissive property, thereby curing a predetermined amount. An optical waveguide made of a core having a pattern of is formed.

In the upper cladding material coating process, after applying the secondary cladding material 14 on the primary cladding material 11 and the core coating solution 12 which are sequentially laminated (coated) and cured on the base film 10, ultraviolet (UV) light is applied. It is a process of curing through irradiation, and the optical waveguide for the final POCB is made to be placed on the secondary cladding material 14 to the top film 15.

In particular, the core material patterning process, that is, the process of embossing the core coating liquid, applies a predetermined pattern roll to the core (core without light guide) even in a section other than the core (core where the actual light guides). By forming, after the coating to a thickness of 10um or more, the remaining core coating solution does not occur even after the embossing method is applied to include a process that enables a continuous process.

As shown in FIG. 3, only a schematic process is shown here in which the core coating liquid 12 on the base film 10 is embossed by the pattern roll 13.

The core coating solution 12 applied to the base film 10 is embossed by the pattern roll 13 and then subjected to UV curing. The pattern roll 13 includes a main core region 16 for forming a core and A sub core region 17 for receiving a coating liquid is provided, and as the pattern roll 13 of this type is applied, the core coating liquid 12 has a main core section 18 where actual light is guided and a sub-light that is not guided. It is embossed into the core section 19.

Here, the sub-core section 19 refers to a core section that is made by forming the main core section 18 for the optical waveguide and the remaining excess coating liquid is collected, this part is applied to the product as the optical waveguide part Will not be used.

That is, when the core coating liquid 12 on the base film 10 is embossed using the pattern roll 13 having the main core region 16 and the sub core region 17, the main core region 16 causes the main to be embossed. The core section 18 is formed and at the same time the remaining coating liquid is received in the sub core region 17, and the sub core section 19 is made. Thus, the excess coating liquid in the embossing process is formed by the portion formed into the sub core section. It can prevent the flow out of the pattern roll.

At this time, the sub core region 17 may be disposed between the main core region 16 or between the roll end regions 20 corresponding to both ends thereof, and thus the sub core region 17 may be disposed in the main core section 18 where actual light is guided. It is possible to implement an embossed form in which the sub core section 19 in which the light is not guided at both ends or at both ends is positioned.

In addition, the width of the sub-core region 19 can be designed to the extent that the coating liquid does not leak to the side, usually about 0.01 ~ 50mm is preferred.

For example, the width of the sub core region may be determined according to the number of channels of the optical waveguide for FOCB and the distance between the channels.

When calculating the ratio of the core coating area and the patterned core area of the optical waveguide for FOCB, A (core coating area)> B (patterned core area) is generated and a surplus is generated. By designing such that the core coating area) ≦ B (patterned core area) + C (patterned sub core area), it is possible to prevent excess liquid from occurring.

In addition, the width of the sub core can be designed according to the determined sub core area.

In addition, the main core region 16 may have a channel number of about 2 to about 100 channels.

In one embodiment of the present invention provides a pattern roll 13 having a number of four channels, it is possible to form a core of 50 ~ 60 × 50 ~ 60um square shape in the case of the usual four channels.

Therefore, in the case of applying the existing pattern roll, the coating area (core coating liquid coating area) becomes larger than the area of the pattern portion (core forming portion) even when the core is coated with 10 μm, so that the excess coating liquid that occurs laterally occurs, but the present invention When the pattern roll is applied, the coating area becomes equal to or smaller than the area of the pattern portion, so that the coating liquid can be prevented from flowing sideways.

As described above, the present invention implements an optical waveguide manufacturing method including a pattern roll that can accommodate a coating liquid in the embossing process, and has an advantage of eliminating the problem of surplus coating liquid flowing to the side and hindering the process. As a result, it is possible to increase the productivity by enabling a continuous process.

Claims (8)

A first step of applying ultraviolet ray curing after applying the primary cladding material to the base film, and a second step of applying embossing using a pattern roll after applying the core coating solution to the base film coated with the primary cladding material, and then performing UV curing. In the optical waveguide manufacturing method comprising a third step of applying a secondary cladding material on the base film embossed core coating liquid, and then laminating the top film and then UV curing, The second step is to apply a pattern roll having a sub core area capable of accommodating the coating liquid in a region other than the main core region for forming the core, so that the light is not guided even in a section other than the main core section where actual light is guided. An optical waveguide manufacturing method using a pattern roll, characterized in that it comprises a step of forming a core section. The method of claim 1, wherein in the second step, the sub core region of the pattern roll is disposed between the main core regions such that the sub core region without light is guided between the main core sections where actual light is guided. An optical waveguide manufacturing method using a patterned roll. The method of manufacturing an optical waveguide using a pattern roll according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of the sub core section formed in the second step is 0.01 to 50 mm. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of channels in the main core section and the sub core section formed in the second step is 2 to 100. In the pattern roll for optical waveguide manufacture, And a sub core region for shaping a sub core section in which light is not guided to a region other than the main core region for shaping the main core section where actual light is waveguided. The pattern roll according to claim 5, wherein the sub core region is disposed between the main core regions or in the roll end region. The pattern roll for optical waveguide manufacture of Claim 5 or 6 whose width | variety of the said sub core area | region is 0.01-50 mm. The pattern roll for manufacturing an optical waveguide according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the number of channels in the main core region is 2 to 100.

Images