Optical fiber array and optical light-wave device, and...

Details Optical fiber array and optical light-wave device, and... Optical fiber array and optical light-wave device, and...

2000-07-07

2003-03-04

Bovernick, Rodney (Department: 2874)

Optical waveguides

Accessories

External retainer/clamp

C385S136000, C385S055000, C385S059000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06529670

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical fiber array device used for optical communication and a method of manufacturing the same, a method of connecting a waveguide of an optical light guide device and an optical fiber of an optical fiber array device with each other, and an optical waveguide module which is formed by connecting an optical fiber array device and an optical waveguide circuit device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today, for lower prices and denser circuit integration, the field of optical communication sees progress in the commercialization of an optical waveguide circuit (PLC; Planer Light guide Circuit) device in which a plurality of optical waveguides are arranged on a silicon substrate or a quartz substrate. Furthermore, multi-function capabilities required for optical waveguide circuit devices nowadays facilitate higher density integration of optical waveguides to be arranged and large-sized optical waveguide circuit devices.
In general, an optical waveguide circuit device is connected to an optical fiber array device which is formed by arranging optical fibers, and used as a module.
FIG. 3
is a perspective view showing a module-type optical device (optical waveguide module) in which an optical fiber array device
7
a
is connected to the incidence side of an optical waveguide circuit device
8
while an optical fiber array device
7
b
is connected to the exit side of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
.
In
FIG. 3
, an optical waveguide circuit is formed by an optical waveguide
6
on an optical waveguide substrate
10
, whereby the optical waveguide circuit device
8
is formed. The optical waveguide circuit shown in
FIG. 3
comprises one incidence-side optical waveguide
6
a
which branches out through a branch portion
16
such that there are eight optical waveguides
6
b
on the exit side. The optical waveguide circuit is a splitter-type optical waveguide circuit which divides incident light entering at one optical input part (the incidence side of the incidence-side optical waveguide
6
a
) and outputs light at eight optical output parts (the exit side of the exit-side optical waveguides
6
b
) . In
FIG. 3
, an upper glass plate
11
is disposed on the optical waveguide circuit device
8
at the connection terminal surface sides.
The optical fiber array devices
7
a
and
7
b
each comprise a guide substrate
1
and a cap plate
4
. Although not illustrated in
FIG. 3
, one or more optical fiber arranging guide grooves for arranging optical fibers
3
are formed in the guide substrates
1
. In general, the arranging guide grooves are formed as V-shaped grooves (grooves shaped like a letter “V”). As the coating is removed on the connection terminal surface side of the optical fibers, they are inserted in the V-shaped grooves, and the optical fibers
3
inserted in the arranging guide grooves are capped with the cap plates
4
.
One optical fiber
3
is fixed to the optical fiber array device
7
a
which is on the incidence side, while the eight optical fibers
3
are arranged at equal intervals and fixed to the optical fiber array device
7
b
which is on the exit side. The optical fibers
3
which are fixedly arranged to the optical fiber array device
7
b
are led from a core wire of an optical fiber tape which is formed by arranging eight optical fibers
3
in parallel in a line at a pitch of 250 &mgr;m, of which coating is removed on the connection terminal surface side and inserted respectively in the V-shaped grooves.
The optical fiber
3
which is fixed to the optical fiber array device
7
a
is connected to the optical waveguide
6
a
which is disposed on the incidence side to the optical waveguide circuit device
8
, while the eight optical fibers
3
which are fixed to the optical fiber array device
7
b
are connected respectively to the optical waveguides
6
b
which are disposed on the exit side to the optical waveguide circuit device
8
. In general, the arrangement pitch of the optical waveguides
6
b
is set to 250 &mgr;m which is equal to the arrangement pitch of the optical fibers
3
of the optical fiber array device
7
b.
For fabrication of an optical component as shown in
FIG. 3
, the connection terminal surfaces of respective optical fiber array devices
7
a
and
7
b
and the connection terminal surfaces of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
are polished, the connection terminal surface of the optical fiber array device
7
a
and the connection terminal surfaces of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
on the incidence side are faced towards each other, while the connection terminal surface of the optical fiber array device
7
b
and the connection terminal surface of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
on the exit side are faced towards each other.
Following this, connection terminal surfaces of the optical fibers
3
which are arranged in the optical fiber array devices
7
a
and
7
b
are faced towards the connection terminal surfaces of the optical waveguide
6
disposed at the optical waveguide circuit device
8
, and adjusted seas to minimize axial deviations (positional displacements) between the connection terminal surfaces of the optical fibers
3
and the corresponding connection terminal surfaces of the optical waveguide
6
. The connection terminal surfaces of respective optical fiber array devices
7
a
and
7
b
and the connection terminal surfaces of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
are fixedly adhered to each other with an adhesive or the like which hardens under ultraviolet light (UV).
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By the way, as described above, the optical waveguide circuit device
8
has gained more and more functions recently, which has led to the development of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
of a splitter-type which divides light impinging upon one optical input part and outputs light at thirty-two optical output parts or sixty-four optical output parts, for example. Where such an optical waveguide circuit device
8
is to be used as a module-type optical component (optical waveguide module) as shown in
FIG. 3
, as described above, since the arrangement pitch of the optical waveguides
6
b
on the exit side of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
is 250 &mgr;m, a distance between both edges of the exit-side optical waveguides
6
b
disposed at the optical waveguide circuit device
8
is 7.75 mm if there are thirty-two optical output parts (optical output ports) and it is 15.75 mm if there are sixty-four optical output parts.
Meanwhile, it is generally known that the optical waveguide circuit device
8
warps because of its manufacturing method. For instance, where the optical waveguide circuit device
8
has thirty-two optical output parts, there are thirty-two optical waveguides
6
b
on the exit side and the width of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
is 8 mm as shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
, and the optical waveguide circuit device
8
using the optical waveguide substrate
10
of silicon warps to the degree of S which is as much as 2 to 3 &mgr;m as shown in FIG.
4
A. As shown in
FIG. 4B
, even the optical waveguide circuit device
8
using the optical waveguide substrate
10
of quartz warps in the degree S of as much as 0.5 to 1.0 &mgr;m.
As shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
, the degree of warping S is a value which is expressed by the quantity of a deviation in the direction of height (Y-direction in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
) between the optical waveguides
6
b
at the center and the optical waveguides
6
b
at both ends. The directions of warping are opposite between where the optical waveguide substrate
10
of silicon is used and where the optical waveguide substrate
10
of quartz is used.
The warping prohibits the arrangement of the optical waveguides
6
b
on the exit side of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
(i.e., an arrangement of the cores at the cross section of the optical waveguide circuit device
8
) from presenting a linear shape, but causes the arrangement to have a curved shape in accordance with the warping

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