Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Particular coupling structure
Patent
1993-01-07
1994-11-01
Bovernick, Rodney B.
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Particular coupling structure
359900, 385147, 385 14, G02B 630
Patent
active
053613821
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method of connecting optical waveguides and optical fibers used in an optical communication system.
PRIOR ART
In general, waveguide elements are used as optical members to constitute an optical communication system. The waveguide elements are categorized mainly into two types, i.e., one type in which a waveguide is formed by stacking silica glass layers each having different refractive index one on another on an Si substrate, for example, and the other in which a waveguide is formed by stacking semiconductor thin films each having a different composition on a special semiconductor substrate made of GaAs, LiN, or the like.
In order to use these silica type waveguides and semiconductor type waveguides as optical members in an optical communication system, the waveguides must be connected to optical fibers so as to input/output light. More specifically, a waveguide and an optical fiber must be connected such that the pattern of a cross section of the waveguide and an arrangement of the optical fibers are aligned with each other.
One of the examples of such a connecting method will now be described in connection with a case where a 1.times.8 splitter chip of a silica type waveguide and an optical fiber are connected with each other.
A 1.times.8 splitter chip 12 such as shown in FIG. 1 (A) in which input/output waveguides 11 are formed on a silicon substrate 10 is fixed in a tub-like metal casing 13 by adhesive as shown in FIG. 1 (B), and the casing is annealed to make a waveguide part. Then, an input-side optical fiber connector 15, in which an optical fiber 14 is put through and which can be moved at a degree of freedom of 6, is arranged to face an end face of the casing 13, as can be shown in FIG. 1 (C). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1 (D), the position of the input-side optical fiber connector 15 is adjusted such that the optical output from each of the output waveguides 11 of the chip 12, as the result of light made incident from the optical fiber 14, has the maximum value. At the most appropriate position, the input waveguide 11 and the core of the optical fiber 14 are aligned with each other along the optical axis, and fixedly connected with each other by use of YAG laser, adhesive, or the like.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1 (E), an output-side optical fiber connector 16 in which eight optical fibers 14 are fixedly arranged in parallel at the same pitch as that of the output waveguides 11 of the chip 12, is made to face the other end face 13b of the casing 13. Following this, as shown in FIG. 1 (F), the output-side optical fiber connector 16 is moved at a degree of freedom of 6 such that the optical output from each of the eight optical fibers has the maximum intensity of output. At the most appropriate position, the output waveguides 11 and the core of the optical fiber 14 are aligned with each other along the optical axis, and fixedly connected with each other by use of YAG laser, adhesive, or the like. In general, connection of a waveguide and an optical fiber is carried out in the above-described manner.
However, in the case of the above-described case, there is no established standard of alignment between a waveguide formed in a waveguide element and an optical fiber running through an optical fiber connector, and a judgment as to whether there is an error in axis alignment is simply based on the level of the intensity of the output light resulted by incidence of light into the optical fiber. Thus, the reliability of the connection is low.
Further, according to the above-described method, it takes at least one hour to connect a casing end face and an optical fiber connector aligned with each other for one connection, and therefore this method is not suitable for mass production. Also, an extremely expensive alignment fixing device is required.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is to provide a method of connecting a waveguide and an optical fiber, in which the waveguide and the optical fiber are aligned with each other easily
REFERENCES:
patent: 5015059 (1991-05-01), Booth et al.
patent: 5123068 (1992-06-01), Hakoun et al.
Kobayashi Koichi
Nakamura Shirou
Ochiai Toshihiro
Ohta Toshihiko
Shigematsu Takashi
Bovernick Rodney B.
Ngo John
The Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.
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