JP3266424B2 - Optical waveguide module - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a highly reliable optical waveguide module and an optical waveguide module having an optical waveguide chip and optical fibers whose optical axes coincide with both end faces of the optical waveguide chip and are connected and fixed. The sealing structure is used in fields such as optical communication and optical measurement using an optical fiber and an optical waveguide.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional optical waveguide module comprises an optical waveguide chip and a connecting optical component as main components. As the connecting optical component, for example, a V-groove is formed on a quartz substrate, and is placed at a desired position. An optical fiber in which an optical fiber is arranged and fixed with an adhesive or the like is used. In addition, the optical waveguide chip has a function of branching and switching, in which a portion having a high refractive index and confining and guiding light is formed in the optical waveguide substrate.

FIG. 3 shows a 1 × 4 branch type optical waveguide chip 3.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of connection between the optical waveguide chip 3 and the connection optical component 1, wherein the connection end surfaces of the optical waveguide chip 3 and the connection optical component 1 are polished at a desired angle with respect to the optical axis to prevent reflected return light. The core spacing of the four-core optical fiber array as the connecting optical component 1 is manufactured so as to match the spacing of the optical waveguides 4 of the optical waveguide chip 3. Also,
The optical waveguide chip 3 and the connecting part 1 are generally aligned with the optical axis, and then an adhesive (for example, an ultraviolet curable adhesive) is used.
The connection is fixed by such as.

[0004] Therefore, an adhesive layer 7 is interposed at the connection between the optical waveguide chip 3 and the connection optical component 1, and the adhesive layer 7 absorbs moisture in the presence of moisture, and the adhesive force over time is reduced. Degradation and material degradation. As a result, an increase in light loss at the connection has occurred.

[0005] As a countermeasure, a countermeasure has been taken such that the one fixed and connected as shown in Fig. 4 is housed in a housing 6, filled with a thermosetting resin 11, and sealed.

[0006]

However, in the above-described sealing method, since a thermosetting resin is used as a sealing material, residual stress is generated by heat at the time of curing, which causes a displacement of a connection portion and causes a light guide. There is a problem that the reliability of the waveguide module is impaired.

Further, for the same reason that a thermosetting resin is used as a sealing material, it takes several hours to cure the resin, and there is a problem that the working efficiency is poor.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide module which has excellent long-term reliability without destabilizing optical characteristics and has good working efficiency. It is in.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve these problems. An optical waveguide chip and an optical fiber whose optical axes coincide with both end faces of the optical waveguide chip and which are connected and fixed are provided. In the optical waveguide module provided with, the optical waveguide chip and the optical fiber are aligned and then connected and fixed, the whole of them is housed in a housing made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and further filled with an ultraviolet curing resin. It is characterized by being sealed.

[0010]

In the above-described optical waveguide module, since the ultraviolet-curing resin is used as the sealing material, the influence of the residual stress at the time of curing of the thermosetting resin, which has conventionally been a problem, can be prevented. Further, after the optical waveguide chip and the optical fiber are aligned and the optical axis thereof is connected and fixed, and housed in a housing made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, it is hardened by irradiating ultraviolet light after filling with an ultraviolet curable resin. It becomes possible, and work efficiency can be improved.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the optical waveguide module according to the present invention. 1x optical waveguide chip
An eight-branch optical waveguide chip 3 in which a quartz optical waveguide is formed on a silicon substrate. The connection optical component 1 to be connected to the eight optical waveguides has eight optical fibers of the tape fiber 5 in eight V-grooves on the V-groove substrate formed at the same precision as the distance between the optical waveguides by cutting. In this arrangement, the connection optical component 1 connected to one optical waveguide has one optical fiber 2 arranged in one V-groove on a V-groove substrate manufactured by a similar processing method. . In this state,
The optical fiber arranged in both V-grooves is held down by a cover from above and fixed with an ultraviolet-curing adhesive, followed by polishing to form a connection cross section at a desired angle with respect to the optical axis. The optical waveguide chip 3 and the connection optical component 1 are:
For example, after the optical axis is adjusted on each connection side, an ultraviolet-curing adhesive is applied, and the adhesive layer 7 is formed between the connection cross sections by irradiating ultraviolet rays, and the connection is fixed. Next, the optical waveguide chip 3 and the connection optical component 1 which are connected and fixed to a housing 6 formed of plastic which transmits ultraviolet light are housed,
The ultraviolet curable resin 10 is filled through filling holes 8 provided in upper and lower portions of the housing 6. After the filling is completed, ultraviolet rays are irradiated from all directions of the surface of the housing 6 to cure the ultraviolet-curable resin 10 to produce an optical waveguide module.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail.
The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the following changes are possible.

In the above embodiment, the material of the housing 6 is plastic, but any material that transmits ultraviolet light may be used.
For example, translucent polycrystalline Y3 Al5 O12 may be used.

In the above embodiment, the optical waveguide chip 3 is a quartz optical waveguide. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and another material such as a semiconductor waveguide may be used.

In the embodiment described above, the connection and fixing of the optical waveguide chip 3 and the connection optical component 1 are performed by using an ultraviolet curing adhesive. However, the connection and fixing method is not limited to this, and the connection and fixing using a YAG laser can be performed. Fusion connection may be used.

[0016]

As described above in detail, in the optical waveguide module according to the present invention, since the ultraviolet-curing resin is used as the sealing material, the conventional thermosetting resin is hardened at the time of curing. The effect of residual stress can be prevented.Furthermore, after the optical waveguide chip and optical fiber are aligned and the optical fiber is connected and fixed, it is stored in a housing made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light. By irradiating with ultraviolet rays, it becomes possible to cure, and the working efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded configuration view showing an embodiment of an optical waveguide module according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an optical waveguide module according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a connection configuration diagram of an optical waveguide chip and a connection optical component.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional optical waveguide module.

[Description of Signs] 1: Optical component for connection, 2: Optical fiber, 3: Optical waveguide chip, 4: Optical waveguide, 5: Tape fiber, 6: Housing,
7: adhesive layer, 8: filling hole, 9: air vent hole, 10: ultraviolet curing resin, 11: thermosetting resin,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 6/30 G02B 6/12 G02B 6/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An optical waveguide module comprising an optical waveguide chip and optical fibers connected and fixed to both end surfaces of the optical waveguide chip so that the optical axes of the optical waveguides coincide with each other. After the optical axes are aligned, the connection and fixing are performed, and all of them are stored in a housing made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and the inside of the housing is filled with an ultraviolet-curing sealing material, and ultraviolet light is irradiated from outside the housing. An optical waveguide module characterized by being sealed by sealing.