JPH03210507A - Production of optical waveguide array - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical waveguide array used in optical transmission means such as an optical printer.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, optical waveguide arrays formed by bundling optical fibers have been used as optical transmission means in optical printers and the like, and have a low attenuation rate, high flexibility, relatively low cost, and are excellent as optical transmission media. There is.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when forming an optical waveguide array by bundling optical fibers, it is extremely difficult to line up a very large number of optical fibers with precision and form the optical waveguide array at low cost. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide array that can be easily constructed at low cost without using optical fibers.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the method for manufacturing an optical waveguide array of the present invention includes: forming a first material having a light-transmitting property on a flat plate-shaped first material having a light-transmitting property; And after forming a large number of optical waveguides by arranging a second material having a higher refractive index than the first material in a linear manner by printing, the second material has a refractive index similar to that of the first material or the first material. at least the optical waveguide.

[Example 1] Hereinafter, an example embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of an optical waveguide array manufactured by the optical waveguide array manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described.

The optical waveguide array 1 includes a clad base material 2 made of fluorine-based acrylic resin with a refractive index of about 1.4, and a two-component curing type with a refractive index of about 1.49 on which an optical waveguide pattern is formed. It is composed of a core 3 made of resin, and a cladding material 4 which covers the upper part of the base material 2 including the core 3 and is made of the same material as the base material 2.

Next, a method of manufacturing the optical waveguide array of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) and FIG. tJ2.

First, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the two-component curing resin 5, which is the material of the core 3, is applied in a linear manner at intervals on the pad 6 of a pad printing machine. Since the figure is a cross-sectional view, both the pad 6 and the two-component resin 5 are long in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper.

Next, by pressing the pad 6 onto the upper surface of the clad base material 2, the two-component curing resin 5 is formed as an optical waveguide pattern on the clad base material 2, as shown in FIG. 1(b).

Next, the core 3 of the optical waveguide is formed by curing this two-component curing resin 5 by natural drying or forced heating. When an ultraviolet curable resin is used as the material for the core 3, after forming an optical waveguide pattern, it is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays. Next, as shown in FIG. 1(c), the surface of the cladding base material 2 on which the core 3 of the optical waveguide is formed is covered with a cladding material 4 made of the same material as the cladding base material 2.

The coating method is not limited to coating, but may also be cast-curing or injection molding.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments detailed above, but
Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the optical waveguide pattern may be formed not only by pad printing but also by silk printing or other printing methods.

Furthermore, instead of the fluorine-based acrylic resin or the two-component curing resin, other materials having similar properties may be used as the material for the core and cladding.

Further, the cladding material that covers the cladding base material on which the core is formed may be made of another material having a refractive index similar to that of the material of the cladding base material.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed explanation above, according to the present invention, a first material having a light-transmitting property and a first material having a light-transmitting property is placed on a flat first material having a light-transmitting property. After forming a large number of optical waveguides by arranging a second material having a larger refractive index in a linear manner by printing, the first material or a third material having a refractive index similar to the first material is used. Since the optical waveguide array is manufactured by coating at least the optical waveguide, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide array that can be easily constructed at low cost without using optical fibers, which is a significant industrial effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 (a) to (c) and Figure 2 show embodiments embodying the present invention, and Figures 1 (a) to (C) are
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the manufactured optical waveguide array. In the figure, 1 is an optical waveguide array, 2 is a clad base material, 3 is a core, 4 is a clad covering material, 5 is a two-component curing resin, and 6 is a pad.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A second material having a light-transmitting property and having a larger refractive index than the first material is arranged in a linear manner by printing on a flat first material having a light-transmitting property. , after forming a large number of optical waveguides, at least the optical waveguides are covered with the first material or a third material having a refractive index similar to that of the first material. Production method.