JPH04128809A - Method for alignment between optical waveguide and optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the aligning operation by implanting guide pins in an optical fiber array body, providing an optical waveguide component with a guide part which guides the guide pins, and positioning them at the prescribed position and abutting them. CONSTITUTION:The optical fiber array body 10 is molded having a ribbon structure of fibers 12 in the center of a base body 11, and the guide pins 13 are implanted on both sides of the base body 11. The optical waveguide component 20 has cores 23 formed in the clad 22 formed on a substrate 21 and also has guide grooves 20a formed in the top surface to overall length in parallel to the cores 23. The guide pins 13 are mounted on the guide grooves 20a and the optical fiber array body 10 and optical waveguide component 20 are made to abut on each other. Light sources 31 are connected to the optical fibers 12a positioned at both ends of the ribbon structure 12 of optical fibers and a condenser lens 32 and an image sensor 33 are arranged on the projection side of the optical waveguide component 20. Then the light from the light sources 31 which is transmitted through the respective optical fibers 12a and cores 23 and converged by the condenser lens 32 to exceed the sensor sensitivity is monitored by the image sensor 33.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an alignment method for connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber in optical components used for optical fiber communication, optical information processing, etc.

(Prior Art) When connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber, an optical fiber array 1 shown in FIG. 8 and an optical waveguide component 5 shown in FIG. 9 are used.

The optical fiber array 1 is, for example, formed by molding a plurality of optical fibers 3a arranged in parallel at a predetermined angle on a base 2 made of plastic, and tape fibers 3 covered with a plastic coating 3b. The end face of the optical fiber 3a is exposed to the abutting end face 2a of the base body 2.

In this array 1, there is usually an error of about 10 μm in the position of each optical fiber 3a in the vertical direction (direction of the arrow y in the figure) and in the horizontal direction (direction of the arrow X in the figure) at the abutting end surface 2a. However, the optical fibers 3a can be positioned with high accuracy on the order of submicrons, and since the base 2 is made of plastic, there is an advantage that the array 1 can be provided at an extremely low cost.

On the other hand, the optical waveguide component 5 includes, for example, a plurality of cores 8 made of a thin film pattern in a cladding 7 formed on a substrate 6.
are formed with the same arrangement pitch as the optical fibers 3a. In the optical waveguide component 5, a plurality of cores 8 can be formed in a highly accurate array on the submicron order.
The position of each core 8 on the end face in the vertical direction (arrow y direction in the figure) can also be determined with an accuracy of about 1 μm.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the optical fiber array 1 and the optical waveguide component 5 are brought close to each other by about IO μm and abutted against each other, and the corresponding optical fibers 3a and cores 8 are aligned with the arrows x
, After aligning the axes in the y direction, an optical adhesive having a similar refractive index is injected between the abutted end faces to bond them together so as not to increase connection loss.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the optical fiber array I, the optical fibers 3a, 3a at both ends are set so that the distance a from both sides of the base 2 and the distance from the top surface are approximately 1 mm. ing. Further, in the optical waveguide component 5, each core 8 is formed at a position of about 10 μm from the top surface, and the cores 8, 8 at both ends are set so that the distance to both side surfaces is about 1 mm.

Therefore, for example, by aligning the axes of the optical fiber 3a located at the end and the core 8, the alignment work between the optical fiber array l and the optical waveguide component 5 is completed.

However, as described above, the core 8 is formed at a position 10 μm from the top surface of the optical waveguide component 5 and about 1 mm from the side surface, and the core 8 is located 1+++ from the top surface and side surface of the base body 2.
The axis is aligned with the optical fiber 3a exposed at a position of approximately +n. For this reason, if the optical waveguide component 5 is 10μ
Even if alignment is performed by moving the optical fiber array 1 in units of m, this alignment work will require 100×100
In other words, it is equivalent to searching for one square out of 10,000 squares, which is quite complicated. Moreover, since the optical fiber array 1 and the optical waveguide component 5 are aligned with their end surfaces abutted against each other, it is impossible to visually see the other optical fiber 3a, and the alignment process is complicated and takes several hours. There was an inconvenience that the situation could be affected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for aligning an optical waveguide and an optical fiber, which allows easy alignment work.

(Means and effects for solving the problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical waveguide component in which an optical waveguide is formed on a substrate, and an optical fiber array body holding at least one optical fiber. In the method for aligning an optical waveguide and an optical fiber when they are butt-connected, a guide pin is implanted in the optical fiber array, and a guide portion for guiding the id pin is provided in the optical waveguide component. After the optical fiber array and the optical waveguide component are positioned at predetermined positions using the guide pin and the guide portion and abutted against each other, the optical waveguide and the optical fiber are aligned.

In the method of the present invention, an optical fiber array 10 shown in FIG. 1 and an optical waveguide component 20 shown in FIG. 2 are used.

The optical fiber array 10 includes a tape fiber 12 in which four optical fibers 12a are covered with a coating 12b in the center of a base 11.
Guide pins 13.13 are implanted on both sides of the base 11, and the end faces of a plurality of optical fibers 12a are exposed at the abutted end faces 11a between the guide pins 13.13.

Here, the positions of the plurality of optical fibers 12a with respect to the guide pins 13.13 can be defined with an accuracy of about 1 μm.

Here, the guide pin 13.13 is connected to the optical fiber array I
This is for positioning the O and the optical waveguide component 20 when they are butted together. Therefore, guide pin 13.13
The optical fiber must have sufficient length!
At least half of the length of the base body 11 in the optical axis direction of the base body 2a must protrude from the abutting end surface 11a.

The optical waveguide component 20 has four cores 23 formed in a cladding 22 formed on a substrate 21 at the same arrangement pitch as the optical fibers 12a, and guide grooves 20a, 20a on the upper surface.
is formed parallel to the core 23 over the entire length.

The guide grooves 2.0a, 20a are formed in an inverted trapezoidal shape, and the guide pins 13.0a of the optical fiber array 10 are formed here.
13 and guides the core 23.
is aligned with the corresponding optical fiber 12a,
Optical fiber array 10 is approximately positioned relative to optical waveguide component 20 .

Here, both guide grooves 20a, 20a can be formed with an accuracy of about 11 m relative to the core 23, and are made slightly larger in consideration of the positional deviation between the core 23 and the optical fiber 12a. Further, the guide groove 20a may be provided only on the substrate 21, or may be provided to penetrate the substrate 21 and the cladding 22 formed thereon.

In the method of the present invention, after the optical fiber array 10 and the optical waveguide component 20 are butted together in the following manner, each core 23 is aligned with the corresponding optical fiber 12a, and the optical waveguide and the optical fiber are connected. Align with.

That is, first, as shown in FIG.
3 are placed in the guide grooves 20a, 20a, and the optical fiber array 10 and the optical waveguide component 20 are butted together.

As a result, the optical fiber 1 array 10 and the optical waveguide component 2
0 are butted parallel to the optical axis direction, and each optical fiber 12
A is temporarily connected to the corresponding core 23 in a state where the axes are approximately aligned. Therefore, the optical fiber array 1
0 and the optical waveguide component 20, there is no angular deviation in the optical axis direction, that is, there is no inclination of the axis. At this time, guide pin 1
3.13 is the guide groove 20a, 20 as shown in FIG.
It is in a state slightly floating from a.

Next, the axis of each optical fiber 12a is aligned with respect to the corresponding core 23.

In such alignment, an optical system 30 shown in FIG. 5 is assembled. That is, in the temporarily connected optical fiber array 10 and optical waveguide component 20, the optical fibers 12a are located at both ends of the tape fiber 12.

A light source 31.31 is connected to 12a, and a condenser lens 32 is connected to the output side of the optical waveguide component 20;
An image sensor 33 is placed on the emission side of the image sensor.

Here, as shown by arrows in the figure, the optical fibers 12a at both ends
, 12a is arranged so that the optical fibers 12a and the core 23 can be positioned with accuracy on the order of submicrons, as described above. Therefore, if the optical fibers 12a, 12a at both ends are aligned with the cores 23.degree. 23 at the corresponding ends, alignment of the remaining optical fibers 12a and the core 23 is also completed at the same time.

Then, the image sensor 33 monitors the light from the light source 31 that is transmitted through each optical fiber 12a and the core 23, and is condensed by the condenser lens 32 to exceed the sensor sensitivity. At this time, by slightly adjusting the relative position of the temporarily connected optical fiber array 10 and the optical waveguide component 20 so that the amount of light being monitored is maximized, the optical fiber 12a and the core 23 can be connected in a few minutes. Can be aligned.

After the alignment is completed, an optical adhesive is injected between the abutting end surfaces of the optical fiber array 10 and the optical waveguide component 20 to bond and fix them to each other.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 6 and 7.

First, an optical waveguide component 40 shown in FIG. 6 was manufactured.

That is, a silicon substrate 41 with a thickness of 0.6 mm was subjected to anisotropic etching using a KOH solution to form guide grooves 41a and 41a with a depth of 0.3 mm. Here, the inclination angle of the formed guide groove 41a is (10
0) surface, the angle was uniquely determined to be 54.7°.

After that, using flame deposition method and dry etching,
A core 42 made of Germ-3ift and a cladding 43 made of Sin are formed on a silicon substrate 41.
A quartz optical waveguide component 40 shown in the figure was obtained.

In this optical waveguide component 40, the center of the core is 25 μm from the surface, the thickness of the quartz layer is 50 μm, and the core dimension is 8 μm.
0, the core spacing was 250 μm, and the relative refractive index difference Δ was 0.3%.

On the other hand, the optical fiber array 50 shown in FIG.
The material is epoxy resin containing glass filler, and the guide pin 52 has a diameter of 0.4 mm.

A four-core tape fiber was molded by transfer molding using two stainless steel rods each having a length of 8M.

In this optical fiber array 50, the spacing force between the optical fibers 53 in the molded tape fiber was 250 μm, the thickness of the base 51 was 1.5 mm, and the guide groove 41a of the optical waveguide component 40.

By placing the guide pins 52 and 52 on 41a,
As shown in FIG. 3, the optical waveguide component 40 and the optical fiber array 50 were butted together.

Thereafter, the optical waveguide component 40 and the optical fiber array 50 were introduced into the optical system 30 as shown in FIG.

Next, the light emitted from the light source 31 is transmitted to the image sensor 3.
3, adjust the relative position of the temporarily connected optical 1 wave path component 40 and the optical fiber array 50, and connect the core 42.
When the optical fiber 53 and the optical fiber 53 were aligned, the time required for this alignment was several minutes.

4. Then, with the alignment completed, an optical adhesive was injected between the abutting end surfaces of the optical waveguide component 40 and the optical fiber array 50 to adhesively fix them to each other.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above explanation, according to the method for aligning an optical waveguide and an optical fiber of the present invention, guide pins are implanted in the optical fiber array, and guide pins are installed in the optical waveguide component. The optical fiber array and the optical waveguide component are positioned in a predetermined position using the guide pin and the guide part, and after they are butted together, the optical waveguide and the optical fiber are aligned, so the alignment work is easy. This is very simple and allows alignment of the optical waveguide and optical fiber in a short time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 7 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical fiber array used in the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical waveguide component, and FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the optical fiber array and the optical waveguide component butted against each other, Fig. 4 is a front view showing the state of the guide pin of the optical fiber array within the guide groove of the optical waveguide component, and Fig. 5 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the optical system used for alignment, FIG. 6 is a front view of the manufactured optical waveguide component, FIG. 7 is a front view of the optical fiber array, and FIGS. 8 to 10 are conventional The method for aligning the optical waveguide and the optical fiber is explained. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the optical fiber array, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the optical waveguide component, and FIG. 1O is the optical fiber array and the optical waveguide component. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Optical fiber array body, 12... Tape fiber, 12a... Optical fiber, 13... Guide pin,
20... Optical waveguide component, 20a... Guide groove, 21
...Substrate 22...Clad, 23...Core, 40
... Optical waveguide component, 41 ... Substrate, 41a ... Guide groove, 42 ... Core 43 ... Clad, 50 ...
・Optical fiber array, 52... Guide pin, 53...
・Optical fiber.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a method for aligning an optical waveguide and an optical fiber when an optical waveguide component having an optical waveguide formed on a substrate and an optical fiber array holding at least one optical fiber are butt-connected, A guide pin is implanted in the fiber array, and a guide part for guiding the guide pin is provided in the optical waveguide component, and the optical fiber array and the optical waveguide component are positioned at a predetermined position by the guide pin and the guide part. 1. A method for aligning an optical waveguide and an optical fiber, which comprises aligning the optical waveguide and the optical fiber after abutting the optical waveguide and the optical fiber.