Optical element, method of producing optical elements, coating device, and coating method

• US 20040234222A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Toshihiro, Miyadera, Nobuo, Yoshino, Atsushi, Kondou, Madoka
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/121 Channel; buried or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 by using polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4202 for coupling an active element with fibres without intermediate optical elements, e.g. fibres with plane ends, fibres with shaped ends, bundles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4204 the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms encapsulated active devices H01S5/02208, H01L33/52

Abstract

A method of producing optical elements using a substrate having a recess, which is capable of easily removing a film in the recess. An optical element comprises a substrate 1, and optical wavefuide structure layer 10 of resin disposed in a part of the region on the suvstrate 1, and a recess 21 formed in the region where the optical waveguide structure layer 10 is not disposed. The optical wavefuide structure layer 10 includes an optical wavefude 4 and a clad layer. A coupler layer is disposed vetween the substrate 1 and the optical wavefude structure layer 10, and the film thickness distribution range of the coupler layer in the region below the optical wavefuide 4 is such that the minimum film thickness is not more than 30 angstroms and the maximum film thickness is not less htan 20 angstroms.

Claims

1. An optical element comprising a substrate, and disposed on the substrate an optical-waveguide structure layer made of a resin, wherein:

said optical-waveguide structure layer comprises an optical waveguide and a clad layer,

a coupler layer which contains an organometallic compound is disposed between said substrate and said optical-waveguide structure layer, and

said coupler layer has, in the region beneath said optical waveguide, a film thickness distribution in the range of from a minimum film thickness of 30 angstroms or more to a maximum film thickness of 200 angstroms or less.

2. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein said coupler layer is an organoaluminum compound layer.

3. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein said coupler layer is an organozirconium compound layer, and the organozirconium compound layer has, in the region beneath said optical waveguide, a film thickness distribution in the range of from a minimum film thickness of 50 angstroms or more to a maximum film thickness of 150 angstroms or less.

5. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is disposed in some region on said substrate, and a recess is formed in a region where said optical-waveguide structure layer is not disposed on said substrate.

6. The optical element according to any one of claim 1, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is formed of a resin material containing fluorine, and a resin layer containing no fluorine is disposed between said coupler layer and said optical-waveguide structure layer.

21. The optical element according to claim 2, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is disposed in some region on said substrate, and a recess is formed in a region where said optical-waveguide structure layer is not disposed on said substrate.

22. The optical element according to claim 3, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is disposed in some region on said substrate, and a recess is formed in a region where said optical-waveguide structure layer is not disposed on said substrate.

24. The optical element according to claim 2, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is formed of a resin material containing fluorine, and a resin layer containing no fluorine is disposed between said coupler layer and said optical-waveguide structure layer.

25. The optical element according to claim 3, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is formed of a resin material containing fluorine, and a resin layer containing no fluorine is disposed between said coupler layer and said optical-waveguide structure layer.

27. The optical element according to claim 5, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is formed of a resin material containing fluorine, and a resin layer containing no fluorine is disposed between said coupler layer and said optical-waveguide structure layer.

4. An optical element comprising a substrate and disposed on the substrate an optical-waveguide structure layer made of a resin, wherein:

said optical-waveguide structure layer comprises an optical waveguide and a clad layer,

an organozirconium compound layer is disposed as the coupler layer between said substrate and said optical-waveguide structure layer, and

said organozirconium compound layer has, in the region beneath said optical waveguide, a film thickness distribution in the range which corresponds to a structure wherein molecules of the organozirconium compound stand superposed in the range of from 5 molecules or more to 15 molecules or less in the film thickness direction.

23. The optical element according to claim 4, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is disposed in some region on said substrate, and a recess is formed in a region where said optical-waveguide structure layer is not disposed on said substrate.

26. The optical element according to claim 4, wherein said optical-waveguide structure layer is formed of a resin material containing fluorine, and a resin layer containing no fluorine is disposed between said coupler layer and said optical-waveguide structure layer.

7. A process for producing optical elements, which comprises:

a first step of forming a film of an organozirconium compound on a substrate on which a recess has been formed; and

a second step of forming a resin layer on the film of said organozirconium compound, wherein

said first step comprises a coating step of disposing said substrate in a solvent atmosphere, in the state of which said substrate is coated thereon with a solution containing said organozirconium compound and a solvent; and

the solvent constituting the solvent atmosphere is the same as the solvent contained in the solution.

8. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 7, wherein said coating step is the step of disposing said substrate in a container filled with said solvent, and rotating said substrate to coat the surface of said substrate with said solvent.

9. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 8, wherein said container, at least its part facing said substrate, is rotated in the same direction as said substrate.

10. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 9, wherein said substrate is rotated together with said container.

11. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 8, wherein said container is kept closed during the rotation.

12. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 8, wherein the rotation of said substrate is stopped, which is thereafter kept to stand still for a predetermined time, and thereafter said container is opened to take out the coated substrate.

13. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 12, wherein, after said substrate has been kept to stand still and before said container is opened, the solvent atmosphere in said container is exhausted at a predetermined flow rate.

28. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 9, wherein said container is kept closed during the rotation.

29. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 10, wherein said container is kept closed during the rotation.

30. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 9, wherein the rotation of said substrate is stopped, which is thereafter kept to stand still for a predetermined time, and thereafter said container is opened to take out the coated substrate.

31. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 10, wherein the rotation of said substrate is stopped, which is thereafter kept to stand still for a predetermined time, and thereafter said container is opened to take out the coated substrate.

32. The process for producing optical elements according to claim 13, wherein the rotation of said substrate is stopped, which is thereafter kept to stand still for a predetermined time, and thereafter said container is opened to take out the coated substrate.

14. A coating equipment comprising a container having an opening through which a substrate is to be put in and out;

a cover with which the opening of the container is covered;

a substrate mount which supports thereon the substrate disposed in the container;

a rotary drive which rotates the substrate mount together with the container; and

a discharge passage formed extending from the inside of the container toward the outside of the container, for discharging at least one of a solution and an atmosphere inside the container to the outside of the container, wherein

said discharge passage comprises an inside opening on the inside of the container and an outside opening on the outside of the container, and

said outside opening is disposed nearer to the rotational axis of said container than to said inside opening.

15. A coating equipment comprising a container having an opening through which a substrate is to be put in and out;

a cover with which the opening of the container is covered;

a substrate mount which supports thereon the substrate disposed in the container;

a rotary drive which rotates the substrate mount in the container; and

a discharge vent through which an atmosphere inside the container is to be discharged to the outside, wherein

said discharge vent is fitted with a control means for controlling the discharge rate of the atmosphere.

16. A method of coating with a solution the surface of a substrate having a recess, which comprises:

disposing the substrate in a closed container filled with an atmosphere of a solvent contained in the coating solution; and

rotating the substrate together with the closed container to coat the surface of the substrate with the solution.

17. A method of coating with a solution the surface of a substrate having a recess, which comprises:

disposing the substrate in a closed container filled with an atmosphere of a solvent contained in the coating solution;

rotating the substrate to coat the surface of the substrate with the solution;

stopping the rotation of the substrate and thereafter keeping the substrate to stand still for a predetermined time; and

discharging at a predetermined rate the solvent atmosphere held in the space where the substrate stands disposed.

18. A method of coating with a solution the surface of a substrate having a recess, which comprises:

disposing the substrate in a closed container filled with an atmosphere of a solvent contained in the coating solution;

rotating the substrate to coat the surface of the substrate with the solution; and

discharging at a predetermined rate the solvent atmosphere held in the space where the substrate stands disposed.

19. An optical element comprising a substrate;

an optical waveguide made of a resin, mounted on the substrate at its some part;

a groove provided in a region of the top surface of the substrate in which region the optical waveguide is not mounted; and

an electrode provided in a region of the top surface of the substrate in which region the optical waveguide is not mounted, wherein

a recess for registration formed together with said groove in the step of forming said groove, is disposed around said electrode.

20. An optical element comprising a substrate, and disposed on the substrate an optical-waveguide structure layer made of a resin, wherein

said substrate has a registration mark.