OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE MODULE, METHOD FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE MODULE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20130182997A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Bakelite Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Bakelite Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Makoto, Kaneta, Motoya
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide module which has a small optical coupling loss between the light element and the optical waveguide and can perform high-quality optical communication, a method for producing the optical waveguide module with high efficiency, and an electronic apparatus which includes the optical waveguide module and can perform high-quality optical communication, and the present invention provides an optical waveguide module including: an optical waveguide including a core portion, a clad portion that is provided to cover a side surface of the core portion, and an optical path-converting unit that is provided partway along the core portion or on an extended line of the core portion and that converts an optical path of the core portion to the outside of the clad portion; an optical element that is provided over the clad portion; a circuit board that is provided between the optical waveguide and the optical element and has a through-hole formed along an optical path connecting between the optical path-converting unit and the optical element; and a sealing portion that is transparent and is formed in a gap between the optical element and the circuit board; wherein a part of the sealing portion is inserted into the through-hole, and an inserted portion of the sealing portion functions as a lens for converging signal light passing though the optical path.

Claims

1. An optical waveguide module including:

an optical waveguide including a core portion, a clad portion that is provided to cover a side surface of the core portion, and an optical path-converting unit that is provided partway along the core portion or on an extended line of the core portion and that converts an optical path of the core portion to the outside of the clad portion;

an optical element that is provided over the clad portion;

a circuit board that is provided between the optical waveguide and the optical element and has a through-hole formed along an optical path connecting between the optical path-converting unit and the optical element; and

a sealing portion that is transparent and is formed in a gap between the optical element and the circuit board;

wherein a part of the sealing portion is introduced into the through-hole, and an introduced portion of the sealing portion functions as a lens for converging signal light passing though the optical path.

2. The optical waveguide module according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the lens has a convex curve protruding toward the optical waveguide.

3. The optical waveguide module according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion is made of a resin material.

4. The optical waveguide module according to claim 1, wherein a focal point of the lens is positioned in at least one of the optical path-converting unit and a light-receiving-and-emitting unit of the optical element.

8. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 1.

9. The optical waveguide module according to claim 2, wherein the sealing portion is made of a resin material.

10. The optical waveguide module according to claim 2, wherein a focal point of the lens is positioned in at least one of the optical path-converting unit and a light-receiving-and-emitting unit of the optical element.

11. The optical waveguide module according to claim 3, wherein a focal point of the lens is positioned in at least one of the optical path-converting unit and a light-receiving-and-emitting unit of the optical element.

12. The optical waveguide module according to claim 9, wherein a focal point of the lens is positioned in at least one of the optical path-converting unit and a light-receiving-and-emitting unit of the optical element.

13. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 2.

14. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 3.

15. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 4.

16. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 9.

17. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 11.

18. An electronic apparatus including the optical waveguide module according to claim 12.

5. A method for producing an optical waveguide module including an optical waveguide including a core portion, a clad portion that is provided to cover a side surface of the core portion, and an optical path-converting unit that is provided partway along the core portion or on an extended line of the core portion and that converts an optical path of the core portion to the outside of the clad portion;

an optical element that is provided over the clad portion;

a circuit board that is provided between the optical waveguide and the optical element and has a through-hole formed along an optical path connecting between the optical path-converting unit and the optical element;

a sealing portion that is transparent and is formed in a gap between the optical element and the circuit board; and

a lens formed in the through-hole,

wherein the method includes;

mounting the optical element on one surface of the circuit board, and then supplying a paste sealing material in a gap between the optical element; and

introducing the sealing material into the through-hole, and then solidifying the sealing material to produce the sealing portion and the lens.

6. The method for producing an optical waveguide module according to claim 5, wherein the sealing material is introduced into the through-hole by capillarity of the through-hole.

7. The method for producing an optical waveguide module according to claim 5, wherein the sealing material is introduced into the through-hole by a pressure difference between the ends of the through-hole.