OPTICAL DEVICE, OPTICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY, AND OPTICAL CONNECTING METHOD

• US 20150293305A1
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Shigeru, Numata, Hidetoshi, Taira, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12147 Coupler
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12173 Masking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3853 Lens inside the ferrule lensed connectors G02B6/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/421 the intermediate optical component consisting of a short length of fibre, e.g. fibre stub
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4212 the intermediate optical element being a coupling medium interposed therebetween, e.g. epoxy resin, refractive index matching material, index grease, matching liquid or gel
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/425 Optical features semiconductor laser arrays H01S5/40; hybrid LED arrays H01L25/0753; monolithic LED arrays H01L27/153
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0005 Production of optical devices or components in so far as characterised by the lithographic processes or materials used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An optical device includes a substrate including a waveguide array formed therein, each waveguide having a reflective surface; a lens array unit including a waveguide-side lens array arranged facing the waveguide array so each lens of the lens array is aligned with the corresponding reflective surface; and a connector unit including an optical transmission path-side lens array arranged and fixed so each lens of the lens array is aligned with the corresponding lens in the waveguide-side lens array, the plurality of inserted optical transmission paths aligned with the corresponding lens in the optical transmission path-side lens array.

Claims

1. A method of forming an optical device, the method comprising:

preparing a substrate including a waveguide array formed therein, each waveguide having a reflective surface;

arranging a lens array unit including a waveguide-side lens array including a lens array facing the waveguide array so each of the lenses in the waveguide-side lens array is aligned with the corresponding reflective surface; and

attaching a connector unit to the lens array unit, the connector unit including an optical transmission path-side lens array provided with a plurality of lenses and aligned and fixed so a plurality of optical transmission paths are inserted and aligned with the corresponding lenses in the optical transmission path-side lens array, and the connector unit being aligned with the lens array unit so each lens in the optical transmission path-side lens array is aligned with a lens in the waveguide-side array.

2. The optical connection method of claim 1, wherein:

preparing the substrate includes forming a substrate-side portion constituting an alignment mechanism for aligning the waveguide-side lens array; and

arranging the lens array unit on the substrate includes positioning a lens array-side portion constituting an alignment mechanism on the bottom surface of the lens array unit on the substrate with respect to the substrate-side portion.

3. The optical connection method of claim 2, wherein forming the substrate-side portion further comprises:

forming the waveguide array and the substrate-side portion by patterning a core layer constituting the waveguide layer on the substrate; and

exposing the substrate-side portion and forming an upper cladding layer to cover the core layer of the patterned waveguides.

4. The optical connection method of claim 1, wherein preparing the substrate further comprises:

forming a recessed portion across a portion of the reflective surface on the surface of the waveguide layer including a waveguide array formed therein; and

applying a photocurable adhesive layer to the surface of the waveguide layer on the substrate;

the optical connection method further comprising exposing the lens array portion arranged on the substrate to light so as to cure the photocurable resin and bond the bottom surface of the lens array unit to the waveguide layer.