Manufacturing of optical waveguides

• US 7,903,921 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Östergard, Toni
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng; Charlie
• Application Number:
  US11/988,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,070 Days
• Field of Search: 651/46, 651/47, 651/49, 651/51, 653/85, 653/86, 385129-132, 264/1.24
• US Class Current: 385/132
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/34 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/203 One or more of the layers being plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/122 Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1221 made from organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 by using polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/25 Preparing the ends of light guides for coupling, e.g. cutting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1039 Surface deformation only of sandwich or lamina [e.g., embossed panels]

Abstract

Optical waveguide and manufacturing of an optical waveguide comprising embossing at least one groove into a first substrate by rolling, applying at least a second substrate into the groove and covering at least the groove with a third substrate such that the groove constitutes an optical waveguide for optical signal transmission.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

embossing at least one groove into a first substrate by rolling;

applying at least a second substrate into the groove; and

covering at least the groove with a third substrate

such that the groove constitutes an optical waveguide for optical signal transmission, and

embossing at least one electrical conductor into the first substrate by rolling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein embossing the groove comprises rolling the groove into the first substrate continuously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein embossing the groove comprises rolling the groove into the first substrate by a roll-to-roll process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein embossing the groove comprises applying heat onto the first substrate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein embossing the groove comprises varying width and/or depth of the groove.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the width-depth ratio of the groove is between 0.5-10.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the width and/or depth of the groove is at least 10 μ

m.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the width and/or depth of the groove is chosen to provide a single mode and/or multi-mode optical waveguide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein embossing the groove comprises providing a linear and/or curved groove.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the second substrate comprises at least one of

A) screen printing;

B) ink-jet printing; and

C) spraying.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing excess of second substrate after spraying.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising drying and/or hardening by polymerization the second substrate after application into the groove.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein covering at least the groove with a third substrate comprises at least one of

A) screen printing;

B) ink-jet printing;

C) spraying; and

D) laminating.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising drying and/or hardening by polymerization the third substrate after covering the groove.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein covering at least the groove with a third substrate comprises covering the whole first substrate.

16. An optical waveguide comprising:

a first substrate with at least one embossed groove made by rolling;

the groove filled with a second substrate; and

a third substrate covering at least the groove

such that the groove constitutes an optical waveguide for optical signal transmission, and

at least one electrical conductor embossed into the first substrate by rolling, wherein the groove filled with the second substrate has varying width and/or varying depth and at least one cutting position with increased width and/or increased depth of the groove filled with the second substrate, so that the width and/or the depth of the groove at the at least one cutting position decreases on both sides relative to said at least one cutting position.

17. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the groove is a continuous groove within the first substrate.

18. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the width-depth ratio of the groove is between 0.5-10.

19. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the width and/or depth of the groove is at least 10 μ

m.

20. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the width and/or depth is chosen to provide a single mode and/or multi-mode optical waveguide.

21. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the groove is linear and/or curved.

22. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the first substrate is a transparent and/or thermoplastic material.

23. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the first substrate is a foil with a thickness of 0.1-5 mm.

24. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the first substrate is a polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or polystyrene, or any derivate thereof.

25. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the second substrate is a transparent and/or organic, or inorganic material.

26. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the second substrate is a fluid capable of drying and/or hardening by polymerization.

27. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the second substrate has an optical refractive index η

₂ after drying and/or hardening by polymerization the second substrate which is higher than the optical refractive index η

₁ of the first substrate.

28. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the third substrate has an optical refractive index % equal to the optical refractive index η

₁ of the first substrate.

29. The optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein the third substrate covers the whole first substrate.

31. A mobile communication equipment comprising an optical waveguide of claim 16 for data transmission.

32. The mobile communication equipment of claim 31, wherein the optical waveguide is arranged to transport data within at least a hinge of a clam shell.

33. A use of an optical waveguide according to claim 16 in consumer electronic devices for data transmission, in particular in mobile communication devices.

34. The use of claim 33, wherein the optical waveguide is arranged to transport data within at least a hinge of a clam shell mobile communication device.

30. A system comprising:

an embossing roll configured to emboss at least one groove into a first substrate;

a first application unit configured to apply at least a second substrate into the groove; and

a second application unit configured to cover at least the groove with a third substrate

such that the groove constitutes an optical waveguide for optical signal transmission, and

the system configured to emboss at least one conductor into the first substrate by rolling.

35. A system comprising:

means for embossing at least one groove into a first substrate;

means for applying at least a second substrate into the groove; and

means for covering at least the groove with a third substrate

such that the grove constitutes an optical waveguide for optical signal transmission, and

means for embossing at least one conductor into the first substrate by rolling.