Heater module and optical waveguide module

• US 6,618,539 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomikawa, Tadashi, Saito, Hirohisa, Hirose, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERRY, EUNCHA P
• Application Number:
  US09/961,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 385/92, 385/94, 385/134, 385/137, 385/89, 385/88
• US Class Current: 385/137
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67103 mainly by conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/345 Arrangements for heating thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

To provide a heater module which can improve the temperature uniformity in an optical waveguide while keeping the power consumption and the thickness of the optical waveguide module. A heater module 20 in accordance with the present invention is a heater module 20 for heating an optical waveguide device 12 so as to regulate its temperature; and comprises a heat-generating circuit 22 adapted to generate heat when energized, and a heat-transmitting section 21 disposed on the upper face of the heat-generating circuit 22 and formed with a recessed groove portion for mounting the optical waveguide device 12. When the optical waveguide device 12 is mounted on the bottom face of the heat-transmitting section 21 formed with the recessed groove section, the optical waveguide device 12 can be heated not only from its bottom face, but also from its side faces by edge parts constituting the recessed groove portion, whereby the temperature uniformity can be enhanced.

Claims

1. A heater module for heating an optical waveguide device so as to regulate a temperature of said optical waveguide device, which comprises

a heat-generating circuit adapted to generate heat when energized;

and

a heat-transmitting section disposed on an upper face of said heat-generating circuit and the optical waveguide device mounted on the heat-transmitting section, characterized in that;

said heat-transmitting section is formed with a recessed groove portion for mounting said optical waveguide device;

wherein a gaseous medium or a resin is interposed in a space defined between walls of said recessed groove portion and said optical waveguide device; and

wherein an upper face of said walls constituting said recessed groove portion is higher than an upper face of said optical waveguide device mounted on a bottom face of said recessed groove portion, or has a level difference not greater than 0.1 mm with respect to said upper face of said optical waveguide device or not greater than {fraction (1/10)} of the height of said optical waveguide device.

2. A heater module according to claim 1, wherein said resin is composed of a grease-like material.

3. A heater module according to claim 1 wherein said heat-transmitting section is constituted by AlN ceramics.

4. A heater module according to claim 1, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

5. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 1; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

6. A heater module according to claim 2, wherein said heat-transmitting section is constituted by AlN ceramics.

7. A heater module according to claim 6, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

8. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 7; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

9. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 6; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

10. A heater module according to claim 2, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

11. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 10; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

12. A heater module according to claim 3, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

13. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 12; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

14. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 2; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

15. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 3; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

16. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 4; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

17. A heater module for heating an optical waveguide device so as to regulate a temperature of said optical waveguide device, which comprises

a heat-generating circuit adapted to generate heat when energized;

and

a heat-transmitting section disposed on an upper face of said heat-generating circuit and the optical waveguide device mounted on the heat-transmitting section, characterized in that;

said heat-transmitting section is formed with a recessed groove portion for mounting said optical waveguide device;

wherein a gaseous medium or a resin is interposed in a space defined between walls of said recessed groove portion and said optical waveguide device; and

wherein said space defined between said walls of said recessed groove portion and said optical waveguide device has a width of at least 0.02 mm but not greater than 1.0 mm.

18. A heater module according to claim 17, wherein said resin is composed of a grease-like material.

19. A heater module according to claim 18, wherein said heat-transmitting section is constituted by AlN ceramics.

20. A heater module according to claim 18, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

21. A heater module according to claim 19, wherein an electrically insulating is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

22. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 20; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

23. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 21; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

24. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 19; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

25. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 18; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

26. A heater module according to claim 17, wherein said heat-transmitting section is constituted by AlN ceramics.

27. A heater module according to claim 26, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

28. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 27; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

29. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 26; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

30. A heater module according to claim 17, wherein an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said heat-generating circuit and said-heat-transmitting section.

31. An optical waveguide module comprising:

the heater module according to claim 30; and

a housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.

32. An optical waveguide module comprising:

heater according to claim 17; and

housing accommodating said heater module and said optical waveguide device.