JP3129538B2 - Optical fiber array and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical fiber array used for aligning and fixing an end of an optical fiber in a bare state when an optical fiber is connected to an optical element, and a method of manufacturing the same. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional general optical fiber array used for connection between an optical fiber and an optical element comprises a V-groove substrate 50 and an upper substrate 51 as shown in FIG.
The groove substrate 50 is formed with a V-groove 52 for accommodating an optical fiber and a counterbore 53 for accommodating an optical fiber coating, and a lower surface of the upper substrate 51 is provided with an optical fiber coating. A counterbore portion 54 for storing was formed. In this optical fiber array, the optical fibers are fixed in the V-groove 52 by an adhesive with the upper surface being pressed by the upper substrate 51.

However, in special cases where it is desired to extract the reflected light upward by processing the end of the optical fiber obliquely, the end of the optical fiber is fixed with an adhesive without being pressed by the upper substrate 51 or the like. There is a demand for an improved optical fiber array. Such an optical fiber array has an advantage that the variation in the core position of the optical fiber can be suppressed to about the variation in the radius of the optical fiber by using the upper surface of the optical fiber as the reference surface.

[0004] Therefore, it is required that this type of optical fiber array has absolutely no adhesive attached to the upper surface of the optical fiber. However, in the past, when fixing an optical fiber in the V-groove of the V-groove substrate, a small amount of adhesive was first applied in the V-groove, and the optical fiber was put into the V-groove and temporarily held down. There was a problem that a part of the agent wrapped around the upper surface of the optical fiber. In addition, a resin injection groove is formed in the substrate for storing the coating portion of the optical fiber,
Even when the adhesive was poured from there, it was unavoidable that part of the adhesive wrapped around the upper surface of the optical fiber.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and solves the above-mentioned problems by preventing the adhesive from wrapping around the upper surface of the optical fiber and fixing the optical fiber in the V-groove with the optical fiber bare. It has been completed to provide a fiber array and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An optical fiber bare array according to the present invention, which has been completed to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises:
In an optical fiber array in which the tip of an optical fiber is adhered to a V-groove formed in a V-groove substrate in a bare state,
A groove for injecting an adhesive is formed at the bottom of the groove, and the lower surface of the tip of the optical fiber is fixed to the V-groove. Further, a method of manufacturing an optical fiber array according to the present invention, which has been completed to solve the above-described problem, has a structure in which a V-groove having a V-groove formed with a groove for injecting an adhesive is formed in a V-groove of a V-groove substrate. Insert the tip, insert the adhesive from the groove for injecting adhesive with the optical fiber in contact with the V-groove by the temporary holding substrate, adhere the lower surface of the optical fiber to the V-groove, and attach the temporary holding substrate. It is characterized by being removed.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a V-groove substrate, and reference numeral 2 denotes an optical fiber fixing substrate for fixing a coating portion of the optical fiber. The V-groove substrate 1 is provided with V-grooves 3 for accommodating the distal ends of the optical fibers. At the bottom of these V-grooves 3, a groove 4 for injecting an adhesive is formed. The groove 4 is formed to be narrower than the distance between the contact points 5 and 5 between the optical fiber and the V-groove 3 as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2 and has a structure that does not hinder the positioning of the optical fiber. It has been.

In order to manufacture the optical fiber array of the present invention, first, the tip of the optical fiber is inserted into the V-groove 3 of the V-groove substrate 1 and the optical fiber is moved by the temporary holding substrate 7 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. The fiber is brought into two-point contact with the V-groove 3. As the temporary holding substrate 7, a material to which no adhesive is attached, such as a fluororesin, is selected. In this state, if the adhesive is injected from the end face of the groove 4 for injecting the adhesive, the adhesive enters the inside of the groove 4 for injecting the adhesive by a capillary phenomenon, and the lower surface of the optical fiber is bonded to the V groove 3. . At this time, since the optical fiber is in close contact with the V groove 3 by the temporary holding substrate 7, the adhesive injected into the adhesive injection groove 4 does not go around the upper surface of the optical fiber. Preferably, the adhesive has a low viscosity before curing. After the bonding and solidification are completed in this way, if the temporary holding substrate 7 is removed and the end face is polished, an optical fiber array in which only the lower surface of the tip of the optical fiber is fixed to the V groove 3 by the adhesive is obtained. It will be.

[0009]

As described above, in the optical fiber array of the present invention, the lower surface of the tip of the optical fiber is formed by the adhesive injected through the adhesive injection groove 4 formed at the bottom of the V groove 3. Since it is fixed to the V-groove 3, the adhesive does not wrap around the upper surface of the optical fiber unlike the conventional one. For this reason, when the upper surface of the optical fiber is used as the reference surface, extremely accurate alignment can be performed. Further, according to the method for manufacturing an optical fiber array of the present invention, the above-described optical fiber array can be easily and accurately manufactured. Therefore, the present invention is an optical fiber array that solves the conventional problems and a method for manufacturing the same,
The contribution to the industry is enormous.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view showing a main part.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional optical fiber array.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 V-groove substrate 3 V-groove 4 Groove for injecting adhesive 7 Temporary holding substrate

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Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In an optical fiber array in which an end portion of an optical fiber is bonded to a V-groove formed on a V-groove substrate in a bare state, a groove for injecting an adhesive is formed at a bottom of the V-groove. An optical fiber array, wherein a lower surface of a tip portion of an optical fiber is fixed to a V-groove by an agent. 2. A V-shaped groove having a groove for injecting an adhesive at a bottom thereof.
Insert the tip of the optical fiber into the V-groove of the V-groove substrate having the groove, and inject the adhesive from the groove for injecting the adhesive with the optical fiber in contact with the V-groove by the temporary holding substrate. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, comprising: bonding a lower surface of a substrate to a V-shaped groove; and removing a temporary holding substrate.