JP4090597B2 - Optical fiber array and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical fiber array (a component for connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber) and a manufacturing method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In FIG. 4, 12 is a V-groove substrate, and a slightly thicker front part 16 and a slightly thinner rear part 18 are integrated. The front portion 16 is provided with a plurality of V grooves 20 in a horizontal row. One bare fiber 26 of the tape optical fiber 22 is put in each V-groove 20 and fixed by adhesion. Further, the covering portion 24 of the tape optical fiber 22 is placed on the substrate rear portion 18 and fixed by adhesion.
[0003]
Although not shown, there may be a case where one end of the tape optical fiber 22 is covered with a single pressing lid and the tape optical fiber 22 is sandwiched between the V-groove substrate 12.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
(1) If there is no cover, careful handling of the array is required.
(2) In the case of covering with a single cover, the structure becomes complicated, such as making a hole for the adhesive to flow.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the optical fiber array according to the first aspect, as shown in FIG. 1, the front portion 16 and the slightly thin rear portion 18 are integrated, and an inclined portion is disposed between the front portion 16 and the rear portion 18. The V-groove substrate 12 having a plurality of V-grooves 20 arranged in a row in the front portion 16, the bare fiber 26 accommodated in each V-groove 20, and the substrate rear portion 18. Separately from the tape optical fiber 22 composed of the covering portion 24, the fiber lid 30 provided so as to cover the entire bare fiber 26, and the fiber lid 30, provided so as to cover the covering portion 24. The covering lid 40, the fiber lid 30 and the covering lid 40 are arranged so as to be on the inclined portion, and the separating portion 50 into which the adhesive is poured can be seen through the inclined portion. , And the fiber lid 30 and the coating 40, characterized by comprising consist adhesive, which is filled in the gap comprised between mutual of the tape fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate 12.
According to the above configuration, the adhesive is poured into the V-groove substrate 12 in which the plurality of V-grooves 20 are provided in a horizontal row from the separation portion 50 provided between the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40. be able to. In particular, since the inclined portion is present at a position where it can be seen through the spacing portion 50, the adhesive poured from the spacing portion 50 has two directions, that is, the fiber lid 30, the tape optical fiber 22, and the V-groove substrate. 12 and a gap direction between the covering lid 40 and the tape optical fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate 12 can be generated. The existence of the inclined portion suggests that the ratio of the diversion and the flow velocity can be controlled by adjusting the angle. Further, since it is not necessary to make a hole in the cover for pouring the adhesive as in the prior art, the cover structure is simplified.
[0006]
The optical fiber array according to a second aspect is the configuration according to the first aspect, wherein the covering lid 40 includes, on a bottom surface thereof, a concave portion 42 that houses the covering portion 24 and a thick portion 44 that forms both ends, The thick-walled portion 44 is in contact with the rear portion 18 of the V-groove substrate 12 and has a gap formed between the inner surface of the concave portion 42 and the covering portion 24.
According to such a configuration, the gap formed between the inner surface of the recess 42 and the covering portion 24 is cylindrical in the direction in which the adhesive flows, so that the adhesive can be filled into the gap without leakage.
[0007]
In the optical fiber array manufacturing method according to claim 3, the front portion 16 and the slightly thin rear portion 18 are integrated, and an inclined portion is disposed between the front portion 16 and the rear portion 18, and the front portion 16 V-groove substrate 12 having a plurality of V grooves 20 are provided on the horizontal row on, and the cover portion 24 and the bare fiber 26 is placed on the substrate rear 18 to be housed one by one each of the V-groove 20 A tape optical fiber 22, a fiber lid 30 provided so as to cover the entire bare fiber 26, a coating lid 40 provided so as to cover the coating portion 24, and the fiber lid 30 and the covering lid 40 are arranged so as to be on the inclined portion, and the separating portion 50 is formed by using an optical fiber array composed of a separating portion 50 that can be seen through the inclined portion. Pour the adhesive from the Use the lid 30, the coating cover 40, it is filled with the adhesive in a gap formed between the mutually of the tape fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate 12, and wherein these be affixed together.
According to such a configuration, the adhesive poured from the separation portion 50 causes the gap portion between the fiber lid 30 and the tape optical fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate 12 to be covered by the inclined portion, and the covering lid. The flow is diverted toward the gap between the optical fiber 40 and the tape optical fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate 12, and the adhesive can be filled simultaneously and stably in the two directions. Therefore, the present invention is used to manufacture an optical fiber array in which the adhesive is spread to the details of the gap, and the fiber lid 30, the covering lid 40, the tape optical fiber 22, and the V-groove substrate 12 are firmly integrated. Contribute.
[0008]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an optical fiber array according to the third aspect, wherein the covering lid 40 includes, on the bottom surface thereof, a concave portion 42 that houses the covering portion 24 and a thick portion 44 that forms both ends. When the thick portion 44 is brought into contact with the rear portion 18 of the V-groove substrate 12, the adhesive is passed through a gap formed between the inner surface of the concave portion 42 and the covering portion 24. It is characterized by filling.
As described above, when the adhesive is filled using the gap between the inner surface of the recess 42 and the covering portion 24, the adhesive easily enters the entire inner side of the covering lid 40 during manufacturing. In addition, the presence of a gap located between the inner surface of the recess 42 and the covering portion 24 contributes to the adjustment of the flow dividing ratio of the adhesive described above.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1-3 will be described. The V-groove substrate 12 is made of transparent quartz glass, the front portion 16 has a thickness of 1 mm, and the rear portion 18 has a thickness of 0.81 mm. A plurality of (for example, 16) V-grooves 20 are provided in the front portion 16 at a pitch of, for example, 0.25 mm. A 0.125 mmφ bare fiber 26 is placed in each V-groove 20.
[0010]
The fiber lid 30 is also made of transparent quartz glass, and is a simple square plate as shown in FIG. 2, having a thickness of 0.8 mm and a front-rear width of 5.5 mm.
[0011]
The covering lid 40 is also transparent quartz glass, has a thickness of 1 mm, a front-rear width of 7 mm, and has a recess 42 on the bottom surface as shown in FIG. The depth of the recess 42 is 0.4 mm. Further, a chamfered portion 46 is formed in the lower portion of the front surface of the thick portion 44 at both ends of the bottom surface.
[0012]
Cover the bare fiber 26 with a fiber lid 30 and hold it with a jig. At this time, the upper end edge of the 0.125 mmφ bare fiber 26 in the V-groove 20 is slightly above the upper surface of the substrate front portion 16 (for example, about 0.02 mm). And the fiber lid 30 have the same amount of gap.
[0013]
Further, a covering lid 40 is placed on the end of the covering portion 24 and pressed with a jig. At this time, the upper surface of the covering lid 40 and the upper surface of the fiber lid 30 are substantially at the same level (the same height with respect to the bottom surface of the V-groove substrate 12). The thick portions 44 at both ends of the covering lid 40 are in contact with the rear portion 18 of the substrate. At that time, the covering portion 24 is accommodated in the recess 42 (with such dimensions). When the thickness of the tape optical fiber 22 is 0.3 mm, a 0.1 mm gap is formed between the inner wall of the recess 42 and the covering portion 24.
[0014]
As described above, the separation portion 50 of about 0.5 mm is formed between the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40.
[0015]
As described above, the adhesive is poured from the separation portion 50. The adhesive poured from the separation portion 50 first proceeds toward the inclined portion at a position where it can be seen through the separation portion 50, reaches the inclined portion, and then proceeds to two gaps that are in opposite directions by the inclined portion. The course is changed to. One gap is a gap between the fiber lid 30 and the tape optical fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate 12, and the other gap is a coating lid 40, the tape optical fiber 22 and the V-groove substrate. 12 is a gap between the two. That is, the flow of the adhesive entering from the separation portion 50 is divided into two directions due to the presence of the inclined portion.
As a result, the adhesive enters all the gaps existing between the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40 and the V-groove substrate 12. When the adhesive is cured, the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40, the V-groove substrate 12, and the tape optical fiber 22 are integrally fixed. FIG. 1B shows this state.
[0016]
Thereafter, the front end face is polished 8 times to complete.
[0017]
Actually, the V-groove substrate 12, the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40 are horizontally long and a plurality of them are horizontally connected. A plurality of arrays are manufactured at the same time and separated later.
[0018]
Furthermore, as described above, if the thickness of the front portion 16 of the substrate is 1 mm and the thickness of the lid 30 for the fiber is 0.8 mm, the center of the bare fiber 26 (core center) in the V groove 20 is the front. Since it is below the upper surface of the part 16 (for example, about 0.04 mm below), the bare fiber 26 is positioned substantially at the center in the vertical direction on the end surface. By doing so, it is stable when connected to the optical waveguide, and reverse connection is also possible.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
Ri Oh spacing unit 50 is provided between the fiber cover 30 and the cover lid 40, and by having an inclined portion for branching the traveling direction of the adhesive, the fiber cover 30 and the covering lid 40 The adhesive can be easily put into all the gaps existing between the V-groove substrate 12 and the cover structure is simplified.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a perspective view showing an optical fiber array according to the embodiment of the present invention, the state of (a) is a pre-assembled state, (b) after the assembly (before polishing), representing respectively.
FIG. 2 shows a plan view, a front view, and a side view of the fiber lid 30 at the same time.
FIG. 3 shows a plan view, a front view, and a side view of the covering lid 40 at the same time.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
12 V groove substrate , 16 front portion of substrate , 18 thin substrate rear portion , 20 V groove , 22 tape optical fiber , 24 covering portion , 26 bare fiber , 30 fiber lid , 40 covering lid , 42 recess , 44 thickness Meat part , 46 chamfered part , 50 spacing part.

Claims (4)

The front portion 16 and the slightly thin rear portion 18 are integrated, and an inclined portion is disposed between the front portion 16 and the rear portion 18, and a plurality of V grooves 20 are arranged in a row in the front portion 16. V-groove substrate 12 provided,
A tape optical fiber 22 comprising a bare fiber 26 housed in the V-groove 20 one by one and a covering portion 24 placed on the substrate rear portion 18;
A fiber lid 30 provided so as to cover the entire bare fiber 26;
Separately from the fiber lid 30, a coating lid 40 provided so as to cover the coating portion 24.
A spacing part 50 for pouring the adhesive, which is arranged between the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40 so as to be on the sloped part and can be seen through the sloped part, and
An optical fiber array comprising an adhesive filled in a gap formed between the fiber lid 30, the coating lid 40, the tape optical fiber 22, and the V-groove substrate 12. . The covering lid 40 includes, on the bottom surface thereof, a concave portion 42 that houses the covering portion 24 and a thick portion 44 that forms both ends. The thick portion 44 contacts the rear portion 18 of the V-groove substrate 12. Become
The optical fiber array according to claim 1, further comprising a gap formed between the inner surface of the recess and the covering portion. The front portion 16 and the slightly thin rear portion 18 are integrated, and an inclined portion is disposed between the front portion 16 and the rear portion 18, and a plurality of V grooves 20 are arranged in a row in the front portion 16. V-groove substrate 12 provided,
A tape optical fiber 22 comprising a bare fiber 26 housed in the V-groove 20 one by one and a covering portion 24 placed on the substrate rear portion 18;
A fiber lid 30 provided so as to cover the entire bare fiber 26;
Separately from the fiber lid 30, a coating lid 40 provided so as to cover the coating portion 24, and
Between the fiber lid 30 and the coating lid 40, an optical fiber array is used, which is arranged so as to be on the inclined portion, and is composed of a separation portion 50 that can look into the inclined portion,
An adhesive is poured from the spacing portion 50, and the adhesive is filled in a gap formed between the fiber lid 30, the coating lid 40, the tape optical fiber 22, and the V-groove substrate 12, A method of manufacturing an optical fiber array, wherein the optical fiber array is fixed integrally. As the covering lid 40, a cover having a concave portion 42 for housing the covering portion 24 and a thick portion 44 forming both ends on the bottom surface is used. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber array according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive is filled through a gap formed between the inner surface of the recess 42 and the covering portion 24 when being brought into contact with 18.

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