JP2002353494A - Light interconnection system, optical axis-aligning method of positioning mechanism of the same, and position measuring mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light interconnection system that has fine positioning accuracy of less than 1 μm, and does not consume energy for maintaining the accuracy, and to provide optical axis-aligning method of the positioning mechanism, and a position measuring mechanism. SOLUTION: In the light interconnection system having light-emitting device and light-receiving element arrays, an optical element array for adding optical operation to irradiation light form the light-emitting device array to the light- receiving element one, a positioning mechanism is provided. In this case, the positioning mechanism is interlocked to one among a two-dimensional array light-emitting device 3 (4), a two-dimensional array light-receiving element 5 (6), or a microlens array 8. In the positioning mechanism, a control mechanism 15 automatically controls driving of driving and fixing mechanisms 10 and 11, based on information indicating an adjustment position that is analyzed according to signal strength obtained form the light-receiving element or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical interconnection system and an optical interconnection system using an array of light receiving / emitting elements formed for transmitting signals between semiconductor chips on which electric circuits are mounted or between circuit boards. The present invention relates to a position measurement mechanism for performing position measurement, a positioning mechanism for performing positioning and fixing with high accuracy, and an optical axis alignment method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, a method of positioning a light emitting element and a light receiving element in an optical interconnection system has been performed by temporarily fixing a component to be position-adjusted and then fixing it with an ultraviolet curing resin or the like. As an active alignment technique, a method of shifting and aligning a light beam using a wedge-shaped prism as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-44272,
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 27915, a method of aligning the optical axes of a light emitting element and a light receiving element with a combination lens has been adopted.

[0003] In recent years, as the amount of information to be processed has increased, the amount of transmission required for information transmission between electronic circuit modules in an information processing apparatus has increased significantly. Against this background,
Parallel optical transmission technology is being used for information transmission between semiconductor integrated circuit chips and between circuit boards. Here, an optical interconnection system combining a light-emitting element array and a light-receiving element array is used. However, due to an increase in the number of arrays and a demand for a smaller interconnection mechanism,
In the manufacture thereof, more precise alignment accuracy is required, and it is not uncommon that the accuracy is less than 1 [μm]. For this reason, it is very difficult to cope with the conventional positioning method, and there is a problem that the position adjustment cost in the manufacturing process increases, and finally the manufacturing cost increases.

[0004]

For example, the following problem arises in a method of temporarily fixing a component to be position-adjusted and then fixing it with an ultraviolet curing resin or the like. That is, a large space is required for the function of the temporary fixing member for the position adjustment target component. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing the size of the optical interconnection system, a space for functioning the temporary fixing member cannot be secured. Therefore, this method cannot be used when it is necessary to bring the position adjustment target component and another component close to each other so that a space for functioning the temporary fixing member cannot be secured.

In the method of fixing the temporarily fixed element after adjusting the position, it is necessary to bring some work into contact with the element at the time of position adjustment and to move the element. Becomes The optical axis alignment technology using a wedge-shaped prism or a combination lens requires a large volume for installation, and thus limits the miniaturization of the information processing device. In addition, there is a positioning technology that applies a flip-chip mounting technology using solder bumps and that uses a self-alignment effect due to surface tension when the solder is melted. In this method, there are many factors that are difficult to control, such as the amount of solder adhesion, and the positioning accuracy required when the pitch of the optical element array is reduced, that is, the position where the absolute value of the positional deviation amount is generally less than 1 [μm]. There is a problem that it is difficult to obtain alignment accuracy with high reproducibility.

[0006] As in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-1118161, there is a method in which a servo drive system using a microactuator is added to the alignment means to actively perform optical axis alignment. In this method, required positioning accuracy can be obtained by appropriately determining the transfer function of the servo system. However, in such a method, after performing the alignment, it is necessary to operate the servo system at all times in order to maintain the position, and energy is always consumed while the apparatus is operating. When the number of interconnections is small, such as when connecting an optical fiber of the optical communication trunk system to a relay device, the energy consumption for such alignment is negligibly small, but the When applied to the transmission of information between chips and the transmission of information between circuit boards, the number of interconnections is very large, so the energy consumption of the servo system for positioning becomes so large that it cannot be ignored in total. There is a problem of increasing energy consumption.

As described above, according to the known minute position adjusting mechanism and minute position adjusting method, etc.
This makes it extremely difficult to manufacture a device in an optical interconnection system having a position adjustment target component requiring a minute position adjustment of less than [μm], and increases the size of the position adjustment target component and the position adjustment mechanism. Further, in the active method using a servo system for positioning, although the positioning accuracy is high, there is a problem that the energy consumption of the processing device is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an optical device which has a minute positioning accuracy of less than 1 [μm] and does not consume energy for maintaining the accuracy. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for aligning an optical axis of an interconnection system and its positioning mechanism, and a position measuring mechanism for measuring the position of a component.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a light-emitting element array and a light-receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and the light-emitting element array. An optical interconnection system comprising: an optical element array for applying an optical action to light emitted from the light-emitting element array to the light-receiving element array; and a positioning mechanism connected to the light-emitting element array.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light emitting element array and a light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical function for irradiating light from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. An optical interconnection system comprising an optical element array and a positioning mechanism connected to the light receiving element array.

Further, according to the present invention, a light emitting element array and a light receiving element array, which are used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical system for irradiating light from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. An optical interconnection system including an optical element array to which an action is applied, further comprising a positioning mechanism connected to the optical element array.

As a result, the positioning accuracy of each element can be made as high as less than 1 [μm], and the position adjustment and fixing are performed by an external electric signal or light irradiation. This can be done after being packaged as a system, simplifying the manufacturing process. Further, when the position adjustment and the fixing are automatically performed by a control circuit built in the optical interconnection system, the positioning process of each element in the manufacturing process is simplified, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. It becomes possible. After the alignment, each element is fixed by the built-in fixing mechanism, so that energy is not consumed for maintaining the alignment accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, the optical interconnection system has a structure in which a position measuring mechanism is added to improve the positioning accuracy of the positioning mechanism (the invention according to claims 4 to 6). The invention according to claim 4, wherein each of the light emitting element array and the light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, and an optical element for applying an optical effect to light irradiated from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array An optical interconnection system comprising an array and a positioning mechanism coupled to the light emitting element array, the optical element array or the light receiving element array or the light emitting element array relative to a reference point fixed to a housing of the optical interconnection system. And a position measuring mechanism for measuring a relative position.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an optical action is applied to a light emitting element array and a light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and irradiation light from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. An optical interconnection system comprising an optical element array, a positioning mechanism connected to the light receiving element array, and the light receiving element relative to a reference point fixed to an optical element array or a light emitting element array or a housing of the optical interconnection system. And a position measuring mechanism for measuring a relative position of the array.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light emitting element array and a light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical function for irradiating light from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. In an optical interconnection system having an optical element array to be added,
A positioning mechanism connected to the optical element array, and a position measuring mechanism for measuring a relative position of the optical element array with respect to a light emitting element array or a light receiving element array or a reference point fixed to a housing of the optical interconnection system. , Is provided.

[0016] The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to claims 1 to 6.
In the invention according to any one of the above, the positioning mechanism, the base material, a movable member that is supported on the surface so as to be able to move parallel to the surface of the base material, and that permanently holds the positioning target, A drive mechanism provided on the base material and configured to move the movable member in parallel by applying a driving force; and a drive mechanism provided on the base material and permanently moving the movable member to the base material or a support member held by the base material. A fixing mechanism for fixing, comprising a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the driving mechanism and the fixing mechanism based on information indicating a relative position of the positioning target with respect to the base material, wherein the control mechanism After moving the positioning target to a desired position by a driving mechanism, by fixing the movable member to the fixing mechanism,
The positioning target is relatively and minutely positioned on the base material.

In the above configuration, the control mechanism is, for example,
The drive of the drive mechanism and the drive of the fixed mechanism are automatically controlled based on the information indicating the adjustment position analyzed based on the signal strength obtained from the light receiving element or the like of the optical interconnection system. The positioning object permanently held by the movable member is not temporarily fixed, and without being brought into contact with the workpiece, is moved in parallel to the adjustment position by applying a driving force to the drive mechanism together with the movable member. By performing permanent fixing of the movable member by the fixing mechanism at the adjustment position, relative and minute positioning on the base material is performed. As a result, the positioning target can be minutely positioned without temporarily fixing the positioning target and contacting the workpiece with the positioning target. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a functional space for the temporary fixing member, and it is possible to easily perform high-precision positioning of less than 1 [μm] without reducing the positioning accuracy due to contact and deformation between the workpiece and the positioning target. It can be carried out. Further, the minute positioning can be completely automated by the automatic control of the driving mechanism and the fixing mechanism by the control mechanism.

[0018] The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claims 1 to 6.
In the invention according to any one of the above, the positioning mechanism may include a base material, a positioning object, a bone member for permanently holding the positioning object, or a bone formed integrally with the positioning object. A movable member that is permanently held or formed integrally with one of these members and that is supported on the surface so as to be able to move parallel to the surface of the substrate, and between the substrate and the movable member. And a flat driving mechanism that translates the movable member in parallel by applying an electric or magnetic driving force, and is provided on the base, and the movable member is held by the base or the base. A fixing mechanism for permanently fixing the supporting member, based on information indicating a relative position of the positioning object with respect to the base material,
And a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the driving mechanism and the fixing mechanism. After the positioning mechanism moves the positioning target object to a desired position by the control mechanism, the movable member is fixed to the fixing mechanism. By doing so, relative and minute positioning of the positioning object on the base material is performed.

In the above configuration, the control mechanism includes, for example,
Based on the information indicating the adjustment position analyzed based on the signal strength from the light receiving element of the optical interconnection system,
The driving of the driving mechanism and the fixing mechanism is automatically controlled. The positioning object is translated and moved to the adjustment position by applying an electric or magnetic driving force to the driving mechanism together with the movable member without being temporarily fixed and without contacting the work, and further at the adjustment position. Since the movable member is permanently fixed by the fixing mechanism, relative and minute positioning on the base material is performed. Therefore, there is no need to secure a functional space for the temporary fixing member. Further, the positioning accuracy can be easily reduced to less than 1 [μm] without lowering the positioning accuracy due to the contact and deformation between the workpiece and the positioning target, and the driving mechanism and the fixing mechanism by the control mechanism can be easily performed. , The minute positioning can be completely automated.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the seventh or eighth aspect, the driving mechanism comprises an electrostatic microactuator. In the above configuration, the movable member is moved in parallel by the driving force of the electrostatic microactuator having a very thin structure. The electrostatic microactuator exhibits a sufficient driving force with a thickness of about several tens [μm]. Therefore, there is an advantage that the size of the optical interconnection system is hardly increased due to the volume of the positioning mechanism.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the seventh or eighth aspect,
It is characterized by comprising a support member held by the base material and supporting the movable member in a freely movable manner. In the above configuration, the support member supports the parallel movement of the movable member, thereby stabilizing the parallel movement and stabilizing the control of the control mechanism with respect to the drive mechanism. In addition, the movable member can be fixed to the support member, and the degree of freedom of layout of each mechanism or each member on the base material increases.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, the fixing mechanism comprises:
Alternatively, a part of the supporting member or the movable member may be sandwiched between a heating element layer that generates heat while being held on the surface or inside of the movable member and the heating element layer. And a first molten material layer made of a fusible material, and a second material made of a fusible material held by the base material or the movable member so as to face the first molten material layer. And a fixing mechanism having a molten material layer.

In the above structure, the first molten material layer is melted by the heat generated by the heating element layer, and the second molten material layer is further melted by the flow and contact of the first molten material layer, whereby both molten materials are melted. The layers are fused and both layers of molten material are sandwiched between the movable member and the substrate or support member. Then, by solidifying these molten materials by radiation cooling, the movable member is permanently fixed to the base member or the support member, and at the same time, the positioning target is positioned. The fixing performance of the fixing mechanism greatly affects the positioning accuracy of the minute positioning mechanism. For example, if a resin such as a thermosetting adhesive or an ultraviolet-curing adhesive that has been widely used in the past is used as a fixing material of a fixing mechanism, the denaturation or deformation of the resin causes the positioning target to be positioned. It has been found that the position retention decreases with time. In addition, this kind of resin takes a long time to solidify to a sufficient strength, for example, it takes several tens of minutes with an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, and several hours with a thermosetting adhesive, and increases the time required for positioning. It has been found that the cost of positioning increases, and that the positioning accuracy decreases due to the loose movement of the movable member. On the other hand, the molten material has no denaturation or deformation, and is instantaneously melted and solidified, so that such a problem does not occur.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the eleventh aspect, the heating element layer is a light absorbing layer made of a material that absorbs light having a predetermined wavelength. I do. With the above configuration, the light absorbing layer as the heating element layer absorbs light and generates heat by being irradiated with light of a predetermined wavelength. As the heat generating mechanism of the heat generating layer according to the present invention, an electric heat generating mechanism that applies a current to the heat generating layer made of a conductive material is most suitable for reasons such as manufacturing cost and heat generation response speed. However, electric wiring to the electric heating mechanism may be difficult due to restrictions on the layout of each member in the minute area. For example,
When a plurality of components are arranged in close proximity to each other, extra space is often required for installing a large number of electrical wirings,
This hinders miniaturization of the optical interconnection system. On the other hand, in the present invention, since the heating element layer is heated by light irradiation, no electric wiring is required.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the twelfth aspect, the base material is made of a material that transmits light having a predetermined wavelength. Thus, light can be irradiated to the light absorbing layer from the back side of the substrate, so that the degree of freedom of layout of each device or each member on the substrate can be increased.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the twelfth aspect, the support member is made of a material that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength. Thus, the light absorption layer can be irradiated with the light through the support member that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the twelfth aspect, the movable member has an opening for transmitting light or a light transmitting material made of a material for transmitting light of a predetermined wavelength. Part, and
The light absorbing layer is held by the movable member at a position where the light absorbing layer is irradiated with light that passes or transmits through the opening or the light transmitting portion. With the above structure, the light absorption layer emits heat when irradiated with light transmitted or transmitted through the opening or the light transmitting portion. For example, since the heat generation response speed of the light absorption layer is generally slower than the heat generation response speed of the heating element layer by the electric heating mechanism, the heat of the light absorption layer held on the upper surface of the support member is supported by the lower surface of the support member. It takes a long time to conduct the electric current to the first molten material layer, and the time required for the positioning step is long, so that the manufacturing cost related to the positioning is increased. For this reason, when it is necessary to fix the movable member to the support member, it is desirable to support the light absorbing layer and the first molten material layer on the lower surface of the support member,
In this case, it is necessary to use a light transmitting material for the support member. On the other hand, light transmissive materials are usually vulnerable to impact and are easily destroyed. For this reason, in the case where a light-transmitting material is used for the support member, there is little problem if the support member can be made large, but if it is necessary to reduce the size due to layout restrictions, the support of the movable member becomes weak. Therefore, it is necessary to fix the movable member to the support member, and
When the supporting member cannot be made large, the first molten material layer is efficiently melted without weakening the support of the movable member by irradiating light without using a light-transmitting material for the supporting member. Can be done.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the eleventh to fifteenth aspects, the entire area of the second molten material layer is in the movable range of the movable member. It is characterized in that the melting point of the second molten material layer is opposite to the first molten material layer and is lower than the melting point of the first molten material layer. According to the above configuration, the second molten material layer surely faces the first molten material layer, and the melting point of the second molten material layer is lower than the melting point of the first molten material layer. The entire layer melts and fuses. For example, in the movable range of the movable member, when the second molten material layer has a region that does not face the first molten material layer, a region that does not melt may occur in a part of the second molten material layer. is there. Similarly, when the melting point of the second molten material layer is equal to or higher than the melting point of the first molten material layer, the above-described region may occur. We have found that the formation of such an area causes the movable member to move slightly due to the surface tension of the melt. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the movable member from floating by melting the whole of the two molten material layers.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the eleventh to sixteenth aspects, the first molten material layer, the second molten material layer, or the first molten material layer. And a second molten material layer of barium, bismuth, boron, lead, cadmium, lithium, zinc, thallium, vanadium, silicon,
And a glass containing an oxide composed of a combination selected from the element group of germanium, and a yield temperature of the glass is 200 ° C. or more and 300 ° C. or less. In the above configuration, the yielding temperature of the glass, that is, the melting point of the molten material layer is 200 ° C. or more and 300 ° C.
By setting within the following range, when using a substrate having a general heat resistance, the molten material layer can be melted without deforming the substrate, and the material of the molten material layer, the element described above By selecting from the group, the viscosity of the molten material layer at the time of melting can be adjusted to a value suitable for fixing the movable member.

The invention according to claim 18 is the optical interconnection system according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the first molten material layer, the second molten material layer, or the first molten material layer. Is a glass containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of selenium, sulfur, and tellurium, and a compound of the element, and the glass has a sag temperature of , 120 ° C or more and 200 ° C or less. Thereby, the yielding temperature of the glass, that is, the melting point of the molten material layer is set to 120 ° C. or more and 200 ° C. or less, so that when using a substrate having low heat resistance, the molten material can be deformed without deforming the substrate. By melting the layer and selecting the material of the molten material layer from the above group of elements, the viscosity of the molten material layer at the time of melting can be adjusted to a value suitable for fixing the movable member.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the eleventh to eighteenth aspects, the heating element layer and the support are provided between the heating element layer and the base material. A heat conduction inhibiting layer made of a material that inhibits heat conduction is provided between a member or between the heating element layer and the movable portion. Due to this, the heat generated from the heating element layer by the heat conduction inhibition layer is
The conduction to the support member, the movable member or the base material is reduced, and the conduction to the first molten material layer is efficiently performed. As a result, unnecessary energy consumption for fixing the movable member is reduced. If we use a material with high thermal conductivity for the support member, movable member or substrate that comes into contact with the heating element layer, we will conduct the heat generated from the heating element layer to that material, and it will be necessary to melt the molten material layer. It has been found that it increases energy consumption. For example, when an electric heating mechanism is used for the heating element layer, a large amount of power is applied, so that the diameter of the electric wiring is forced to increase. As a result, unnecessary energy consumption for fixing the movable member is reduced, and an increase in the diameter of the electric wiring is prevented.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to the nineteenth aspect, the heat conduction inhibiting layer is formed of aluminum oxide. Thus, use of the specified aluminum oxide as the material of the heat conduction inhibition layer can reliably reduce wasteful energy consumption for fixing the movable member.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the twelfth to twelfth aspects, the light absorption layer is selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, nickel, and copper. It is a thin film of a metal or an alloy containing at least one element as described above. Thus, by using a material selected from the above-described element group for the material of the light absorbing layer, the light absorbing layer can reliably generate heat.

According to a twenty-second aspect, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the twelfth to twenty-first aspects, the first molten material layer and the second molten material layer
The thickness of the molten material layer is 0.1 [μm] or more and 2 [μm].
It is characterized in the following range. With the above configuration, the thickness of the first molten material layer and the thickness of the second molten material layer are set within a range of 0.1 [μm] or more and 2 [μm] or less, so that the fusion layer is lost and movable during melting. The displacement of the members can be reduced. We have found that if the thickness of the molten material layer is smaller than 0.1 [μm], the fusion layer is lost during melting, and if it is larger than 2 [μm], the movable member is displaced during melting. .

According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, the fixing mechanism comprises: a first electrode held on the base; A conductive layer made of a semiconductor or a metal held by the first electrode; a second electrode held by the movable member so as to face the conductive layer; and a glass coated on the surface of the second electrode, And a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes;
A substrate heating mechanism for heating the substrate, and a non-conductive material made of a non-conductive material held between the substrate and the first electrode only when a conductive material is used for the substrate. And a fixing mechanism for anodically bonding the conductive layer and the coating layer by applying a voltage by the voltage applying mechanism. According to the configuration, while applying heat necessary for anodic bonding to the base material by the base material heating mechanism, a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode by the voltage application mechanism, thereby forming a conductive layer. The coating layer is anodically bonded. When the conductive layer and the coating layer are anodic-bonded, the movable member is fixed to the substrate. Since the anodic bonding joins the conductive layer and the coating layer with a small amount of current, the required diameter of the electric wiring is small. Therefore, the diameter of the electric wiring can be reduced, and even when a plurality of the base materials are combined, the electric wiring related to melting can be compactly assembled.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, the fixing mechanism comprises: a first electrode held on the base; A conductive layer made of a semiconductor or a metal held by the first electrode, a second electrode held by the movable member so as to face the conductive layer, and a glass coated on the surface of the second electrode, And a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes;
The heating element layer disposed close to the conductive layer or the coating layer and generating heat is held between the base material and the first electrode only when a conductive material is used for the base material. ,
A non-conductive layer made of a non-conductive material; and a fixing mechanism for anodically bonding the conductive layer and the coating layer by applying a voltage by the voltage applying mechanism.
With the above configuration, heating for anodic bonding is locally performed on the conductive layer or the coating layer requiring heating by the heating element layer,
The temperature rise of each member on the substrate is reduced.

According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, in the optical interconnection system of the twenty-third aspect or the twenty-fourth aspect, the conductive layer is a semiconductor layer made of silicon;
The coating layer is a borosilicate glass containing 5% to 20% boron. With the above configuration,
By using a combination of a conductive layer made of silicon and a coating layer made of borosilicate glass for anodic bonding, a bonding strength suitable for fixing the movable member can be obtained.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, at least one element is positioned by using the positioning mechanism in the optical interconnection system according to any one of the seventh to twenty-fifth aspects. The optical axis of the element is aligned. This allows
Since there is no need to secure a space for moving the work required during manufacturing in the optical interconnection system, the effect that the apparatus can be downsized can be obtained. Also,
There is an excellent effect that the optical axis of the optical element or the like can be aligned with extremely high accuracy of less than 1 [μm]. In addition, since the optical axis alignment of the optical elements and the like is performed by fully automatic control, the alignment can be performed even after all the components are packaged, and there is an excellent effect that the optical axis alignment can be performed at low cost.

According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein a target connected to a positioning object and a target on the target are provided. A light irradiating mechanism for irradiating a specific pattern, an image capturing mechanism, and a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of a target captured by the image capturing mechanism.

According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein a target connected to an object to be positioned and a target on the target are provided. A light irradiation mechanism for irradiating a light beam having a specific illuminance distribution to the image pickup mechanism,
It has a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of a target captured by an imaging mechanism.

According to a twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein a target connected to a positioning object and a target on the target are provided. A light irradiation mechanism for irradiating a light beam having a wavelength intensity distribution, an imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of a target captured by the imaging mechanism. .

According to a thirtieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein a target connected to a positioning object, and A light irradiation mechanism for irradiating light beams having different illuminance distributions with different wavelengths, an imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of a target photographed by the imaging mechanism. Features.

According to the thirty-first aspect, in the twenty-seventh aspect,
30. The position measuring mechanism according to any one of claims 30 to 30, wherein
The light beam emitted from the light irradiation mechanism is a light beam branched from the light emitting elements constituting the light emitting element array.

According to the invention of claim 32, claim 27 is
30. The position measuring mechanism according to any one of claims 30 to 30, wherein
The light receiving element array and the imaging element are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.

According to a thirty-fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the seventh aspect based on the position information measured by one or more of the elements by the position measuring mechanism according to any one of the twenty-seventh to thirty-second aspects. An optical axis of each element is aligned by positioning each element using the positioning mechanism according to any one of claims 25 to 25.

[0046]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of an optical interconnection system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram cited for describing an embodiment of an optical interconnection system according to the present invention. Here, there is shown an optical interconnection system in which a minute positioning mechanism, which is a feature of the present invention, is applied to minute positioning of a microlens array provided between a light receiving element array and a light emitting element array. The optical interconnection system shown here transmits information between two opposing semiconductor chips 1 and 2 by using two-dimensional array light emitting elements (surface emitting lasers) 3 and 4 and two-dimensional array light receiving elements 5 and 6. This is performed by using an optical signal.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the micro positioning mechanism shown in FIG. 1 together with a micro lens array 8 as a positioning object. As shown in FIG. 2, the minute positioning mechanism includes electrostatic microactuators 10a, 10b, 10
c, 10d, fixing mechanisms 11a, 11b, 11c, 11
d, the driving of the electrostatic microactuator 10 and the fixing mechanism 11 is fully automatically performed based on information from a substrate 13 as a base material holding the movable members 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d and driving signals of the light receiving element and the light emitting element. And a control mechanism 15 for control.

Movable members 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d
Are electrostatic microactuators 10a, 1
0b, 10c, 10d and fixing mechanisms 11a, 11b,
11c and 11d support the surface of the substrate 13 so as to be able to move precisely in parallel. The electrostatic micro-actuators 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are fixed electrode patterns 10aB, 10bB, 10cB, and 1 that are held near the four sides of the microlens array 8 at a small distance.
The movable members 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12 correspond to 0 dB (described in FIGS. 3 and 6) and the fixed electrode patterns 10aB, 10bB, 10cB, and 10dB, respectively.
d, and is formed by a movable electrode pattern (not shown) held on the lower surface of the substrate d. An electrostatic force is generated between the movable electrode pattern and the fixed electrode pattern by a drive pulse obtained from a drive circuit (not shown). The movable electrode pattern is translated. The length of the electrostatic microactuator 10 is about 1
20 [μm], width = 30 [μm], thickness = 20 [μm]
Is used, occupies a very small space, and does not prevent miniaturization of the optical interconnection system. The driving principle of this electrostatic microactuator has been widely known in the past, and is described in, for example, New Actuator Handbook for Precision Control (Japanese Industrial Technology Promotion Association Solid Actuator Working Group, p1022-p1024). Is what it is.

The movable members 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d
Hold one end of each side of the microlens array 8 and move the movable electrode patterns 10aA, 10bA,
The microlens array 8 is moved to a predetermined position by being translated along with cA and 10dA. The movable area of the movable member 12 is about 100 [μm] in both the left-right direction and the front-back direction in the drawing.

The relative position adjustment of the microlens array 8 on the substrate 13 is performed as follows. That is, first, the microlens array 8 is irradiated with light from a light emitting element (not shown), and the control mechanism 1 is determined based on the degree to which light from the predetermined light emitting element is incident on the predetermined light receiving element.
Numeral 5 calculates the amount of displacement of the microlens array, and grasps the relative amount of displacement of the microlens array 8.
Next, a drive control program for moving the microlens array 8 from this position to the reference position so that the light of the predetermined light emitting element is transmitted to the predetermined light receiving element with the maximum coupling efficiency is stored in a data table stored in advance. Search from and execute. Then, after the drive control program is completed, the intensity of the received light signal is checked. If the deviation is within an allowable range, the fixing program is executed to fix the movable member 12 to the fixing mechanism 11. If the deviation is not within the allowable range, the calculation data comparison and the drive control program are executed again. In this manner, by repeating a series of sequences of comparison and reference of the tracking error signal and execution of the drive program, the amount of deviation is gradually reduced, and finally high-precision positioning is performed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of the fixing mechanism 11a shown in FIG. The fixing mechanism 11a includes a heating element layer 17a held on the upper surface of the support member 16a, a first molten material layer 18a held on the lower surface of the support member 16a, and a first molten material layer 18a on the upper surface of the movable member. And a second molten material layer 19a (not shown) which is held so as to be held. The heating element layer 17a is controlled by the control mechanism 15
Heat is generated when electricity is supplied from a circuit not shown,
The first molten material layer 18a is heated via the support member 16a. The first molten material layer 18a melts when the temperature is raised to the melting point by this heating, and flows down onto the second molten material layer 19a held opposite to the upper surface of the movable member 12a to melt the second molten material layer 19a. Let it. The control mechanism 15 stops the energization of the heating element layer 17a at a predetermined timing to fuse the first and second molten material layers without applying an excessive temperature, thereby supporting the upper surface of the movable member 12a. It is fixed to the lower surface of the member 16a.

The control mechanism 15 is provided with an arithmetic circuit dedicated to the position holding program separately.
By repeating the above-mentioned sequence at a high speed simultaneously with the execution of the fixing program, the displacement of the movable member 12a during the fixing operation is corrected at a high speed. This arithmetic circuit may be formed as an integrated circuit on a substrate integrated with the microlens array.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the direction in which the positioning is performed by controlling the members of the movable member.
By independently controlling the movement amounts of a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, alignment in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction shown in the drawing can be performed.

Next, the fine positioning mechanism according to the present invention
A second embodiment applied to fine positioning of both a hologram element array and a microlens array, which constitutes an optical interconnection system between a multi-wavelength light emitting element array and a light receiving element array, will be described. The hologram element array is for separating a wavelength multiplexed optical signal emitted from one light emitting element and making it incident on a separate light receiving element. The microlens array is for causing light of a predetermined light emitting element to enter a predetermined light receiving element, as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a microlens array 8a and a hologram element array 19 as positioning objects used in the fine book positioning apparatus of the second embodiment. In the optical interconnection system in this example, it is necessary to adjust the shift amount of the optical axis of the microlens array 8a and the hologram element array 19 to less than 0.5 [μm].

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the minute positioning mechanism according to the second embodiment. The minute positioning mechanism of the present invention has a rectangular opening 9 in the center, and an electrostatic microactuator 10 (10a to 10d) as a driving mechanism and a fixing mechanism 11 around the opening 9.
(11a to 11d) and the movable member 12 (1
2a to 12d), a silicon wafer 13a as a base material that supports the hologram element array 19 and the movable member 12 in a permanent manner, and a silicon wafer 13a as a base material that supports the hologram element array 19 and the movable member 12 so that they can move in parallel in the vertical and horizontal directions in the figure. , And a control mechanism 15 not shown. Here, after the electrostatic micro-actuator 10 and the fixing mechanism 11 are formed on the front surface, the silicon wafer 13a is subjected to backside etching from the back surface to form the opening 9.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart schematically showing a manufacturing process of the base portion in the minute positioning mechanism of the present invention. The minute positioning mechanism of the present invention is manufactured through the following steps. First, after depositing the electrode film 21 for the fixed electrode pattern 10b of the electrostatic microactuator 10 on the silicon wafer 13a (S1), the electrode film 21 is patterned to form the fixed electrode pattern 10B (S2). The first sacrificial layer 22 is deposited on the fixed electrode pattern 10B (S3). Then, the first sacrificial layer 22
After patterning the movable electrode pattern 10A on the movable electrode pattern 10A (S4), the movable member film 2 is patterned on the movable electrode pattern 10A.
3 (S5), the second molten material layer 19 on the movable member film 23
(S6), the second sacrificial layer 24 on the second molten material layer 19
(S7), the first molten material layer 18 on the second sacrificial layer 24
(S8), the support member 16 (S
9) Deposition and patterning are repeated on the support member 16 in the order of the heating element layer 17 (S10), and finally, the first sacrifice layer 22 and the second sacrifice layer 24 are removed to complete.

The fixed electrode pattern 10B and the movable electrode pattern 10A are formed by sputtering an aluminum film on the first molten material layer 18 and the second molten material layer 1.
In FIG. 9, a SeTe film formed by sputtering is
The heating element layer 17 is formed by depositing a NiCr alloy film by vapor deposition, the first sacrifice layer 22 and the second sacrifice layer 24 are formed by polyimide resin, and the movable member 12 and the support member 16 are formed by a polysilicon deposition film. Each is used.

The hologram element array 19 was held on the movable member 12 of the base of the micro-positioning mechanism manufactured through the above steps, and was adjusted to an appropriate thickness with high precision near four sides of the base. Spacers are provided, and are stacked on a substrate on which the light emitting elements and the microlens array are mounted while performing rough alignment, thereby completing an optical interconnection system. The control mechanism is formed integrally with the microlens array.

In the optical interconnection system described above, the micro lens array is controlled by the same control as that of the fine positioning mechanism shown in the first embodiment so that the coupling efficiency between the wavelength multiplexed light emitting element and the light receiving element is maximized. As a result of relative positioning of the hologram element array 8a and the hologram element array 19, positioning is performed with high accuracy at an arbitrary position within the movement range of the movable member 12 (each 5 [μm] in the direction of the four sides of the base). The displacement of the optical axis could be reduced to less than 0.5 [μm]. After the positioning, there was no displacement even if vibration was applied unless the base portion was broken.

On the other hand, when a substrate made of a material having high heat resistance is used, in order to specify a material of the molten material layer capable of exhibiting a good fixing function, various materials are used for the molten material layer. Positioning similar to that of the second embodiment was performed. As a result, when a material having a high melting point is used, damage is caused to a support member and the like, and when a material having a low melting point is used, it is difficult to adjust the temperature at the time of melting. was there. And we use barium (Ba), bismuth (Bi), boron (B), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), lithium (Li), zinc (Zn), thallium (Tl), vanadium ( V) Glass containing an oxide composed of a combination of elements selected from the element group of silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), and having a yield temperature of 200 ° C. or more and 300 ° C. or less By doing so, it has been found that a good fixing function can be obtained.

When a substrate made of a material having low heat resistance is used, in order to specify a material of the molten material layer that can exhibit a good fixing function, various materials are used for the molten material layer. The same positioning as in the second embodiment was performed. However, in this experiment, since the hologram element was formed of a resin material, it was necessary to keep the temperature of the substrate at 200 ° C. or lower. As a result, when a material having a high melting point is used, 20
At a temperature of 0 ° C. or less, the fixing function cannot be exerted, and when an alloy material having a low melting point is used, it becomes difficult to adjust the temperature during melting, and the viscosity of the molten material becomes unstable, which may cause a displacement. . And we include in the molten material one or more elements selected from the group of elements of selenium (Se), sulfur (S), and tellurium (Te), and a compound of the elements, and , Yielding temperature is more than 120 ° C and 20
It has been found that when a glass having a temperature of 0 ° C. or lower is used, a good fixing function can be obtained.

As the material of the molten material layer in the positioning mechanism of the optical interconnection system of the present invention, the above-mentioned inorganic material is suitable in terms of long-term stability. However, when long-term stability is not so important, a thermoplastic resin such as a polyolefin resin can be used. However, in that case, it is necessary to select an appropriate resin because the resin layer needs to withstand the process of forming other components.

On the other hand, in order to specify the material of the heat conduction inhibiting layer capable of exhibiting a good heat insulating function, the same positioning as that of the second embodiment was performed by using various materials for the heat conduction inhibiting layer. . As a result, when a material having low heat resistance is used, the heat conduction inhibiting layer itself may creep at the time of fixing the molten material layer, resulting in displacement. Then, we used aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) for the heat conduction inhibition layer.
It has been found that the use of a steel sheet provides a good heat insulating function and a high positioning reliability. Further, in order to specify the material of the light absorbing layer capable of exhibiting a good heat generating function, various materials are used for the light absorbing layer, the support member 16 is formed of a silicon oxide film formed by sputtering, and the light The same positioning as in the second embodiment was performed by providing an absorbing layer. A laser was used as a light source. As a result, when a material having a small absorbance was used, high-energy light irradiation was forced and other members were damaged. In addition, for example, when a material having a large absorbance such as a carbon film is used, energy control of light irradiation becomes difficult, and the light absorption layer itself may be damaged. Then, we form a thin film of a metal or alloy containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu). It has been found that when used, a good heat generation function and high positioning reliability can be obtained.

Further, in order to specify a material of the coating layer capable of exhibiting a good bonding function, various materials are used for the coating layer.
The configuration of the fixing mechanism 11 includes a conductive layer made of a semiconductor or a metal, a second electrode held on the movable member 12, a coating layer covering the surface of the second electrode, and a voltage applying mechanism, The same positioning as in the second embodiment was performed. As a result, if a combination of materials requiring a high voltage is used for anodic bonding, dielectric breakdown may occur in the support member 16 and breakage may occur. Also, if a combination of materials requiring a high temperature for anodic bonding is used. In some cases, the substrate 13 may be deformed by the stress remaining in the fixing mechanism 11 after the bonding.
And we have semiconductor silicon (Si) for the conductive layer,
It has been found that a good bonding function can be obtained by using borosilicate glass containing 5% to 20% boron (B) for the coating layer.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the electrostatic microactuator is used as the driving mechanism. However, the driving mechanism is not limited to this, and when a certain thickness is allowed. For example, a piezo element actuator, a bimorph actuator, or the like can be used.

Next, a third embodiment will be described. This embodiment is characterized in that a position measuring mechanism for measuring the position of an element array to be positioned is added to the configuration of each of the above embodiments. What is measured is a relative position of the element array whose position is to be measured with respect to another element array or with respect to any position (referred to as a reference point) fixed to a housing constituting the optical interconnection system. 3D position. If necessary, the measurement results are converted into numerical values in rectangular coordinates, curved coordinates, cylindrical coordinates, or the like, and are used for performing a positioning procedure by the above-described positioning mechanism.

The reason for providing the position measuring mechanism will be described below. In the positioning method as described in the first and second embodiments, that is, the method based on the coupling efficiency or the like, no problem occurs when the number of elements to be positioned is one, When there are a plurality of positioning objects, it is not easy to determine which of the positioning objects has a positional deviation, and as a result, the time required for the positioning becomes extremely long, and it is difficult to perform the positioning. Or become.

In such a case, if a position measuring mechanism is provided in one or more element arrays to be positioned,
Since you can know the actual position of the element array,
There is an effect that the convergence of the operation of moving the element array to a target position becomes faster. Further, there is an effect that the possibility of erroneously converging to a false minimum point or the like which tends to occur when adjusting the positions of a plurality of element arrays simultaneously is completely eliminated. However, it is very difficult to increase the measurement accuracy or the measurement resolution of the position measuring mechanism to such an extent that the positioning can be performed only with this position information, and the present embodiment does not aim at such a configuration. The position adjusting mechanism used here may have a relatively low measurement resolution. The final alignment is performed based on actual characteristics such as coupling efficiency.

FIG. 8 shows the configuration of this embodiment. The same parts as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the already-described configuration and function will be omitted unless necessary. Only the main parts will be described. The position measuring mechanism includes a light irradiating mechanism 30 that irradiates the target T with a light beam having a specific pattern, an image capturing mechanism 31 that captures an image of the pattern radiated on the target T, and an image information from the image capturing mechanism 31. It has a processing mechanism 32 that performs triangulation from the arrangement constituted by the light irradiation mechanism 30, the imaging mechanism 31, and the target T to calculate the position of the target T. The position measurement information from the processing mechanism 32 is sent to the control mechanism 15 and used for positioning control of the positioning mechanism.

The target T is a micro lens array 8
Etc., and move together with the positioning object while maintaining a certain positional relationship. The target T is a reflector having a certain area, and preferably has a light scattering surface on the surface. Here, the pattern is a two-dimensional pattern in which the brightness changes with respect to the estimated angle from the light irradiation mechanism 30. For light and dark, a specific periodic structure or a random periodic structure is provided. The periodic structure may be one-dimensional or two-dimensional. In addition, a completely random pattern such as a speckle pattern by a laser beam may be used. The configuration may be such that the control mechanism 15 also functions as the function of the processing mechanism 32.

In the position measuring mechanism shown in FIG. 8, the light irradiating mechanism 30 may irradiate the target T with a light beam having a specific illuminance distribution. The light beam applied to the target T has a specific illuminance distribution.
In the position measurement mechanism shown in FIG. 8, the resolution of position measurement may be limited due to the use of a specific pattern. However, it is necessary to increase the resolution of position measurement by using a light beam having a continuous illuminance distribution. Can be. However, since it is difficult to make the illuminance distribution of the light beam continuous and produce it with good reproducibility, it is more suitable to use a pattern in terms of ease of implementation.

In the position measuring mechanism shown in FIG. 8, the light irradiation mechanism 30 may be configured to irradiate a light beam having a wavelength intensity distribution. Also in this case, the position measurement resolution can be increased in the same manner as described above. In the position measurement mechanism shown in FIG. 8, the light irradiation mechanism 30 may be configured to irradiate light beams having different illuminance distributions with different wavelengths. By separating images having different illuminance distributions by distinguishing different wavelengths in the image sensor, a plurality of different measurements can be performed simultaneously, so that there is an advantage that the position measurement accuracy is improved.

In each of the above-described position measuring mechanisms, the light irradiating mechanism 30 emits the light beam branched from the light emitting element to the target T.
Irradiation may be performed. In this case, the light irradiation mechanism 3
Since there is no need to provide a light-emitting element serving as a light source of the optical interconnection device itself, there is an advantage that the cost of the optical interconnection system can be reduced. In each of the above-described position measuring mechanisms,
The imaging element and the light receiving element may be provided on the same semiconductor substrate. This configuration has the advantage that the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of components when measuring the position of elements other than the light receiving element.

[0075]

According to the invention as set forth in any one of the first to third aspects, the positioning accuracy of each element can be made as high as less than 1 [μm]. In addition, since the position adjustment and the fixing are performed by an external electric signal or light irradiation, it can be performed after being packaged as an optical interconnection system, and the manufacturing process is simplified. Further, when the position adjustment and the fixing are automatically performed by a control circuit built in the optical interconnection system, the positioning process of each element in the manufacturing process is simplified, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. It becomes possible. Since the alignment of the optical elements formed as an array requires a rotation angle adjustment step of matching the directions of the arrays, the cost of the alignment work is a single unit despite the fact that the elements are formed as an array. In the case of aligning the optical elements, it was considerably larger than (for example, alignment of one light emitting element and an optical fiber). On the other hand, in the optical interconnection system of the present invention, the positioning target can be rotated by adjusting the relative drive amount of the drive mechanism that generates the drive force in different directions. There is an advantage that the positioning of the elements formed as an array can be performed with high accuracy without increasing the cost without providing a special driving mechanism.

According to the invention of any one of claims 4 to 6, since the actual position of the element array can be known by the position measuring mechanism, the convergence of the operation of moving the element array to a target position is achieved. And the positioning mechanism can quickly perform the positioning with high accuracy. Further, there is an excellent effect that the possibility of erroneous convergence to a false minimum point, which tends to occur when adjusting the positions of a plurality of element arrays simultaneously, can be completely eliminated.

According to the invention of claim 7 or 8, there is no need to secure a functional space for the temporary fixing member, so that there is an excellent effect that the elements can be arranged close to each other. Further, since high-precision positioning of less than 1 [μm] can be completely automated, it is possible to easily manufacture an optical interconnection system including an element requiring high-precision positioning of less than 1 [μm]. There is an excellent effect that can be.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since a flat and small driving mechanism is provided, there is an effect that the volume of the optical interconnection system is not increased.

According to the tenth aspect, since the control of the control mechanism with respect to the drive mechanism is stabilized, an excellent effect that the time required for positioning can be reduced can be obtained. Further, since the degree of freedom in the layout of each mechanism or each member on the base material is increased, when the base material is incorporated in the apparatus, there is an excellent effect that the degree of freedom in the layout of the apparatus is increased.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the molten material is used as the fixing material of the fixing mechanism, the position holding property of the positioning object is reduced, the cost for positioning is increased, and the positioning accuracy is reduced. There is an excellent effect that reduction can be prevented.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since no electrical wiring is required for the heating mechanism of the heating element layer, there is an excellent effect that the apparatus can be downsized.

According to the thirteenth aspect, since the light absorption layer can be irradiated with light from the back side of the substrate, the degree of freedom of layout of each device or each member on the substrate can be increased. it can.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the light absorption layer can be irradiated with the light through the support member that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength. There is an excellent effect that the degree of freedom of the layout of the device or each member can be further increased.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, since the movable member needs to be fixed to the support member, and even if the support member cannot be made large, a light-transmitting material is not used for the support member. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an increase in manufacturing cost and weakening of support of the movable member.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the movable member can be prevented from floating due to the surface tension of the melting of the molten material layer, so that there is an excellent effect that the positioning can be performed with higher precision.

According to the seventeenth aspect, the general heat-resistant base material is not deformed and the viscosity of the molten material layer at the time of melting is adjusted to a value suitable for fixing the movable member. Therefore, there is an excellent effect that the movable member can be stably fixed.

According to the eighteenth aspect of the invention, the base material having low heat resistance is not deformed, and the viscosity of the molten material layer at the time of melting can be adjusted to a value suitable for fixing the movable member. Even when a substrate having low heat resistance is used, the movable member can be stably fixed.

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, when an electric heating mechanism is used for the heating element layer, the diameter of the electric wiring in the electric heating mechanism is prevented from being increased, so that the apparatus on which the base material is mounted is provided. Can be prevented from increasing in size. Further, since unnecessary energy consumption for fixing the movable member is reduced, there is an excellent effect that the cost for positioning can be reduced.

According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, wasteful energy consumption for fixing the movable member is surely reduced, so that there is an excellent effect that the cost for positioning can be surely reduced.

According to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, since the light absorbing layer surely generates heat, the degree of freedom of layout of each member on the base material can be reliably increased.

According to the twenty-second aspect, in order to reduce the loss of the fusion layer and the displacement of the movable member when the molten material layer is melted, the movable member is reliably fixed and the positioning accuracy is improved. Can be increased.

According to the twenty-third aspect of the present invention, since the electric wiring related to the fixing mechanism can be compacted, there is an excellent effect that the device on which the base material is mounted can be reduced in size.

According to the twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, the temperature rise of each member on the base material is reduced, so that the movable member by anodic bonding can be used even when the object to be positioned is a material weak to heat. Can be fixed.

According to the twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a bonding strength suitable for fixing the movable member, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the position holding ability of the positioning object.

According to the twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, there is no need to secure a space for moving a work required during manufacturing in the optical interconnection system, so that an effect that the apparatus can be downsized can be obtained. . Also, there is an excellent effect that the optical axis of an optical element or the like can be aligned with extremely high accuracy of less than 1 [μm]. In addition, since the optical axis alignment of the optical elements and the like is performed by fully automatic control, the alignment can be performed even after all the components are packaged, and there is an excellent effect that the optical axis alignment can be performed at low cost.

According to the twenty-seventh aspect, since the actual position of the element array can be known by the position measuring mechanism, the convergence of the operation of moving the element array to a target position can be accelerated. There is an excellent effect that positioning by the positioning mechanism can be performed quickly and with high accuracy. Further, there is an excellent effect that the possibility of erroneous convergence to a false minimum point, which tends to occur when adjusting the positions of a plurality of element arrays simultaneously, can be completely eliminated.

According to the twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, there is an excellent effect that the resolution of position measurement can be enhanced by forming a light beam having a continuous illuminance distribution.

According to the twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, the illuminating light beam has a wavelength intensity distribution, so that there is an excellent effect that the position measurement resolution can be enhanced.

According to the thirty-first aspect of the present invention, light beams having different illuminance distributions are irradiated at different wavelengths, so that there is an excellent effect that position measurement accuracy is improved.

According to the thirty-first aspect of the present invention, the target is illuminated with the light beam branched from the light emitting element, so that the light emitting element serving as the light source of the light irradiating mechanism is not required, and the optical pickup is provided. There is an excellent effect that the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

According to the thirty-second aspect, since the image pickup device and the light receiving device are provided on the same semiconductor substrate, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. effective.

According to the thirty-third aspect of the present invention, there is no need to secure a space for moving a work required at the time of manufacturing in the conventional optical interconnection system, so that the apparatus can be downsized. There is an excellent effect.
Also, there is an excellent effect that the optical axis of an optical element or the like can be aligned with extremely high accuracy of less than 1 [μm]. In addition, since the optical axis alignment of the optical elements and the like is performed by fully automatic control, the alignment can be performed even after all the components are packaged, and there is an excellent effect that the optical axis alignment can be performed at low cost. Further, even when there are a plurality of elements for which the optical axes are to be aligned, there is an effect that the convergence of the operation of moving the elements to a target position is accelerated. In addition, there is an effect that the possibility of erroneously converging to a false minimum point, which tends to occur when adjusting the positions of a plurality of elements at the same time, is completely eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram cited for describing an embodiment of an optical interconnection system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the micro-positioning mechanism in FIG. 1 together with a micro-lens array as a positioning target.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of a fixing mechanism in the minute positioning mechanism in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing directions in which positioning can be performed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram cited for explaining another embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing a microlens array and a hologram element array as positioning objects.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the minute positioning mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a manufacturing process of a base portion of the minute positioning mechanism in the optical interconnection system of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a position measuring mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 Semiconductor chip 3, 4 2D array light emitting element 5, 6 2D array light receiving element 7 Light shielding member 8 Micro lens array 10 (10a to 10d) Drive mechanism (electrostatic microactuator) 11 (11a to 11d) Fixing mechanism 12 (12a to 12d) Movable member 13 Substrate 15 Control mechanism 16a Support member, 17a Heating element layer, 18a First molten material layer 30 Light irradiation mechanism 31 Imaging mechanism 32 Processing mechanism

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page F term (reference) 2F065 AA03 AA07 AA09 AA19 DD01 DD02 DD03 FF01 FF05 FF09 GG15 GG23 GG24 HH02 JJ03 JJ26 KK01 LL10 LL49 LL51 MM03 MM04 MM14 MM15 MM24 U03 U02 A03 U02 A AB24 AB34 AC06 AC07 AC08 AZ01 AZ05 AZ08 5F089 AB03 AB08 AC07 AC24 EA08 GA01

Claims (33)

[Claims] A light emitting element array and a light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical element array for applying an optical action to light irradiated from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. An optical interconnection system comprising a positioning mechanism connected to the light emitting element array. A light-emitting element array and a light-receiving element array for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; and an optical element array for applying an optical effect to light emitted from the light-emitting element array to the light-receiving element array. An optical interconnection system comprising a positioning mechanism connected to the light receiving element array. 3. A light-emitting element array and a light-receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical element array for applying an optical action to irradiation light from the light-emitting element array to the light-receiving element array. An optical interconnection system comprising a positioning mechanism connected to the optical element array. 4. A light emitting element array and a light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical element array for applying an optical effect to light irradiated from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. In the optical interconnection system, a positioning mechanism connected to the light emitting element array and a relative position of the light emitting element array with respect to a reference point fixed to an optical element array or a light receiving element array or a housing of the optical interconnection system. An optical interconnection system comprising: a position measuring mechanism for measuring the distance. 5. A light-emitting element array and a light-receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving optical signals, respectively, and an optical element array for applying an optical action to light irradiated from the light-emitting element array to the light-receiving element array. In an optical interconnection system, a positioning mechanism connected to the light receiving element array and a relative position of the light receiving element array with respect to a reference point fixed to an optical element array or a light emitting element array or a housing of the optical interconnection system. An optical interconnection system, comprising: a position measuring mechanism for measuring. 6. A light emitting element array and a light receiving element array used for transmitting and receiving an optical signal, respectively, and an optical element array for applying an optical effect to light irradiated from the light emitting element array to the light receiving element array. In the optical interconnection system, a positioning mechanism connected to the optical element array and a relative position of the optical element array with respect to a light emitting element array or a light receiving element array or a reference point fixed to a housing of the optical interconnection system. An optical interconnection system comprising: a position measuring mechanism for measuring the distance. 7. The optical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism is supported on a surface of the substrate so as to be able to move parallel to the surface of the substrate. A movable member for permanently holding the positioning object, a drive mechanism provided on the base material, for moving the movable member in parallel by applying a driving force, and a drive mechanism provided on the base material, wherein the movable member is provided on the base material. Or controlling the operation of the driving mechanism and the fixing mechanism based on information indicating a relative position of the positioning object with respect to the base material, and a fixing mechanism for permanently fixing the support member held on the base material. And a control mechanism for moving the positioning target to a desired position by the drive mechanism, and then fixing the movable member to the fixing mechanism, whereby the front of the base material is fixed. An optical interconnection system for performing relative and minute positioning of a positioning object. 8. The optical interconnection system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism includes a base member, a positioning target, a bone member for permanently holding the positioning target, Alternatively, a bone member integrally formed with the positioning object is permanently held or formed integrally with one of these members, and the movable member is supported on the surface of the base material so as to be movable in parallel with the surface of the base material. A member, provided between the base member and the movable member, a flat driving mechanism for moving the movable member in parallel by applying an electric or magnetic driving force, and the flat member is provided on the base member; A fixing mechanism for permanently fixing the movable member to the base material or a support member held by the base material, and the drive mechanism and the fixing mechanism based on information indicating a relative position of the positioning object with respect to the base material. Previous And a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the fixing mechanism, by moving the positioning target to a desired position by the drive mechanism by the control mechanism, by fixing the movable member to the fixing mechanism,
An optical interconnection system for performing relative and minute positioning of the positioning object on the base material. 9. The optical interconnection system according to claim 7, wherein said drive mechanism is constituted by an electrostatic microactuator. 10. The optical interconnection system according to claim 7, further comprising a support member held by said base material and supporting said movable member so as to be movable in parallel. . 11. The optical interconnection system according to claim 7, wherein the fixing mechanism generates heat while being held on the surface or the inside of the base member, the support member, or the movable member. A first layer made of a fusible material is disposed such that a portion of the supporting member or the movable member is sandwiched between the heating element layer and the heating element layer or the heating element layer.
And a second molten material layer made of a fusible material and held by the base material or the movable member so as to face the first molten material layer. An optical interconnection system characterized by the following. 12. The optical interconnection system according to claim 11, wherein said heating element layer is a light absorption layer made of a material that absorbs light of a predetermined wavelength. 13. The optical interconnection system according to claim 12, wherein said substrate is made of a material that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength. 14. The optical interconnection system according to claim 12, wherein said support member is made of a material that transmits light of a predetermined wavelength. 15. The optical interconnection system according to claim 12, wherein the movable member has an opening for transmitting light or a light transmitting portion made of a material for transmitting light of a predetermined wavelength.
In addition, the optical interconnection system is characterized in that the light absorbing layer is held by the movable member at a position where the light absorbing layer is irradiated with light that passes or transmits through the opening or the light transmitting part. 16. The optical interconnection system according to claim 11, wherein an entire area of the second molten material layer is in contact with the first molten material layer in a movable range of the movable member. An optical interconnection system which is opposed and has a melting point of the second molten material layer lower than that of the first molten material layer. 17. The optical interconnection system according to claim 11, wherein the first molten material layer, the second molten material layer, or the first molten material layer and the second molten material layer. Is a glass containing an oxide composed of a combination selected from the element group of barium, bismuth, boron, lead, cadmium, lithium, zinc, thallium, vanadium, silicon, and germanium, and An optical interconnection system, wherein a sag temperature of the glass is 200 ° C. or more and 300 ° C. or less. 18. The optical interconnection system according to claim 11, wherein the first molten material layer, the second molten material layer, or the first molten material layer and the second molten material layer. Is a glass containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements of selenium, sulfur, and tellurium, and a compound of the element, and the glass has a sag temperature of 120 ° C or more and 200 ° C or less. An optical interconnection system, characterized in that: 19. The optical interconnection system according to claim 11, wherein the heating element layer and the base member, the heating element layer and the support member, or the optical interconnection system. An optical interconnection system comprising a heat conduction inhibiting layer made of a material that inhibits heat conduction between a heating element layer and the movable section. 20. The optical interconnection system according to claim 19, wherein said heat conduction inhibition layer is formed of aluminum oxide. 21. The optical interconnection system according to claim 12, wherein the light absorbing layer contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of iron, chromium, nickel, and copper. An optical interconnection system comprising a thin film of a metal or alloy containing the same. 22. The optical interconnection system according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the first molten material layer and the thickness of the second molten material layer are 0.1 μm or more. An optical interconnection system characterized by being within a range of 2 [μm] or less. 23. The optical interconnection system according to claim 7, wherein the fixing mechanism comprises: a first electrode held by the base;
A conductive layer made of a semiconductor or metal, held on the first electrode, a second electrode held on the movable member so as to face the conductive layer, and a surface of the second electrode, A coating layer made of glass, a voltage application mechanism for applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, a substrate heating mechanism for heating the substrate, and a conductive material for the substrate. The substrate and the first material are used only when a material is used.
A non-conductive layer made of a non-conductive material held between the electrodes, and a fixing mechanism for anodically bonding the conductive layer and the coating layer by applying a voltage by the voltage applying mechanism. Characteristic optical interconnection system. 24. The optical interconnection system according to claim 7, wherein the fixing mechanism comprises: a first electrode held on the base;
A conductive layer made of a semiconductor or metal, held on the first electrode, a second electrode held on the movable member so as to face the conductive layer, and a surface of the second electrode, A coating layer made of glass, a voltage applying mechanism for applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes, a heating element layer disposed in close proximity to the conductive layer or the coating layer, and generating heat; Only when a conductive material is used, a non-conductive layer made of a non-conductive material, which is held between the base material and the first electrode, is provided by applying a voltage by the voltage applying mechanism. An optical interconnection system comprising a fixing mechanism for anodically bonding the conductive layer and the coating layer. 25. A borosilicate glass according to claim 23, wherein said conductive layer is a semiconductor layer made of silicon, and said coating layer contains 5% to 20% boron. An optical interconnection system, characterized in that: 26. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one element is provided.
26. A method of aligning an optical axis of a positioning mechanism in an optical interconnection system, wherein the optical axis of each element is aligned by positioning each element using the positioning mechanism in the optical connection system according to any one of the above items. . 27. A position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to claim 4, wherein the target is connected to a positioning object.
Position measurement characterized by having a light irradiation mechanism for irradiating a specific pattern on a target, an imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of the target captured by the imaging mechanism. mechanism. 28. A position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to claim 4, wherein the target is connected to a positioning object.
It has a light irradiation mechanism for irradiating a light beam having a specific illuminance distribution on the target, an imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of the target captured by the imaging mechanism. Characteristic position measurement mechanism. 29. A position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to claim 4, wherein the target is connected to a positioning object.
It has a light irradiation mechanism that irradiates a light beam with a wavelength intensity distribution onto the target, an imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism that calculates a position based on image information of the target captured by the imaging mechanism. And position measurement mechanism. 30. A position measuring mechanism applied to the optical interconnection system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein: a target connected to a positioning object;
It has a light irradiation mechanism for irradiating a light beam having a different illuminance distribution with different wavelengths on the target, an imaging mechanism, and a processing mechanism for calculating a position based on image information of the target captured by the imaging mechanism A position measuring mechanism characterized in that: 31. The position measuring mechanism according to claim 27, wherein the light beam emitted from the light irradiation mechanism is a light beam branched from the light emitting elements constituting the light emitting element array. Position measurement mechanism. 32. The position measuring mechanism according to claim 27, wherein the light receiving element array and the imaging element are formed on the same semiconductor substrate. 33. A device according to claim 7, wherein one or a plurality of elements are measured based on position information measured by the position measuring mechanism according to any one of claims 27 to 32. An optical axis alignment method in an optical interconnection system, wherein the optical axis of each element is aligned by positioning each element using the positioning mechanism according to 1.