JP2015079061A - Optical module, electronic instrument using the same, and assembly method of optical module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a configuration that aligns a waveguide of an optical waveguide chip and an external transmission line such as an optical fiber with high accuracy with a simple structure. An optical module includes: an optical waveguide component having a first optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate; an optical transmission path having a second optical waveguide connected to the optical waveguide component; A guide component 30 for aligning the two optical waveguides with the first optical waveguide 12, the waveguide substrate 19 has an opening 17 on a joint surface with the guide component 30, and the guide component 30 is fitted to the opening 17. The guide component 30 has a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the waveguide substrate 19. [Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical module, an electronic device using the same, and an assembling method of the optical module.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, attention has been paid to an optical interconnection that performs broadband transmission between LSIs with low loss and low power consumption as the calculation speed of server systems and supercomputer systems increases. Silicon (Si) photonics has attracted attention as a photoelectric conversion technique for optical transceivers that connect LSIs. Si photonics is a silicon waveguide device in which a modulator and a photodetector are formed, and is used together with a modulation driver and a light source.

  The Si photonics chip on which the optical waveguide is formed is optically connected with an optical fiber which is an external transmission path with high accuracy. A mode conversion mechanism generally called a spot size converter is formed at the end of the Si photonics chip, and the optical fiber and the optical waveguide are connected by a bad joint.

  As an alignment between an external transmission line and an optical waveguide, active alignment for monitoring the power intensity of an optical signal is known. However, active alignment is expensive and difficult to apply to mass production. Passive alignment is easy to use from the viewpoint of productivity. For general passive alignment, a V-groove for guiding an optical fiber is used.

  When the optical fiber is fixed in the V-groove with an adhesive, the pitch of the multi-fiber is reduced due to the shrinkage of the adhesive. In order to prevent this, a configuration in which the V-groove pitch is widened in advance is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, the optical waveguide part and the ferrule are sandwiched between clip members having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than the thermal expansion coefficient of both, and fixed in a heated state, and the optical fiber tip and the end face of the optical waveguide are utilized by utilizing thermal contraction during cooling. The structure which raises the contact | adhesion power with is known (for example, refer patent document 2).

JP 2000-98175 A JP-A-2-121805

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a configuration that aligns a waveguide of an optical waveguide chip and an external transmission line such as an optical fiber with high accuracy with a simple structure.

In one aspect, the optical module is
An optical waveguide component having a first optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate;
An optical transmission line having a second optical waveguide and connected to the optical waveguide component;
A guide component for aligning the second optical waveguide with the first optical waveguide;
Have
The waveguide substrate has an opening in a joint surface with the guide component;
The guide component has a protrusion that fits into the opening,
The guide component has a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the waveguide substrate.

  With the above configuration, the waveguide of the optical waveguide chip and the external transmission path such as an optical fiber can be aligned with high accuracy.

It is a figure which shows the package for optical interconnects as an example of the electronic device to which the optical module of embodiment is applied. It is the schematic of the optical module which has a fitting type guide component devised in the process leading to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the connection of the guide components and optical waveguide chip | tip used with the optical module of FIG. It is a figure which shows the coupling | bonding state of a guide component and an optical waveguide chip. It is a block diagram of the optical waveguide chip of embodiment. It is a block diagram of the guide components of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the joining sequence of an optical waveguide chip and a guide component. It is a figure which shows another example of the joining sequence of an optical waveguide chip and a guide component. It is a figure which shows another connection structure of a guide component and an optical waveguide chip. It is a figure which shows another structural example of a guide component. It is a figure which shows another example of a structure of guide components.

  FIG. 1 shows an optical interconnect package 1 as an example of an electronic apparatus to which the optical module 10 of the embodiment is applied. 1A is a top view and FIG. 1B is a side view. One or more optical interconnect packages 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “package 1”) are disposed on the board 2. An LSI (Large-Scaled Integrated circuit) 4, which is an electronic component, is mounted on the package substrate 3, and an interconnect optical module 10 is disposed around the LSI 4.

  The optical module 10 includes an optical transceiver 20 made of silicon (Si) photonics and an optical transmission line 40 that is an external transmission line. The connection between the optical transceiver 20 and the optical transmission path 40 is secured by the guide component 30 (see FIG. 2). The optical transceiver 20 is connected to electronic components such as other LSI, memory, storage, etc. (not shown) mounted on the board 2 via the optical transmission path 40, or electronic mounted on another rack (another system board). Connected to parts. The optical transmission line 40 is, for example, a multi-core optical fiber cable 40.

  The LSI 4 and the optical transceiver 20 are connected by high-speed electric wiring (not shown) on the package substrate 3, and power is supplied from the board (printed wiring board) 2 through the solder bumps 6. In general, a cooling mechanism is disposed on the top of the package 1. In the case of air cooling, a heat sink 7 indicated by a dotted line is mounted on the package 1. In the case of water cooling, a cooling plate (not shown) through which cooling water circulates is disposed.

  FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the optical module 10. The optical module 10 includes an optical transceiver 20, an optical transmission path 40, and a guide component 30 that guides the tip of the optical fiber 42 of the optical transmission path 40 to the end face of the waveguide 12 of the optical transceiver 20. The optical transmission line 40 is a tape fiber 40 in which a multi-core optical fiber 42 is held by a tape coating 41. The tape coating 41 at the tip of the tape fiber 40 is peeled off, and the individual optical fibers 42 are exposed. Each of the exposed optical fibers 42 is held in a groove 32 formed in the main body 31 of the guide component 30.

  The optical transceiver 20 mounted on the package substrate 3 includes an optical waveguide chip 11, a light source 15, a modulation driver 16, and the like. In this example, the light source 15 and the modulation driver 16 are arranged outside the optical waveguide chip 11. The modulation driver 16 and the optical waveguide chip 11 are connected by high-speed electrical wiring on the package substrate 3, and the light source 15 and the optical waveguide chip 11 are optically connected.

  The optical waveguide chip 11 has a Si photonics device 13 such as a modulator and a photodetector and a waveguide 12 on a waveguide substrate 19. The waveguide substrate 19 is fixed to the package substrate 3 with solder 18 or the like and electrically connected thereto. In order to establish electrical continuity with the Si photonics device (modulator, photodetector, etc.) 13, for example, high-speed electrical wiring such as TSV (through-silicon via) is formed in the waveguide substrate 19. Wire bonding or the like may be used instead of TSV. Although not shown, the solder 18 is resin-sealed with an underfill.

  The waveguide 12 serves as an interface between the Si photonics device 13 and the outside. A mode conversion mechanism (not shown) called a spot size converter is formed on the end face of the waveguide 12, and the optical fiber 42 can be connected to the waveguide 12 by a butt joint. The distal end portion of the optical fiber 42 is guided by the groove 32 on the guide component 30 and is accurately aligned with the corresponding waveguide 12.

  In order to achieve highly accurate alignment by passive alignment, it is conceivable to position the groove 32 of the guide component 30 with respect to the waveguide 12 of the optical waveguide chip 11 using an uneven structure.

  FIG. 3 is a connection schematic diagram of the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30. In general, since it is easier to form the concave portion than the convex portion in the substrate constituting the optical waveguide chip 11, the opening 17 is formed in the waveguide substrate 19 and the projection 33 is formed in the guide component 30. The guide component 30 can be manufactured with high accuracy using plastic or the like. In the optical connector, since a ferrule for a single mode fiber (SMF) can be realized by injection molding of plastic, the guide component 30 can achieve the same accuracy by injection molding.

  The problem is the processing accuracy of the opening 17 of the waveguide substrate 19. In the exposure process, the center position and pitch of the waveguides 12 by the stepper are guaranteed, so the center position and pitch of the openings 17 are also guaranteed. However, it is difficult to control the opening width due to the inclination of the side wall in the opening 17 and the like in the deep dry etching in the next process. If the opening 17 is formed to be narrower than the target value and the clearance is reduced, it becomes difficult to smoothly insert the protrusion 33 of the guide component 30 into the opening 17, and the protrusion 33 and the opening 17 may be damaged. On the contrary, if the opening 17 is formed wide and the clearance becomes large, there is a possibility that passive alignment cannot be realized due to misalignment.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, the thermal expansion coefficient of the guide component 30 is set larger than the thermal expansion coefficient of the waveguide substrate 19. Protrusions 33 are provided in at least two locations of the guide component 30 and are passively fitted with openings (concave portions) 17 formed on the joint surface of the waveguide substrate 19 with the guide component 30. The opening 17 of the optical waveguide chip 11 is formed wider than the protrusion 33 of the guide component 30, and alignment and locking are realized by utilizing the difference in thermal expansion coefficient. It is desirable that the protrusions 33 are disposed on both sides of the arrangement center of the grooves 32, preferably at positions symmetrical with respect to the arrangement center. Similarly, it is desirable that the openings 17 are arranged on both sides of the arrangement center of the waveguides 12, preferably at symmetrical positions.

  FIG. 4 shows a coupled state of the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30. 4A is a top view and a front view in the X direction (arrangement direction of the waveguides 12), and FIG. 4B is a side view in the Y direction (the optical axis direction of the waveguides 12). The width in the X direction of the opening 17 of the optical waveguide chip 11 is configured to be larger than the diameter of the protrusion 33 of the guide component 30. The height (size in the Z direction) of the opening 17 is equal to or greater than the diameter of the guide component 30.

  As a state after assembly, the protrusions 33 of the guide component 30 abut against the outer side walls or the inner side walls of the openings 17 formed on both sides of the waveguide 12 array, and the center of the guide component 30 is the center of the optical waveguide chip 11. Centered with respect to the center. As a result, the center of the groove 32 of the guide component 30 is aligned with the center of the waveguide 12 of the optical waveguide chip 11. In this state, the guide component 30 is fixed to the waveguide substrate 19 or the package substrate 3 by the bonding material 36. In the example of FIG. 4, the guide component 30 is bonded and fixed to the package substrate 3 on its side wall. As the bonding material 36, an adhesive, a solder material, or the like can be used. In this example, a thermosetting adhesive or a room temperature curable adhesive is used as the bonding material 36.

  The guide component 30 has a height adjusting member 34 for matching the height with the optical waveguide chip 11. The height adjusting member 34 may be in the shape of a ridge or a beam. In this example, as the height adjusting member 34, the beam 34 protrudes from both sides of the upper surface of the guide component 30 and is in contact with the upper surface of the optical waveguide chip 11. By supporting the guide component 30 with respect to the optical waveguide chip 11 by the beam 34, the groove 32 can be held at a predetermined height position.

  Here, the predetermined height means that when the optical fiber 42 exposed from the tape coating 41 is disposed in the groove 32, the core of the waveguide 12 of the optical waveguide chip 11 and the core of the optical fiber 42 are geometrically coincident with each other. Indicates the height to perform.

  The position of the groove 32 in the horizontal direction (X direction) is defined by the projection 33 of the guide component 30, and the position of the groove 32 in the height direction (Z direction) is defined by the height adjusting member 34. The protrusion 33 and the height adjusting member 34 can be integrally formed by injection molding.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the optical waveguide chip 11. For example, an SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) substrate 19 is used as the waveguide substrate 19. A waveguide 12 is formed on the upper surface of the SOI substrate 19, and an opening 17 is formed in the lower silicon portion. In this example, the size of the waveguide substrate 19 in the width (X) direction is 5 mm, the size in the optical axis (Y) direction is 5 mm, and the thickness is 500 microns. The Si photonics device 13 such as a modulator or a photodetector is formed on the SOI substrate 19 using a general semiconductor process. The opening 17 is formed by etching a resist pattern of the opening 17 on the bottom surface of the SOI substrate 19 using a double-sided aligner based on an alignment mark for exposure (not shown) on the top surface of the SOI substrate 19. The double-sided aligner can be exposed with high accuracy within 1 micron with respect to the positional accuracy on both sides. Thereafter, dry etching is performed using the resist pattern as a mask. By dry etching, for example, an opening 17 having a depth of 250 microns, an opening width of 206 microns, and a length of 2 mm is formed.

  In general, in deep etching by dry etching, it is difficult to form an opening width with submicron accuracy. This is because an inclination or the like occurs on the side surface of the opening width due to redeposition or slight process fluctuation. The pitch of the openings 17 is guaranteed by the accuracy of the resist pattern formed by the exposure process.

  FIG. 6 is a four-side view of the guide component 30. The center is a top view, the left side (projection 33 side) is a front view, the right side is a rear view, and the bottom is a side view. When the guide component 30 is manufactured by injection molding, the dimensional accuracy of the sub-micron single-mode optical connector can be realized by a high-precision mold. The material is, for example, plastic, and examples thereof include epoxy, acrylic, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyacetal (POM: Polyoxymethylene), PEEK (Polyether ether ketone), and the like. Not only plastic but also metal such as Al or Ni may be used.

  As an example, the groove 32 formed on the upper surface of the main body 31 of the guide component 30 is a V-groove. The angle of the grooves 32 is 60 °, the pitch is 250 microns, and the length is 1.8 mm. The optical fiber 42 (see FIG. 2) mounted in the groove 32 is designed such that the core center coincides with the surface of the guide component 30.

  The surface roughness of the projection 33 and the beam (height adjusting member) 34 of the guide component 30 is realized within 1 micron. As an example, the size of the protrusion 33 is a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 200 microns and a length of the protrusion of 1.8 mm, and the tip is chamfered. As an example, the beam 34 has a width of 200 microns, a height of 200 microns, and a length of a portion protruding from the main body 31 in which the groove 32 is formed is 1.8 mm. The positional relationship between the center of the protrusion 33 and each groove 32 is guaranteed. The positional relationship between the lower surface of the beam 34 and each groove 32 is also guaranteed in the same manner as the above-described pitch.

  FIG. 7 shows a joining sequence of the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7A shows a temporary assembly process. The optical waveguide chip 11 is mounted on the package substrate 3 with solder 18 as shown in FIG. The package substrate 3 has a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than that of the guide component 30. The protrusion 33 of the guide component 30 is inserted into the opening 17 formed in the lower portion of the side surface of the waveguide substrate 19 of the optical waveguide chip 11 on the package substrate 3. At this stage, since the width of the opening 17 is formed wider than the width (or diameter) of the protrusion 33, the positional accuracy in the XY plane is not obtained. Positioning in the height direction (Z direction) is performed by a beam 34 formed on the upper part of the guide component 30. In the temporarily assembled state, the center of the guide component 30 in the X direction is often offset from the center of the optical waveguide chip 11 in the X direction.

  FIG. 7B shows the steps of adhesive application and thermosetting. As an example, a thermosetting adhesive 36 is used as the adhesive 36 and is applied to both side surfaces of the guide component 30. The adhesive 36 is brought into contact with the package substrate 3 and the guide component 30, and is dropped by a predetermined amount using a dispenser. In this state, the temperature of the optical waveguide chip 11, the guide component 30, and the package substrate 3 is raised in an oven. During the temperature increase, the waveguide substrate 19, the guide component 30, and the package substrate 3 are thermally expanded. When the waveguide substrate 19 is formed of silicon (Si), the guide component 30 is formed of acrylic, and the package substrate 3 is formed of glass epoxy, the thermal expansion coefficients are 3 ppm / K, 70 ppm / K, and 20 ppm / K, respectively. The distance between the centers of the protrusions 33 of the guide component 30 before heating is 3 mm. During the temperature increase, the guide component 30 having a large coefficient of thermal expansion has the largest thermal expansion, and the isotropic thermal expansion has the largest width direction (X direction). For this reason, the protrusion 33 abuts on the outer side wall of the opening 17 of the waveguide substrate 19, and the center position of the guide component 30 in the X direction coincides with the center position of the optical waveguide chip 11. In this state, thermosetting proceeds and the centering in the XY plane is completed.

  In the height direction (Z direction), since the thermosetting is performed in a state where the lower surface of the beam 34 of the guide component 30 and the surface of the optical waveguide chip 11 are in contact with each other, the alignment in the height direction is performed. When the curing temperature is 120 ° C., a variation in width of 4 μm is allowed for the width of 206 μm in the X direction of the opening 17 of the waveguide substrate 19. The width of the opening 17 is 6 microns larger than the diameter of the protrusion 33, and a variation of 4 microns can be allowed. Since a sufficient fitting clearance and variation can be allowed in the formation process of the opening 17 and the temporary assembly process in FIG. 7A, the guide component 30 can be positioned with high accuracy by the thermosetting process in FIG. 7B. .

  FIG. 7C shows a temperature lowering process. Since the adhesive 36 fixes the guide component 30 to the package substrate 3 from both sides, the position when the temperature is raised is maintained even if the temperature is lowered after positioning. Thereafter, the tape coating 41 at the tip of the tape fiber 40 is peeled off and mounted on the V groove 32 on the guide component 30 (see FIG. 2).

  For cutting the tip of the optical fiber 42, a fiber cutter, laser processing, or the like is used. The optical fiber in the V-groove 32 is fixed using a separate adhesive. This adhesive is cured at a lower temperature than the adhesive 36 of the guide part 30. It is also conceivable to use an optical adhesive having a refractive index close to that of the core of the optical fiber 42 and the core of the waveguide 12. By filling the gap between the optical fiber and the core of the waveguide 12 with an optical adhesive, a low-loss connection with low reflected light intensity can be realized.

  According to the above-described configuration and method, when the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30 are coupled, the protrusion 33 of the guide component 30 is smoothly inserted into the opening 17 while allowing variation in the width direction of the opening 17 of the optical waveguide chip 11. Can be inserted. Thereby, low-cost and high-accuracy passive alignment can be realized.

  FIG. 8 shows another joining sequence of the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30. The waveguide substrate 19, the guide component 30, and the package substrate 3 of the optical waveguide chip 11 have the same thermal expansion coefficient as the example of FIG. The sizes and positions of the waveguide substrate 19, the opening 17, and the protrusion 33 are the same as those in FIG.

  In FIG. 8A, after the guide component 30 is heated, the protrusion 33 is inserted into the opening 17 of the waveguide substrate 19. In this temporary assembly, since the opening 17 has the same clearance as that in FIG. 7, the protrusion 33 is inserted smoothly. In the temporarily assembled state, the center position of the guide component 30 in the X direction is often slightly offset from the center position of the optical waveguide chip 11 in the X direction.

  FIG. 8B shows a temperature lowering process. After the protrusion 33 of the guide component 30 is inserted into the opening 17 of the optical waveguide chip 11, the distance between the protrusions 33 is reduced as the temperature approaches room temperature, and the protrusion 33 contacts the side wall inside the opening 17. The center position of the guide component 30 in the X direction coincides with the center position of the optical waveguide chip 11 in the X direction by the heat shrink process opposite to that in FIG. Even if the heating in FIG. 8A is performed not only with the guide component 30 but also with the optical waveguide chip 11 and the package substrate 3, the positioning by the temperature lowering process in FIG. 8B can be realized in principle. Also in this case, the protrusion 33 contacts the inner side wall of the opening 17.

  In FIG. 8C, after the temperature is lowered, the guide component 30 is fixed by adhesion. The adhesive 36 is preferably cured at room temperature, and an ultraviolet curable resin or the like is used as an example. A thermosetting adhesive having a curing temperature lower than that at the time of temporary assembly can be used even at a temperature other than room temperature. By the bonding process, the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30 are coupled with the protrusion 33 being centered on the inner side wall of the opening 17.

  In the method of FIG. 8, the guide component 30 and the optical waveguide chip 11 can be aligned with high accuracy by thermal contraction utilizing the difference in thermal expansion coefficient of each member.

  FIG. 9 shows another example of the adhesive fixing of the guide component 30. In FIG. 9, the guide component 30 is fixed not to the package substrate 3 but to the optical waveguide chip 11. An adhesive 46 is applied to the beam 34 to bond and fix the optical waveguide chip 11 and the guide component 30 together. Since the thermal expansion coefficient of the waveguide substrate 19 is smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the guide component 30, any one of the joining sequences shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be used. When the adhesive is fixed in a heated and expanded state as shown in FIG. 7, a thermosetting adhesive is used as the adhesive 46. As shown in FIG. 8, when the adhesive is fixed after heat shrinkage, a normal temperature curable adhesive is used as the adhesive 46.

  FIG. 10 shows a modified example 30A of the guide component 30. A recess 61 is formed on the surface of the main body 31 of the guide component 30 </ b> A, and a U groove 62 is formed in the recess 61. A micro hole 65 penetrating from the U groove 62 to the tip of the guide component 30 (projection 33 side) is formed. The guide component 30A in which the microhole 65 is formed has a shape similar to the tip of the MT ferrule. The outer diameter of the microhole 65 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the optical fiber to be used. The insertion side of the optical fiber is a semicircular U groove 62, and the width (diameter) of the U groove 62 is wider than the diameter of the microhole 65. The U groove 62 and the micro hole 65 are connected by a taper 63.

  As an example, the diameter of the optical fiber is 125 microns, the diameter of the microhole 65 is 125.3 microns, and the diameter of the U groove 62 is 240 microns. The arrangement pitch of the tape fibers is 250 microns. The shape of the groove of the guide component 30 is not limited to a tapered U-groove, and any shape can be adopted as long as the optical fiber or the waveguide can be aligned.

  FIG. 11 shows another modification 30 </ b> B of the guide component 30. The guide component 30 </ b> B includes a microhole 65 that penetrates the main body 31 along the optical axis direction, an optical fiber 72 that is accommodated in advance in the microhole 65, and a guide pin 75 for connector connection. The guide pin 75 has a diameter of 300 microns as an example. By using the guide pins 75, it is possible to connect the optical waveguide chip 11 to an optical connector (not shown) mounted with a multi-core tape fiber. In this case, the optical connector has a guide pin hole at a corresponding position and is connected by fitting with the guide pin of the guide component 30. The shape of the guide pin connection hole is a circular hole as an example, and has a diameter of 300.3 microns. The optical connector in this case is shaped like a small MT connector, and the connector is also manufactured by injection molding. Conversely, a guide pin hole (not shown) for connector connection may be provided in the guide component 30, and a guide pin-shaped projection for connecting the guide component may be provided on the optical connector side. A fiber cutter or laser processing is used for processing the fiber end face of the guide component 30B.

  The guide component 30B is positioned with high accuracy with respect to the optical waveguide chip 11 by centering using thermal expansion or thermal contraction by the joining sequence of FIG. 7 or FIG. The guide component 30B and the optical connector (not shown) are aligned by fitting a guide pin 75 and a guide pin hole (not shown). The optical fiber 72 on the optical waveguide chip 11 side is bonded with an optical adhesive whose refractive index is close to the core refractive index of the waveguide 12 or the optical fiber 72, and reflection can be suppressed. Moreover, the optical connector side of the optical fiber 72 can suppress the reflection of the connecting portion by attaching a refractive index matching film or by AR coating. If it can be used, a matching oil with high viscosity may be used.

  Although the optical module 10 and the electronic device 1 of the embodiment have been described based on the above examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples. The optical waveguide chip 11 coupled to the guide component 30 is not only the optical waveguide chip 11 in which the Si photonics waveguide is formed, but also the optical waveguide chip in which the waveguide is formed on the quartz substrate or the polymer waveguide. An optical waveguide chip may be used. The optical transmission line 40 may be not only a single mode optical fiber but also a multimode fiber according to the mode of light to be transmitted. Also, fibers such as POF (Plastic Optical Fiber) and HPCF (Hard Plastic Clad Fiber) can be used. Furthermore, use in the form of a film waveguide is also conceivable. At this time, the groove structure formed in the guide component 30 has a shape that maintains the outer shape of the flexible waveguide. After connecting and automatically centering the guide component 30 to the optical waveguide chip 11 using thermal expansion or contraction, a flexible waveguide is disposed in the groove. Thereby, the core of the flexible waveguide can be accurately aligned with the waveguide 12 of the optical waveguide chip 11.

  In the embodiment, two openings 17 of the waveguide substrate 19 and two protrusions 33 of the guide component 30 are provided, but four may be arranged near the corner of the coupling surface. When the guide component 30 is applied to the connection between the optical waveguide chip 11 and the optical connector, the guide component 30 is not limited to the above-described MT connector-like one, and the protrusion or hole shape of the guide component 30 is changed according to the connection form with the connector. It is possible to change.

  As described above, the center position of the guide component 30 in the X direction (waveguide arrangement direction) with respect to the optical waveguide chip 11 is automatically centered by thermal expansion or thermal contraction. As a result, the arrangement of the waveguides 12 and the fiber mounting position of the guide component 30 are accurately positioned in the XY plane. Further, by providing the guide component 30 with the height adjusting member 34, the optical fiber mounting position in the height direction of the guide component 30 is defined. By changing the groove shape of the guide component 30, various optical transmission paths (optical wirings) can be mounted.

The following notes are presented for the following explanation.
(Appendix 1)
An optical waveguide component having a first optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate;
An optical transmission line having a second optical waveguide and connected to the optical waveguide component;
A guide component for aligning the second optical waveguide with the first optical waveguide;
Have
The waveguide substrate has an opening in a joint surface with the guide component;
The guide component has a protrusion that fits into the opening,
The optical module according to claim 1, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the guide component is larger than a thermal expansion coefficient of the waveguide substrate.
(Appendix 2)
The waveguide substrate has at least two of the openings, and the openings are disposed on both sides of the array center of the first optical waveguides.
2. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the guide component has at least two protrusions, and the protrusions are disposed on both sides of the array center of the second waveguide.
(Appendix 3)
Each of the protrusions is in contact with the inner wall of the outer opening with respect to the arrangement center of the first optical waveguide in the corresponding opening, and has a space between the inner wall of the inner opening. The optical module as described in.
(Appendix 4)
Each of the protrusions is in contact with the inner wall of the inner opening with respect to the arrangement center of the first optical waveguide in the corresponding opening, and has a space between the inner wall of the outer opening. The optical module as described in.
(Appendix 5)
The optical module according to appendix 3, wherein the guide component is bonded and fixed with a thermosetting adhesive to a surface of the waveguide substrate or a second substrate on which the waveguide substrate is mounted. .
(Appendix 6)
The light according to appendix 4, wherein the guide component is bonded and fixed to the surface of the waveguide substrate or a second substrate on which the waveguide substrate is mounted with a room temperature curable adhesive. module.
(Appendix 7)
The optical module according to appendix 1, wherein the guide component includes a height adjusting member for positioning the second optical waveguide in a height direction with respect to the waveguide substrate.
(Appendix 8)
The optical module according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein the guide component has a groove for accommodating the second optical waveguide.
(Appendix 9)
The optical module according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein the guide component includes a microhole that accommodates the second waveguide.
(Appendix 10)
Any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 7, wherein the guide component includes a microhole and an optical fiber accommodated in advance in the microhole, and the optical transmission line having the second waveguide is an optical connector. The optical module according to crab.
(Appendix 11)
The optical module according to appendix 10, wherein the guide component has a concavo-convex structure that fits with the optical connector on a surface opposite to the protrusion.
(Appendix 12)
The optical module according to any one of appendices 1 to 11,
Electronic components connected to the optical module;
And the optical waveguide component of the optical module has a photoelectric conversion part.
(Appendix 13)
Preparing an optical waveguide component having a first optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate and openings formed on both sides of an array center of the first optical waveguide;
A material having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the waveguide substrate is used to form a guide component for aligning the second optical waveguide of the external transmission path with the first optical waveguide, and the guide component is Has a protrusion at a position facing the opening,
Inserting the protrusion of the guide component into the opening of the optical waveguide component;
By using the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the guide component and the waveguide substrate by a heating and cooling process, the guide component is automatically centered with respect to the arrangement center of the first optical waveguide,
Disposing the external transmission line having the second optical waveguide in the centered guide component;
An optical module assembling method.
(Appendix 14)
By heating the guide component after inserting the protrusion into the opening, the protrusion is brought into contact with the outer inner wall of the opening by thermal expansion;
Adhering and fixing the guide component to the optical waveguide component or the substrate on which the optical waveguide component is mounted at the contact position,
14. The method for assembling an optical module according to appendix 13, wherein the temperature is lowered to room temperature.
(Appendix 15)
Heating the guide part before or after inserting the protrusion into the opening;
After the heating, by lowering the temperature to room temperature with the protrusion inserted into the opening, the protrusion is brought into contact with the inner wall of the opening by heat shrinkage,
Adhering and fixing the guide component to the optical waveguide component or the substrate on which the optical waveguide component is mounted at the contact position,
14. The method of assembling an optical module according to appendix 13.

1 Package (electronic equipment)
2 Board 3 Package substrate 4 LSI (electronic component)
10 optical module 11 optical waveguide chip (optical waveguide component)
12 Waveguide (first optical waveguide)
13 Silicon photonics devices (optical devices)
17 Opening 19 Waveguide substrate 20 Optical transceiver 30 Guide part 32 Groove 33 Protrusion 40 Tape fiber (optical transmission line)
41 Tape coating 42 Optical fiber (second optical waveguide)

Claims (8)

An optical waveguide component having a first optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate;
An optical transmission line having a second optical waveguide and connected to the optical waveguide component;
A guide component for aligning the second optical waveguide with the first optical waveguide;
Have
The waveguide substrate has an opening in a joint surface with the guide component;
The guide component has a protrusion that fits into the opening,
The optical module according to claim 1, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the guide component is larger than a thermal expansion coefficient of the waveguide substrate. The waveguide substrate has at least two of the openings, and the openings are disposed on both sides of the array center of the first optical waveguides.
2. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein the guide component has at least two protrusions, and the protrusions are disposed on both sides of an array center of the second waveguide.   Each of the protrusions is in contact with an inner wall of the outer opening with respect to the arrangement center of the first optical waveguide in the corresponding opening, and has a space between the inner wall of the inner opening. 2. The optical module according to 2.   Each of the protrusions is in contact with an inner wall of the inner opening with respect to the arrangement center of the first optical waveguide in the corresponding opening, and has a space between the inner wall of the outer opening. 2. The optical module according to 2. An optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Electronic components connected to the optical module;
And the optical waveguide component of the optical module has a photoelectric conversion part. Preparing an optical waveguide component having a first optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate and openings formed on both sides of an array center of the first optical waveguide;
A material having a thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the waveguide substrate is used to form a guide component for aligning the second optical waveguide of the external transmission path with the first optical waveguide, and the guide component is Has a protrusion at a position facing the opening,
Inserting the protrusion of the guide component into the opening of the optical waveguide component;
By using the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the guide component and the waveguide substrate by a heating and cooling process, the guide component is automatically centered with respect to the arrangement center of the first optical waveguide,
Disposing the external transmission line having the second optical waveguide in the centered guide component;
An optical module assembling method. By heating the guide component after inserting the protrusion into the opening, the protrusion is brought into contact with the outer inner wall of the opening by thermal expansion;
Adhering and fixing the guide component to the optical waveguide component or the substrate on which the optical waveguide component is mounted at the contact position,
7. The method of assembling the optical module according to claim 6, wherein the temperature is then lowered to room temperature. Heating the guide part before or after inserting the protrusion into the opening;
After the heating, by lowering the temperature to room temperature with the protrusion inserted into the opening, the protrusion is brought into contact with the inner wall of the opening by heat shrinkage,
Adhering and fixing the guide component to the optical waveguide component or the substrate on which the optical waveguide component is mounted at the contact position,
The method of assembling an optical module according to claim 6.

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