JP6131544B2 - Optical wiring component manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical wiring component.

  An optical communication technique for transferring data using an optical carrier wave has been developed. In recent years, optical waveguides and optical fibers have been widely used as means for guiding the optical carrier wave from one point to another point. Among these, the optical waveguide has a linear core portion and a clad portion provided so as to cover the periphery thereof. The core part is made of a material that is substantially transparent to the light of the optical carrier wave, and the cladding part is made of a material having a refractive index lower than that of the core part.

  Optical waveguides are generally responsible for short-distance optical communications, whereas optical fibers are used for long-distance optical communications. Therefore, by connecting these, it becomes possible to connect the local network and the backbone network.

  For the connection between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber, for example, a form in which the end face of the optical waveguide and the end face of the optical fiber are held in contact with each other is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the case of Patent Document 1, a coupling mechanism that can be fitted to each other is used for this holding. Specifically, between the first ferrule that holds the end of the optical waveguide and the second ferrule that holds the end of the optical fiber, the surface of the alignment pin protruding from the second ferrule and the surface of the first ferrule is recessed. It is connected by fitting the fitting hole.

  In the connection according to the above embodiment, the positional relationship between the core portion in the optical waveguide and the fitting hole of the first ferrule needs to satisfy a predetermined relationship. This “predetermined relationship” is the positional relationship between the optical fiber and the alignment pin in the second ferrule that is the counterpart to which the first ferrule is to be connected. Therefore, in order to establish the connection in the above embodiment, the positional relationship between the core portion and the fitting hole on the first ferrule side and the positional relationship between the optical fiber and the alignment pin on the second ferrule side accurately correspond to each other. Need to be. Since this positional relationship difference is directly reflected in the optical coupling efficiency at the connection portion, it greatly affects the quality of optical communication.

  From such a background, when fixing the first ferrule and the optical waveguide, it is necessary to accurately align the position of the optical waveguide with respect to the first ferrule. However, in the conventional method, the position of the optical waveguide cannot be accurately and efficiently aligned with the first ferrule.

JP 2011-75688 A

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently producing the optical wiring part article that matches exactly the position of the optical connector and the optical waveguide.

Such an object is achieved by the present inventions (1) to (10) below.
(1) A plurality of position recognition marks each including an optical waveguide insertion hole and a window portion that opens to an inner surface of the optical waveguide insertion hole and a surface opposite to the inner surface and communicates the optical waveguide insertion hole with the outside. An optical connector comprising:
A layered optical waveguide having one end inserted in the optical waveguide insertion hole; and
An adhesive for bonding the optical connector and the optical waveguide;
Have
The two main surfaces of the optical waveguide are in sliding contact with the inner surface of the optical waveguide insertion hole,
The optical waveguide insertion hole is directed to a method of its width to produce the optical wiring component that is configured to be greater than the width of the optical waveguide,
When the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide is the Y direction, the thickness direction of the optical waveguide is the Z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction and the Z direction is the X direction,
The position of the optical waveguide in the X direction is adjusted so that the positional relationship between the position recognition mark and the optical waveguide satisfies a predetermined relationship when the optical waveguide is not inserted into the entire optical waveguide insertion hole. A first step of:
A second optical waveguide is inserted into the optical waveguide insertion hole while maintaining the position of the optical waveguide in the X direction and sliding the two principal surfaces of the optical waveguide to the inner surface of the optical waveguide insertion hole, respectively. And the process of
A third step of bonding the optical connector and the optical waveguide with an adhesive;
A method of manufacturing an optical wiring component, comprising:

(2) The optical connector includes a plurality of the position recognition marks arranged along an extending direction of the optical waveguide insertion hole, and a plurality of the positions arranged along an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the extending direction. An optical wiring component manufacturing method according to (1), further comprising a recognition mark.

(3) The method for manufacturing an optical wiring component according to (1) or (2), wherein the width of the optical waveguide insertion hole is 101 to 150% of the width of the optical waveguide.

(4) The plurality of position recognition marks are arranged in parallel with the extending direction of the optical waveguide and symmetrically with respect to a center line drawn so as to pass through a midpoint of the width of the optical waveguide. The method for manufacturing an optical wiring component according to any one of (1) to (3), including a position recognition mark.

(5) Of the optical waveguide insertion hole, when the end portion on the side where the optical waveguide is inserted is used as a base end portion, the base end portion is configured such that its height gradually increases toward the base end surface. The manufacturing method of the optical wiring component in any one of said (1) thru | or (4) currently performed.

(6) The optical wiring component manufacturing method according to (5), wherein the base end portion is configured such that an increasing rate of the height gradually increases toward the base end surface.

(7) In the first step, an image including the optical connector and the optical waveguide is acquired, and a positional relationship between an image of the optical connector recognized from the image and an image of the optical waveguide is predetermined. The method for manufacturing an optical wiring component according to any one of (1) to (6) , wherein the position of the optical waveguide in the X direction is adjusted so as to satisfy the relationship.

(8) The optical waveguide is provided with an optical circuit pattern extending in the Y direction,
The optical wiring component manufacturing method according to (7) , wherein the positional relationship between the position recognition mark and the optical waveguide in the first step uses the optical circuit pattern as a position reference on the optical waveguide side. .

(9) In the third step, the window portion supplying the uncured adhesive to the optical waveguide insertion hole through, then to the above (1) curing the uncured adhesive ( 8) The manufacturing method of the optical wiring component in any one of.

(10) The method for manufacturing an optical wiring component according to (9) , wherein in the third step, light is irradiated through the window portion and the uncured adhesive is photocured.

  According to the present invention, an optical wiring component in which the positions of the optical connector and the optical waveguide are accurately matched can be obtained. Further, such an optical wiring component can be connected to other optical components with high coupling efficiency.

  Further, according to the present invention, an optical wiring component in which the positions of the optical connector and the optical waveguide are accurately matched can be efficiently manufactured.

It is a perspective view which shows the opto-electric hybrid board provided with 1st Embodiment of the optical wiring component of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the optical wiring component shown in FIG. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. It is a figure which shows the front end surface (tip of an optical connector) of the optical wiring component shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship of an optical connector and an optical waveguide. It is a side view for demonstrating 1st Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the optical wiring component of this invention. It is an example of the image which imaged the optical wiring component in the middle of manufacture so that the main surface of an optical waveguide may be planarly viewed. It is a figure for demonstrating the method of manufacturing an optical wiring component, aligning an optical waveguide using a flip chip bonder, the figure shown so that the main surface of an optical waveguide might be planarly viewed, and an optical waveguide side It is the figure seen from. It is a top view which shows the other structural example of the optical connector used for 2nd Embodiment. It is an example of the image which imaged the optical wiring component in the middle of the process by the manufacturing method which concerns on 2nd Embodiment so that the main surface of an optical waveguide may be planarly viewed. It is an example of the image which imaged the optical wiring component in the middle of the process by the manufacturing method which concerns on 3rd Embodiment so that the main surface of an optical waveguide may be planarly viewed.

Hereinafter, the optical wiring component and the method for manufacturing the optical wiring component of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
<< First Embodiment >>
<Optical wiring parts>
First, a first embodiment of the optical wiring component of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an opto-electric hybrid board provided with the first embodiment of the optical wiring component of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the optical wiring component shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is an AA sectional view taken on the line. In the following description, the upper side in FIGS. 1 to 3 is referred to as “upper” and the lower side is referred to as “lower”. In addition, the left side of FIGS.

  An opto-electric hybrid board 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a circuit board 7 having a plate shape, an optical wiring component 2 disposed on the circuit board 7, and a light emitting element (optical element) 11 that emits light. . Among these, the optical wiring component 2 includes an optical waveguide 3 having a strip shape (long shape) and an optical connector 5 attached to the optical waveguide 3. The optical connector 5 is inserted with the distal end portion 32 of the optical waveguide 3, and the connector portion 53 is configured in the inserted state. The connector part 53 enables optical coupling by being connected to the connector part 53 of the optical wiring component 2 ′ which is a counterpart to be connected.

Hereinafter, the configuration of each part will be described in detail.
(Circuit board)
The circuit board 7 includes an insulating layer, a conductor pattern, and the like (not shown), and is configured by a laminated body in which these are laminated. Further, the light emitting element 11 is placed on the circuit board 7, and the light emitting element 11 is operated by electrically connecting the conductor pattern of the circuit board 7 and the light emitting element 11. The light emitting element 11 and the optical wiring component 2 are optically connected. As a result, the electrical signal in the circuit board 7 is converted into an optical signal in the light emitting element 11, and this optical signal is sent to the optical wiring component 2. As shown in FIG. 1, when the optical wiring component 2 and the optical wiring component 2 ′ are connected, this optical signal is sent to the optical wiring component 2 ′ side, and further, a light receiving element (not shown) The optical communication is performed by receiving the light and converting it to an electric signal again.

(Optical element)
Examples of the light emitting element 11 include a surface emitting laser (VCSEL), a light emitting diode (LED), and the like. When the proximal end portion 31 of the optical waveguide 3 is on the light receiving side, a light receiving element such as a photodiode (PD, APD) is used instead of the light emitting element 11.

(Optical waveguide)
A base end portion 31 of the optical waveguide 3 having a strip shape is fixed to the upper surface of the circuit board 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the optical waveguide 3 is formed by laminating a cladding layer 40a, a core layer 4, and a cladding layer 40b in this order from below. Among them, the core layer 4 includes a plurality of long (two in the present embodiment) core portions 41a and 41b and a plurality of long (three in the present embodiment) side cladding. Portions 42 a, 42 b, 42 c are formed, and these are alternately arranged in the width direction of the optical waveguide 3. Thereby, the core parts 41a and 41b are surrounded by the clad parts (side clad parts 42a, 42b and 42c and the clad layers 40a and 40b), and light can be confined and propagated in the core parts 41a and 41b. Note that the optical waveguide 3 according to the present embodiment is a multi-channel one having two core portions.

  The core portions 41a and 41b and the side cladding portions 42a to 42c have different light refractive indexes, and the core portions 41a and 41b may have a refractive index larger than that of the cladding portion.

  Further, the width and height of the core portions 41a and 41b (the thickness of the core layer 4) are not particularly limited, but are preferably about 1 to 200 μm, more preferably about 5 to 100 μm, More preferably, it is about 10-70 micrometers.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, when the plurality of core portions 41a and 41b are arranged in parallel, the widths of the side cladding portions 42a, 42b and 42c located between the core portions 41a and 41b are about 5 to 250 μm. It is preferably about 10 to 200 μm, more preferably about 10 to 120 μm.

  The constituent material (main material) of the core layer 4 as described above is, for example, acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, polycarbonate, polystyrene, cyclic ether resin such as epoxy resin or oxetane resin, polyamide, polyimide, poly Benzoxazole, polysilane, polysilazane, silicone resin, fluorine resin, polyurethane, polyolefin resin, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polychloroprene, polyester such as PET and PBT, polyethylene succinate, polysulfone, polyether, benzocyclo Various resin materials such as cyclic olefin resins such as butene resin and norbornene resin can be used. Note that the resin material may be a composite material in which materials having different compositions are combined. By comprising such a resin material, the optical waveguide 3 has sufficient flexibility.

On the other hand, the clad layers 40 a and 40 b are located below and above the core layer 4.
The average thickness of the clad layers 40a and 40b is preferably about 0.05 to 1.5 times the average thickness of the core layer 4, and more preferably about 0.1 to 1.25 times. Specifically, the average thickness of the cladding layers 40a and 40b is preferably about 1 to 200 μm, more preferably about 3 to 100 μm, and further preferably about 5 to 60 μm. Thereby, the function as a clad part is ensured, preventing the optical waveguide 3 from becoming thicker than necessary.

  Further, as the constituent material of the cladding layers 40a and 40b, for example, the same material as the constituent material of the core layer 4 described above can be used.

  The width of the optical waveguide 3 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 2 to 100 mm, and more preferably about 5 to 50 mm.

  The number of core portions 41a and 41b formed in the optical waveguide 3 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 1 to 100. In addition, when there are many core parts 41a and 41b, you may multilayer the optical waveguide 3 as needed. Specifically, the optical waveguide 3 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can be multilayered by alternately stacking core layers and cladding layers.

  If necessary, a support film may be provided on the lower surface of the optical waveguide 3 and a cover film may be provided on the upper surface, if necessary.

  Examples of the constituent material of the support film and the cover film include various resin materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyolefin such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyimide, and polyamide.

  Moreover, although the average thickness of a support film and a cover film is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is about 5-500 micrometers, and it is more preferable that it is about 10-400 micrometers.

  The base end portion 31 of the optical waveguide 3 is bonded to the upper surface of the circuit board 7. For this adhesion, thermocompression bonding such as an adhesive, an adhesive, an adhesive sheet, and an adhesive sheet can be used. Among these, examples of the adhesive layer include epoxy adhesives, acrylic adhesives, urethane adhesives, silicone adhesives, and various hot melt adhesives (polyester and modified olefins).

  Moreover, although the average thickness of an contact bonding layer is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is about 1-100 micrometers, and it is more preferable that it is about 5-60 micrometers.

(Optical connector)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the optical connector 5 includes a housing having a storage portion 52 that is formed so as to penetrate from the distal end 506 to the proximal end 507. The optical connector 5 may be composed of one member, but may be composed of two members of a main body 50 and a lid 51 as shown in FIG. The optical connector 5 shown in FIG. 1 is a state in which a main body 50 and a lid 51 are assembled.

  The main body 50 includes a bottom plate 500 having a plate shape, and a pair of side wall portions 501a and 501b that are erected from the bottom plate 500 so as to be separated from each other. The side wall portion 501a has a side wall surface 502a, and the side wall portion 502b has a side wall surface 502b. The side wall surface 502a and the side wall surface 502b are opposed to each other. A portion surrounded by the side wall surface 502 a of the side wall portion 501 a, the side wall surface 502 b of the side wall portion 501 b, and the bottom plate 500 is a groove 504. The groove 504 has an open portion 505 opened on the upper side.

  In the optical connector 5, the lid 51 formed of a plate member is assembled so as to close the opening 505. In such an optical connector 5, in a state where the open portion 505 of the groove 504 is closed (assembled state) with the lid 51, a back surface 510 which is a lower surface of the lid 51, a bottom surface 503 of the groove 504, and a pair The storage portion 52 defined by four surfaces of the side wall surfaces 502a and 502b is formed.

  A proximal end opening 521 is formed in the proximal end portion 520 of the storage portion 52 shown in FIGS. The base end opening 521 is configured such that the height of the storage portion 52 (the length in the thickness direction of the optical waveguide 3) gradually increases toward the base end. Further, an inclined portion 522a is formed at a portion facing the base end opening 521 of the bottom surface 503, and an inclined portion 522b is formed at a portion facing the base end opening 521 of the back surface 510. That is, the inclined portion 522a and the inclined portion 522b are configured such that the distance between them is gradually increased toward the proximal direction.

  The inclined portion 522a has a curved shape, and its curvature R gradually increases toward the proximal end. The average curvature R of the inclined portion 522a is preferably about 1 to 4, for example, and more preferably about 2 to 3.

  On the other hand, the inclined portion 522b has the same shape as the inclined portion 522a. By providing the inclined portions 522a and 522b, in the natural state where no external force is applied to the optical waveguide 3, there is a gap 524a between the inclined portion 522a and a gap between the inclined portion 522b. 524b is formed respectively.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, when an external force is applied to the optical waveguide 3 in the direction of the arrow A, the optical waveguide 3 can be bent by the range of the gap 524a. That is, the optical waveguide 3 is allowed to be curved and deformed until it comes into contact with the inclined portion 522a. On the other hand, when an external force is applied to the optical waveguide 3 in the direction of arrow B, the optical waveguide 3 can be bent by the range of the gap 524b. That is, the optical waveguide 3 is allowed to be curved and deformed until it comes into contact with the inclined portion 522b. Thereby, even when an external force is applied in any direction, the bending of the optical waveguide 3 with a steep curvature can be reliably suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress disconnection of the optical waveguide 3 due to bending, a decrease in transmission efficiency, and the like.

  As described above, the curvature R of the inclined portion 522a and the inclined portion 522b gradually increases toward the base end, which means that the height of the storage portion 52 at the base end portion 520 is equal to the base end 507. It is equivalent to being configured so that the rate of increase gradually increases toward the base end 507. With such a shape, the bending of the optical waveguide 3 can be more reliably suppressed, so that the optical waveguide 3 that can particularly reliably suppress disconnection of the optical waveguide 3 and a decrease in transmission efficiency can be obtained.

  3, the length L2 along the direction of the central axis 523 of the inclined portions 522a and 522b is, for example, preferably 10 to 50% of the length L1 along the direction of the central axis 523 of the storage portion 52. 40% is more preferable. As a result, even if the optical waveguide 3 is curved, the optical waveguide 3 is curved with a sufficiently gentle curvature, so that bending with a steep curvature can be more reliably suppressed. In addition, when the optical waveguide 3 and the bottom surface 503 of the main body 50 and the optical waveguide 3 and the back surface 510 of the lid 51 are respectively fixed via an adhesive, a sufficient adhesion area can be secured. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the optical connector 5 from being unintentionally disconnected from the optical waveguide 3.

  Further, guide holes 508 penetrating from the distal end 506 to the proximal end 507 are formed in the pair of side wall portions 501a and 501b of the optical connector 5, respectively. The guide hole 508 is used so that a guide pin 60 used when connecting to the connector portion 53 of the optical wiring component 2 ′ is inserted (see FIG. 1). The guide hole 508 does not necessarily pass through the optical connector 5, and is a recess (guide hole) that opens at the distal end 506 and does not open at the proximal end 507, and is longer than the insertion length of the guide pin 60. May also be deep.

  Furthermore, the optical connector 5 includes two (a plurality of) through holes (window portions) 57 provided on the lid 51 and configured to communicate the storage portion (optical waveguide insertion hole) 52 with the outside. . These through holes 57 have one end opened to the storage portion 52 and the other end opened to the surface of the lid 51. 1 and 2 has a cylindrical shape whose opening is a perfect circle.

  Also, the two through holes 57 shown in FIG. 2 are provided so that the line segment connecting them is parallel to the tip 506 of the optical connector 5 (tip of the lid 51). The tip 506 of the optical connector 5 (tip of the lid 51) and the side surface 509 of the lid 51 intersect at a right angle. That is, the two through holes 57 are arranged along an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the storage portion 52. Further, in the main body 50 of the optical connector 5, the side wall surface 502a of the side wall portion 501a and the side wall surface 502b of the side wall portion 501b are parallel to the axis of the guide hole 508, respectively. Accordingly, the line segment connecting the two through holes 57 is effective as a position reference for making the axis of the guide hole 508 and the optical axis of the optical waveguide 3 parallel to each other.

  Furthermore, the separation distance between the two through holes 57 and the side surface 509 of the lid 51, that is, the separation distance La and the separation distance Lb shown in FIG. 7 are equal to each other. Since the through-hole 57 is often formed by separately processing the optical connector 5 after being molded, it has a relatively high dimensional accuracy, and this point is also effective as a position reference on the optical connector 5 side.

  The length L1 of the storage portion 52 shown in FIG. 2 in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide 3 (length of the storage portion 52) L1 is not particularly limited, and is preferably 1.0 to 7.5 mm, for example. More preferably, it is 0 to 6.0 mm. Moreover, the length (width of the accommodating part 52) W1 in the width direction of the optical waveguide 3 of the accommodating part 52 is not specifically limited, For example, it is preferable that it is 2.5-4.0 mm, 2.9-3 More preferably, it is 6 mm. Moreover, the length (height of the storage part 52) t1 in the thickness direction of the optical waveguide 3 of the storage part 52 shown in FIG. 3 is not particularly limited, and is preferably 0.04 to 0.25 mm, for example. 0.08 to 0.16 mm is more preferable.

  The constituent material of the main body 50 and the lid 51 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a resin material filled with an inorganic filler. Examples of the resin material include a thermosetting epoxy resin, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) is used. Moreover, as an inorganic filler, granular silica, a glass filler, an alumina, white carbon, bentonite etc. are used, for example.

  The opto-electric hybrid board 1 having the optical wiring component 2 configured as described above is mounted on, for example, electronic devices such as a mobile phone, a game machine, a router device, a WDM device, a personal computer, a TV, and a home server. Can do.

Next, the optical wiring component 2 ′ will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the optical wiring component 2 ′ has an optical waveguide 3 ′ and an optical connector 5 ′ attached to the proximal end portion 31 of the optical waveguide 3 ′. The optical connector 5 ′ is the same as the optical connector 5 described above except that the inclined portions 522a and 522b are omitted.

  Similar to the optical connector 5, the optical connector 5 ′ has a storage portion 52. The base end portion 31 of the optical waveguide 3 ′ is inserted into the storage portion 52 of the optical connector 5 ′. In the optical wiring component 2 ′, a connector portion 53 is configured by the base end portion 31 of the optical waveguide 3 ′ inserted into the housing portion 52 of the optical connector 5 ′ and the optical connector 5 ′.

  When connecting the connector portion 53 of the optical connector 5 and the connector portion 53 of the optical connector 5 ′, first, the guide pins 60 are inserted into the respective guide holes 508 of the optical connector 5 ′ halfway in the longitudinal direction. At this time, the remaining portion of the guide pin 60 that is not inserted into the guide hole 508 protrudes from the guide hole 508 (hereinafter, this portion is referred to as a protruding portion 600). Next, the protrusion 600 is inserted into a guide hole 508 provided in the optical connector 5. As a result, the connector 53 of the optical connector 5 and the connector 53 of the optical connector 5 ′ are connected. In this connected state, the core portions 41a and 41b of the optical waveguide 3 of the optical wiring component 2 face the core portions 41a and 41b of the optical waveguide 3 'of the optical wiring component 2' and are optically connected to each other.

  In the configuration shown in the figure, the guide pin 60 is inserted into the optical connector 5 ′ first, but not limited to this, the guide pin 60 may be inserted into and connected to the optical connector 5 first.

  The optical wiring component 2 ′ may be other optical components, such as an optical fiber with an optical connector.

  Here, FIG. 4 is a view showing the front end surface (the front end 506 of the optical connector 5) of the optical wiring component 2 shown in FIG.

  In the optical wiring component 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the storage portion 52 of the optical connector 5 is opened in a rectangular shape that is elongated to the left and right. The distal end surface of the optical waveguide 3 is exposed at the distal end opening 526 of the storage portion 52. The height of the distal end surface of the optical waveguide 3 substantially matches the height of the distal end opening 526 of the storage portion 52. For this reason, there is almost no room for the optical waveguide 3 to move in the vertical direction in FIG. 4 in the storage portion 52, and as a result, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the vertical direction of the storage portion 52 is almost uniquely determined.

  The positional relationship between the storage portion 52 and the guide hole 508 is configured to correspond to the positional relationship between the storage portion 52 and the guide hole 508 in the optical wiring component 2 ′, which is a connection partner of the optical wiring component 2. . For this reason, when the guide pins 60 are inserted into the respective guide holes 508, the positions of the optical waveguide 3 and the optical waveguide 3 'in the vertical direction are necessarily aligned.

  On the other hand, the width of the tip surface of the optical waveguide 3 is smaller than the width of the tip opening 526 of the storage portion 52. That is, the width of the storage portion 52 is larger than the width of the optical waveguide 3. For this reason, the optical waveguide 3 is movable in the left-right direction in FIG. As a result, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the storage portion 52 can be adjusted in accordance with the optical axis of the optical waveguide 3 ′, which is the connection partner of the optical waveguide 3.

  The width of the storage portion 52 is preferably about 101 to 150% of the width of the optical waveguide 3, and more preferably about 110 to 130%. By setting the width of the storage portion 52 within the above range, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the optical connector 5 while ensuring a sufficient position adjustment width of the optical waveguide 3.

  The gap between the storage portion 52 and the optical waveguide 3 is filled with an adhesive, and the optical waveguide 3 is fixed.

  When aligning the optical waveguide 3, the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 is such that the position of the optical connector 5 ′ and the optical waveguide 3 ′ in the optical wiring component 2 ′ to which the optical wiring component 2 is connected. Set to correspond to the relationship.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3. 5 is a view showing the front end surface of the optical wiring component 2 (the front end 506 of the optical connector 5) as in FIG.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, a line segment S1 connecting the centers of the guide holes 508 provided in the optical connector 5 is drawn, and the center of the core portion 41a and the center of the core portion 41b formed in the optical waveguide 3 are drawn. When the connecting line segment S2 is drawn, the line segment S1 and the line segment S2 overlap, and the midpoint M1 of the line segment S1 and the midpoint M2 of the line segment S2 overlap. Such a positional relationship is optimal in the balance of the arrangement of the optical wiring component 2 in the X direction and the Z direction, so that the decrease in optical coupling efficiency due to deformation caused by, for example, thermal influence or curing shrinkage of adhesive is minimized. To the limit. Moreover, since the optical wiring component 2 can be adapted to a general-purpose optical connector, usability is improved.

  In FIG. 5, the line segment S <b> 1 and the line segment S <b> 2 are shown translated in order to avoid the figure from becoming complicated. Further, when three or more core portions are formed in the optical waveguide 3, the line segment S2 may be set so as to connect the two outermost centers.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, the guide hole 508 is used as a position reference on the optical connector 5 side. However, such a guide hole 508 may be formed by separately processing the optical connector 5 after molding. Since there are many, it has comparatively high dimensional accuracy and is effective as a position reference. Further, from the viewpoint of connecting the optical wiring component 2 and the optical wiring component 2 ′ through the guide hole 508, it is effective to use the guide hole 508 as a position reference.

  In FIG. 5, it is preferable to adjust the arrangement of the camera 831 in advance so that the distal end opening 526 and the proximal end opening 521 of the storage unit 52 overlap each other. As a result, the plane of the captured image is a plane orthogonal to the axis of the guide hole 508, and therefore, when examining the optical coupling efficiency with the optical wiring component 2 ′, the analysis accuracy of the positional relationship on the image is improved. Can be increased.

<Optical wiring component manufacturing method>
Next, a first embodiment of the optical wiring component manufacturing method of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a side view for explaining the first embodiment of the method for producing an optical wiring component of the present invention.

  The optical wiring component 2 shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured by inserting the optical waveguide 3 into the housing portion (optical waveguide insertion hole) 52 of the optical connector 5. At this time, by adjusting the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the storage portion 52, the optical axis of the optical waveguide 3 can be matched with the optical axis of the optical waveguide 3 ′ in the optical wiring component 2 ′ that is the connection partner. The optical coupling efficiency between the two can be increased.

  Here, in FIG. 6, the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide 3 (left-right direction in FIG. 6) is the Y direction, the thickness direction of the optical waveguide 3 (the thickness direction in FIG. 6) is the Z direction, and the Y direction and Z A direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6) orthogonal to each direction is defined as an X direction.

  The method for manufacturing the optical wiring component 2 includes a step of adjusting the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the storage portion 52 and a step of bonding the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 with an adhesive. Hereinafter, each process will be described sequentially.

[1]
First, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the storage portion 52 is adjusted. In this adjustment, the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into the storage portion 52 so that the two main surfaces of the optical waveguide 3 are in sliding contact with the upper and lower surfaces in the storage portion 52 (the back surface 510 of the lid 51 and the bottom surface 503 of the groove 504). To do. Thereby, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the Z direction is automatically adjusted. As a result, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the Z direction can be accurately adjusted with respect to the position of the guide hole 508 based on the positional relationship between the guide hole 508 and the storage portion 52 in the optical connector 5. Accordingly, the storage portion 52 is formed in consideration of the positional relationship with the guide hole 508 on the assumption that such alignment is performed.

  Further, when the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into the storage portion 52, the optical waveguide 3 is inserted while adjusting the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction. At this time, when the main surface of the optical waveguide 3 is viewed in plan, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction is adjusted so that the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 satisfies a predetermined relationship. Then, when the distal end surface of the optical waveguide 3 coincides with the distal end opening 526 of the storage portion 52, the insertion of the optical waveguide 3 is stopped. Thereby, the alignment of the optical waveguide 3 is completed. Thereafter, the optical waveguide part 2 is obtained by fixing the optical waveguide 3 with an adhesive. The adjustment of the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction includes adjustment of the shift deviation of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction and adjustment of the rotational deviation in which the optical waveguide 3 rotates in the XY plane.

  According to such an alignment method, since the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the Z direction can be determined by simply inserting the optical waveguide 3 into the storage portion 52, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction is adjusted in the present invention. Just do it. Therefore, the alignment operation of the optical waveguide 3 can be performed very easily and accurately, and the optical wiring component 2 in which the position of the optical waveguide 3 is accurately aligned with respect to the optical connector 5 is obtained.

  When viewing the optical wiring component in the middle of production so as to view the main surface of the optical waveguide 3 in plan view, the operator may visually confirm the optical wiring component, but preferably an image is taken by an imaging means such as a camera, The positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 is confirmed on this image.

  FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a method of aligning the optical waveguide 3 using a flip chip bonder, and is a view showing the optical waveguide 3 as viewed from the side.

  The flip chip bonder 8 shown in FIG. 6 images the first suction part 81 for sucking and fixing the optical waveguide 3, the second suction part 82 for sucking and fixing the optical connector 5, and the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3. And an image recognition unit 83 for recognizing mutual positions. The first suction unit 81 is configured to freely move in the left-right direction and the sheet thickness direction in FIG. 6 and to freely rotate about the central portion of the first suction unit 81 as a rotation axis. Further, the flip chip bonder 8 includes a control unit 84 that controls the operation of the first suction unit 81. The control unit 84 drives the first suction unit 81 based on the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 recognized by the image recognition unit 83 and adjusts the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3. .

  In addition, the image recognition unit 83 includes a camera 831 and an analysis unit 832 that analyzes an image captured by the camera 831. With respect to the images of the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 captured by the camera 831, the analysis unit 832 analyzes the positional relationship between the image of the optical connector 5 and the image of the optical waveguide 3 and moves in the X direction to move the optical waveguide 3. The direction and amount of movement and the rotation direction and rotation angle are calculated.

  Based on this calculation, the control unit 84 issues a command to move the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3, and the positional relationship on the image between the image of the optical connector 5 and the image of the optical waveguide 3 becomes a predetermined relationship. At that point, the movement ends. Thereby, the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 is as designed. Then, the optical wiring component 2 in which the optical waveguide 3 is aligned as described above exhibits excellent optical coupling efficiency when connected to the optical wiring component 2 ′, and can realize high-quality optical communication. Become.

  In the flip chip bonder 8, only the first suction part 81 may be moved as described above, but both the first suction part 81 and the second suction part 82 may be moved. If the former is used, the movement can be easily controlled. In addition, since the image of the optical connector 5 in the captured image of the camera 831 is kept constant by fixing the second suction portion 82, the relative movement of the optical waveguide 3 with respect to the optical connector 5 is accurately recognized. There is also an advantage that it is easy.

  The positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 is set in correspondence with the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 ′ and the optical waveguide 3 ′ in the optical wiring component 2 ′ that is the connection partner of the optical wiring component 2.

  FIG. 7 is an example of an image obtained by imaging an optical wiring component being manufactured so that the main surface of the optical waveguide 3 is viewed in plan.

  In the optical wiring component manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the optical waveguide 3 is inserted while adjusting the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction. At this time, as shown in FIG. The optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 are imaged. Then, on the obtained image, the positional relationship between the image of the through hole (window portion) 57 of the optical connector 5 and the images of the core portions 41a and 41b (optical circuit pattern) of the optical waveguide 3 is analyzed. In the example shown in FIG. 7, a line segment S3 that connects the images of the two through holes 57 is drawn. This line segment S3 recognizes the difference between the color that the through-hole 57 of the lid 51 exhibits and the color that the surrounding area presents, obtains the center of each through-hole 57, and draws a line segment that virtually connects the centers. Is required. That is, the through hole 57 functions as a mark (position recognition mark) for recognizing the position of the optical connector 5.

  Further, line segments S4 and S5 are drawn along the centers of the core portions 41a and 41b. The line segments S4 and S5 recognize the difference between the color of the core portions 41a and 41b of the optical waveguide 3 and the color of the side cladding portions 42a, 42b and 42c, and the core portions 41a and 41b and the side cladding portions 42a, While calculating | requiring the boundary line with 42b and 42c, based on this boundary line, it calculates | requires by drawing the line segment which penetrates the center of each core part 41a and 41b virtually.

  Further, two line segments S6 and S7 are drawn so as to be orthogonal to the line segment S3 and pass through the center of the through hole 57.

  Then, the first adsorption portion 81 is driven to move the optical waveguide 3 so that the intersection angle θ1 between the line segment S3 and the line segment S4 and the intersection angle θ2 between the line segment S3 and the line segment S5 become predetermined angles. Let The predetermined angle is set to about 85 to 95 °, preferably 90 °. In this case, the first suction portion 81 is rotated and the optical waveguide 3 is rotated so that the crossing angles θ1 and θ2 are 90 °.

  In addition, the first suction portion 81 is driven so that the separation distance L3 between the line segment S4 and the line segment S6 and the separation distance L4 between the line segment S5 and the line segment S7 are predetermined distances, respectively. Move. The predetermined distance is not particularly limited, and the separation distance L3 and the separation distance L4 may be different from each other, but the optical waveguide 3 is preferably moved so as to be equal to each other.

  Thus, the optical waveguide 3 is moved in the X direction so that the crossing angles θ1 and θ2 are 90 ° and the separation distances L3 and L4 are equal to each other. It will satisfy the relationship. The positional relationship shown in FIG. 7 means that the line segment S1 connecting the centers of the guide holes 508 and the line segment S2 connecting the centers of the core portions 41a and 41b overlap with each other and the midpoint M1 of the line segment S1. This is a relationship in which the middle point M2 of the line segment S2 overlaps.

  By aligning with the above method, it becomes easy to recognize the rotational deviation of the optical waveguide 3 in particular. Therefore, both the shift deviation and the rotational deviation in the X direction are recognized more accurately, and the position of the optical waveguide 3 is determined. It can be adjusted accurately.

  Further, since the opening of the through hole 57 is a perfect circle, the center of the through hole 57 can be easily obtained on the image. For this reason, the precision of alignment can be improved more. The shape of the opening of the through hole 57 is not limited to a perfect circle, and may be, for example, an ellipse, another circle such as an oval, a polygon such as a rectangle or a hexagon, a cross, a star, or the like. Good.

  As the position reference on the optical waveguide 3 side, side clad portions 42a, 42b, and 42c (optical circuit patterns) can be used in addition to the core portions 41a and 41b described above.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing an optical wiring component while aligning the optical waveguide 3 using a flip chip bonder, and is a diagram showing the main surface of the optical waveguide as viewed in plan view. It is the figure which looked at the optical waveguide from the side.

  When the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into the storage portion 52 of the optical connector 5, first, the optical waveguide 3 is not inserted into the entire storage portion 52, that is, the optical waveguide 3 is not inserted into the storage portion 52 at all. Alternatively, in the state where the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into a part of the storage portion 52, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction with respect to the optical connector 5 is aligned as described above. FIG. 8 shows a state where the optical waveguide 3 is not inserted into the storage portion 52 at all. By performing the alignment in such a state, the optical waveguide 3 can be moved in a state where there is no frictional resistance or in a state where there is little frictional resistance, so that it is possible to perform exact alignment. The state in which the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into a part of the storage portion 52 means that the optical waveguide 3 is inserted in a ratio of preferably less than 95%, more preferably 50% or less, out of the total length of the storage portion 52. The state that is.

  In addition, the image recognition unit 83 recognizes the position of each unit based on the difference in color development or the amount of reflected light of each unit. For example, in the optical waveguide 3, since the colors exhibited by the core portion and the clad portion are different, the outline of the core portion may be recognized based on the difference in color and the center of the core portion may be obtained. By using the center of the core portion as a position reference on the optical waveguide 3 side in this way, the optical axis of the core portion that is the object of alignment can be directly used as a reference for alignment. In particular, the optical coupling efficiency when connecting 2 and the optical wiring component 2 ′ can be enhanced.

  In some cases, the acquired image cannot be focused on both the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 at the same time. In such a case, an image focused on the optical connector 5 side and an image focused on the optical waveguide 3 side are alternately obtained, and the two are synthesized, whereby the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 are combined. The positional relationship may be obtained.

  After aligning the position in the X direction in this manner, the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into the entire storage portion 52 by moving in the Y direction while maintaining the position in the X direction. As a result, the position in the Z direction naturally matches, and when the tip surface of the optical waveguide 3 and the tip 506 of the storage portion 52 coincide with each other, the insertion of the optical waveguide 3 is finished. As a result, alignment in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction can be performed accurately.

  In the flip chip bonder 8, the movement of the first suction portion 81 in the X direction and the movement in the Y direction is performed by a linear drive device such as a linear actuator. In the linear drive device, since the first suction unit 81 can be driven while maintaining high linearity, for example, after the position in the X direction is once adjusted, the optical waveguide 3 is moved in the Y direction while accurately maintaining the position. can do. As the linear drive device, an XYZ stage, an industrial robot, a belt conveyor and the like are used in addition to the linear actuator.

  Further, during the alignment in the X direction and the Y direction, the image recognition unit 83 may continue to monitor the positional relationship between the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3. Thereby, since the deviation | shift amount of the target positional relationship and the present positional relationship can be always monitored, this deviation | shift amount can be fed back to the control part 84. FIG. As a result, for example, control such as changing the moving speed in accordance with the amount of deviation can be performed, and accurate alignment can be performed in a shorter time.

  Further, in the optical connector 5 shown in FIG. 3, the inclined portion 522 a and the inclined portion 522 b are formed in the proximal end opening 521 of the storage portion 52. For this reason, when the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into the storage portion 52, even if the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the Z direction is slightly shifted, the optical waveguide 3 is slipped along the inclined portions 522a and 522b, so that the shift is reduced. It can be corrected. As a result, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the Z direction can be easily adjusted.

  As the analysis unit 832 and the control unit 84 of the image recognition unit 83, for example, an IC, LSI, personal computer, microcomputer or the like is used. The analysis unit 832 may be built in the control unit 84.

  Further, the optical waveguide 3 may not be inserted into the entire length of the storage portion 52, and for example, the front end surface of the optical waveguide 3 is inserted so as to be positioned slightly inward from the front end 506 of the optical connector 5. May be. In this case, the distance from the tip 506 of the optical connector 5 to the tip surface of the optical waveguide 3 is set to 5% or less of the total length of the storage portion 52.

[2]
After the alignment as described above, the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 are bonded with an adhesive. The optical waveguide 3 can be fixed to the storage portion 52 by allowing a liquid adhesive to penetrate into the gap between the storage portion 52 and the optical waveguide 3 and curing.

  The adhesive may be supplied by any method. For example, a method of supplying from the distal end opening 526 of the storage unit 52, a method of supplying from the proximal end opening 521, a method of supplying via the through hole using the lid 51 provided with the through hole, the optical waveguide 3 For example, a method may be used in which the tip portion is once protruded from the tip opening portion 526 of the storage portion 52, an adhesive is applied to the tip portion, and the optical waveguide 3 is drawn back into the storage portion 52 so that the adhesive is also drawn together. . Among these, it is preferable to supply an adhesive via the through hole (window portion) 57. Thereby, since an adhesive agent can be directly supplied with respect to the gap | interval of the accommodating part 52 and the optical waveguide 3, an adhesive agent can be penetrate | infiltrated uniformly, and a homogeneous adhesive bond layer can be formed. . In particular, in the case of the optical wiring component 2 shown in FIG. 7, since the two through holes 57 are evenly arranged with respect to the optical waveguide 3, this tendency is remarkable. As a result, the optical waveguide 3 can be firmly fixed, and it is possible to prevent the position of the optical waveguide 3 from being displaced due to curing shrinkage. Note that “two through holes 57 are evenly arranged with respect to the optical waveguide 3” means that the optical waveguide 3 is parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide 3 when the optical waveguide 3 is inserted into the storage portion 52. The two through-holes 57 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line drawn so as to pass through the midpoint of the width.

  Further, by supplying the adhesive through the through hole 57, the through hole 57 can be used as a liquid reservoir for the adhesive. For this reason, when the adhesive permeates through capillary action, the permeation can be promoted. As a result, the adhesive can be penetrated even when the gap between the storage portion 52 and the optical waveguide 3 is extremely thin.

  Further, when the adhesive is photo-curable, light can be irradiated to the adhesive that has penetrated into the gap through the through hole 57. When light is irradiated through the through hole 57, the curing reaction of the adhesive progresses starting from the through hole 57. Here, in the case of FIG. 7, the two through holes 57 are evenly arranged with respect to the optical waveguide 3, so that the curing reaction is advanced in a balanced manner by irradiating light through the through holes 57. Can do. As a result, the curing shrinkage becomes relatively uniform, and the positional deviation of the optical waveguide 3 accompanying the curing shrinkage can be minimized.

  As described above, the through hole 57 has not only a function as a position recognition mark but also a function as a liquid reservoir for an adhesive and a function as a window portion in light irradiation. And by arranging the through-holes 57 appropriately, the accuracy of position recognition can be increased, the adhesive can be supplied uniformly, and photocuring can be progressed uniformly. As a result, the optical wiring component 2 that has been aligned with high accuracy is obtained.

  The through-hole 57 does not necessarily have to penetrate, and may be a bottomed recess. Also in this case, the concave portion functions as a mark (position recognition mark) for recognizing the position of the optical connector 5. On the other hand, since the inner surface of the storage portion 52 can be seen from the opening of the through hole 57, there is an advantage that a contrast of color and brightness is easily given compared to the case where the through hole 57 is not penetrated. Therefore, this contrast can be further enhanced by applying a color different from the constituent material of the lid 51 to the inner surface of the storage portion 52 as necessary.

  Further, three or more through holes 57 may be formed. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the optical connector used in this embodiment. The optical connector 5 shown in FIG. 9 is the same as the optical connector 5 shown in FIG. 7 except that three through holes 57 are formed.

A through hole 57 added in FIG. 9 is formed on the base end 507 side of the optical connector 5 on the extension line of the line segment S7 in FIG. As a result, the arrangement of the three through holes 57 is an arrangement corresponding to the apex of the right triangle as shown in FIG. Thus, by increasing the number of through holes 57, the number of line segments used for recognizing the position and posture of the optical connector 5 increases. Specifically, when the number of through holes 57 is two, there is only one line segment connecting the through holes 57, whereas when the number of through holes 57 is increased to three, the through holes 57 are The connecting line segment will increase to three. For this reason, by making the image recognition unit 83 of the flip chip bonder 8 recognize these line segments, the position and posture of the optical connector 5 can be recognized more accurately. As a result, the position of the optical waveguide 3 can be accurately determined. Can be matched.
The optical wiring component 2 is obtained as described above.

  In addition, after hardening | curing of an adhesive agent, you may make it grind | polish the front end surface of the optical waveguide 3 with the front end surface of the optical connector 5 as needed. As a result, the front end surface of the optical waveguide 3 can be cleaned, and excess adhesive protruding from the storage portion 52 can be removed. As a result, the optical coupling efficiency can be further improved.

<< Second Embodiment >>
Next, a second embodiment of the optical wiring component of the present invention and a second embodiment of the manufacturing method of the optical wiring component of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 10 is an example of an image obtained by imaging an optical wiring component in the middle of a process by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment so that the main surface of the optical waveguide 3 is viewed in plan.

Hereinafter, although 2nd Embodiment is described, in the following description, it demonstrates centering around difference with 1st Embodiment, The description is abbreviate | omitted about the same matter.
The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the shape of the optical connector 5 is different.

[1]
As shown in FIG. 10, the optical connector 5 according to the present embodiment includes one through hole 58 provided in the lid 51 and configured to communicate the storage portion (optical waveguide through hole) 52 and the outside. ing. The opening of the through hole 58 has a cross shape. In the cross-shaped through hole 58, a through hole 581 having a component along the extending direction of the storage portion 52 is provided so as to be parallel to the side surface 509 of the lid 51. In addition, among the cross-shaped through holes 58, a through hole 582 having a component orthogonal to the through hole 581 is provided in parallel with the surface of the tip 506 of the optical connector 5 (tip of the lid 51). Note that the surface of the tip 506 of the optical connector 5 (tip of the lid 51) and the side surface 509 of the lid 51 intersect at a right angle.

  Further, the separation distance between the through hole 581 and the side surface 509 of the lid 51, that is, the separation distance Lc and the separation distance Ld shown in FIG. 10 are equal to each other. Since the through-hole 58 is often formed by separately processing the optical connector 5 after being molded, it has a relatively high dimensional accuracy, and this is also effective as a position reference on the optical connector 5 side.

  In the optical waveguide alignment method according to the present embodiment, the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 are imaged so that the optical waveguide 3 is viewed in plan as in the example shown in FIG. Then, on the obtained image, the positional relationship between the image of the through hole 58 of the optical connector 5 and the image of the core portions 41a and 41b of the optical waveguide 3 is analyzed. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, a line segment S <b> 8 is drawn along the center of the through hole 581. Further, a line segment S9 is drawn along the center of the through hole 582.

  Then, the first suction portion 81 is driven to move the optical waveguide 3 so that the intersection angle θ3 between the line segment S9 and the line segment S4 and the intersection angle θ4 between the line segment S9 and the line segment S5 become predetermined angles. Let For example, the first adsorption portion 81 is rotated and the optical waveguide 3 is rotated so that the intersection angles θ3 and θ4 are 90 °.

  In addition, the first adsorption portion 81 is driven so that the separation distance L5 between the line segment S4 and the line segment S8 and the separation distance L6 between the line segment S5 and the line segment S8 are respectively predetermined distances. Move. For example, the optical waveguide 3 is moved so that the separation distance L5 and the separation distance L6 are equal to each other.

  By moving the optical waveguide 3 so that the intersection angles θ3 and θ4 are 90 ° and the separation distances L5 and L6 are equal to each other, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction is the position shown in FIG. It will satisfy the relationship.

  By aligning with the above method, even with one through hole 58 (position recognition mark), both shift shift and rotation shift in the X direction are recognized, and the position of the optical waveguide 3 is accurately determined. Can be adjusted.

[2]
Next, the optical wiring component 2 is obtained by bonding the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

«Third embodiment»
Next, a third embodiment of the optical wiring component of the present invention and a third embodiment of the method of manufacturing the optical wiring component of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 11 is an example of an image obtained by imaging an optical wiring component in the middle of a process by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment so that the main surface of the optical waveguide 3 is viewed in plan.

Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and description of similar matters will be omitted.
The third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the shape of the optical waveguide 3 is different.

[1]
The optical wiring component according to the present embodiment includes two alignment marks (position recognition marks) 43. These alignment marks 43 are used as a position reference on the optical waveguide 3 side in alignment.

  The alignment mark 43 may be of any material and shape as long as it can visually recognize the position of the optical waveguide 3, and may be formed at any location of the optical waveguide 3. As an example, the alignment mark 43 shown in FIG. 11 is formed in the side cladding portions 42a and 42c of the core layer 4, and is made of the same material as the core portions 41a and 41b. For this reason, the alignment mark 43 also has a color different from that of the side clad portions 42a and 42c, and functions as a position recognition mark, like the core portions 41a and 41b.

  Further, the alignment mark 43 shown in FIG. 11 has a cross shape in plan view. Among the cross-shaped alignment marks 43, linear portions along the left-right direction in FIG. 11 are provided so as to be parallel to the extending direction of the core portions 41a and 41b. On the other hand, a linear portion of the alignment mark 43 along the vertical direction in FIG. 11 is provided so as to be parallel to a direction orthogonal to the extending direction. As described above, since the shape of the alignment mark 43 shown in FIG. 11 accurately corresponds to the extending direction of the core portions 41a and 41b, for example, even if the optical waveguide 3 has only one such mark. The rotational deviation of the optical waveguide 3 can be easily detected. The shape of the alignment mark 43 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a perfect circle, an ellipse, a circle such as an oval, a polygon such as a quadrangle, a hexagon, or a star.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the alignment mark 43 is formed through the same manufacturing process as the core parts 41a and 41b. For example, when the core portions 41a and 41b are formed by a manufacturing process involving exposure processing, the alignment mark 43 is also formed at the same time, so that the positional relationship between the two becomes as designed with a high probability. For this reason, the alignment mark 43 has a designed positional relationship with the core portions 41a and 41b. As a result, the alignment mark 43 is effective as a position reference on the optical waveguide 3 side.

  Also in the optical waveguide alignment method according to the present embodiment, the optical waveguide 3 is inserted while adjusting the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction. At this time, as in the example shown in FIG. The optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 are imaged. Then, the positional relationship between the image of the through hole 57 of the optical connector 5 and the image of the alignment mark 43 of the optical waveguide 3 is analyzed on the obtained image. In the example shown in FIG. 11, a line segment S3 that connects the images of the two through holes 57 is drawn.

  Further, line segments S4 'and S5' are drawn along alignment portions of the alignment mark 43 along the extending direction of the core portions 41a and 41b. The line segments S4 ′ and S5 ′ recognize the difference between the color exhibited by the alignment mark 43 and the color exhibited by the periphery thereof, obtain the shape of the alignment mark 43, and follow the linear portion derived from this shape. This is obtained by virtually drawing a line segment.

  Further, two line segments S6 and S7 are drawn so as to be orthogonal to the line segment S3 and pass through the center of the through hole 57.

  In addition, the first suction portion 81 is driven so that the intersection angle θ1 ′ between the line segment S3 and the line segment S4 ′ and the intersection angle θ2 ′ between the line segment S3 and the line segment S5 ′ become predetermined angles. The waveguide 3 is moved. The predetermined angle is set to about 85 to 95 °, preferably 90 °. In this case, the first adsorption portion 81 is rotated and the optical waveguide 3 is rotated so that the intersection angles θ1 ′ and θ2 ′ are 90 °.

  Further, the first suction unit 81 is driven so that the separation distance L3 ′ between the line segment S4 ′ and the line segment S6 and the separation distance L4 ′ between the line segment S5 ′ and the line segment S7 are respectively predetermined distances. The optical waveguide 3 is moved. The predetermined distance is not particularly limited, and the separation distance L3 'and the separation distance L4' may be different from each other, but the optical waveguide 3 is preferably moved so as to be equal to each other.

  Thus, by moving the optical waveguide 3 so that the intersection angles θ1 ′ and θ2 ′ are 90 ° and the separation distances L3 ′ and L4 ′ are equal to each other, the position of the optical waveguide 3 in the X direction is as shown in FIG. The positional relationship shown in FIG.

  By aligning with the above method, it becomes easy to recognize the rotational deviation of the optical waveguide 3 in particular. Therefore, both the shift deviation and the rotational deviation in the X direction are recognized more accurately, and the position of the optical waveguide 3 is determined. It can be adjusted accurately.

[2]
Next, the optical wiring component 2 is obtained by bonding the optical connector 5 and the optical waveguide 3 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  As mentioned above, although the optical wiring component of this invention and the manufacturing method of the optical wiring component were demonstrated based on embodiment of illustration, this invention is not limited to these.

  For example, the flip chip bonder can be replaced by another device (for example, a chip mounter) as long as it has a function of attracting and moving the optical waveguide and the optical connector.

  In addition, the embodiment according to the present invention may be a combination of any two or more of the above three embodiments.

  Further, the outer edge of the optical waveguide may be adopted as the position reference on the optical waveguide side, or both the core part and the outer edge may be adopted. Similarly, both the position recognition mark and the outer edge of the optical connector may be adopted as the position reference on the optical connector side.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Opto-electric hybrid board 2, 2 'Optical wiring component 3, 3' Optical waveguide 31 Base end part 32 End part 40a, 40b Clad layer 4 Core layer 41a, 41b Core part 42a, 42b, 42c Side surface clad part 43 Alignment mark 5 5 'Optical connector 50 Main body 500 Bottom plate 501a, 501b Side wall portion 502a, 502b Side wall surface 503 Bottom surface 504 Groove 505 Opening portion 506 Tip 507 Base end 508 Guide hole 509 Side surface 51 Cover 510 Back surface 52 Storage portion 520 Base end portion 521 Base End opening 522a, 522b Inclined portion 523 Center axis 524a, 524b Gap 526 End opening 53 Connector portion 57, 58, 581, 582 Through hole 60 Guide pin 600 Projection 7 Circuit board (board)
8 Flip Chip Bonder 81 First Adsorption Unit 82 Second Adsorption Unit 83 Image Recognition Unit 831 Camera 832 Analysis Unit 84 Control Unit 11 Light Emitting Element (Optical Element)

Claims (10)

A plurality of position recognition marks each comprising an optical waveguide insertion hole, and an inner surface of the optical waveguide insertion hole and a window portion that opens to the surface opposite to the inner surface and communicates the optical waveguide insertion hole and the outside. An optical connector, and
A layered optical waveguide having one end inserted in the optical waveguide insertion hole; and
An adhesive for bonding the optical connector and the optical waveguide;
Have
The two main surfaces of the optical waveguide are in sliding contact with the inner surface of the optical waveguide insertion hole,
The optical waveguide insertion hole is directed to a method of its width to produce the optical wiring component that is configured to be greater than the width of the optical waveguide,
When the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide is the Y direction, the thickness direction of the optical waveguide is the Z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction and the Z direction is the X direction,
The position of the optical waveguide in the X direction is adjusted so that the positional relationship between the position recognition mark and the optical waveguide satisfies a predetermined relationship when the optical waveguide is not inserted into the entire optical waveguide insertion hole. A first step of:
A second optical waveguide is inserted into the optical waveguide insertion hole while maintaining the position of the optical waveguide in the X direction and sliding the two principal surfaces of the optical waveguide to the inner surface of the optical waveguide insertion hole, respectively. And the process of
A third step of bonding the optical connector and the optical waveguide with an adhesive;
A method of manufacturing an optical wiring component, comprising: The optical connector includes a plurality of the position recognition marks arranged along an extending direction of the optical waveguide insertion hole, and a plurality of the position recognition marks arranged along an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the extending direction. The manufacturing method of the optical wiring component of Claim 1 provided with these. The method of manufacturing an optical wiring component according to claim 1, wherein the width of the optical waveguide insertion hole is 101 to 150% of the width of the optical waveguide. The plurality of position recognition marks are arranged in parallel to the extending direction of the optical waveguide and symmetrically with respect to a center line drawn so as to pass through a midpoint of the width of the optical waveguide. The manufacturing method of the optical wiring component of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 containing these. Of the optical waveguide insertion hole, when the end portion on the side where the optical waveguide is inserted is used as a base end portion, the base end portion is configured such that its height gradually increases toward the base end surface. The manufacturing method of the optical wiring component of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4. The method for manufacturing an optical wiring component according to claim 5, wherein the base end portion is configured such that a rate of increase in height gradually increases toward the base end surface. In the first step, an image including the optical connector and the optical waveguide is acquired, and a positional relationship between an image of the optical connector recognized from the image and an image of the optical waveguide satisfies a predetermined relationship. as method of manufacturing an optical wiring component according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for adjusting the position of the optical waveguide in the X-direction. The optical waveguide is provided with an optical circuit pattern extending in the Y direction,
8. The method of manufacturing an optical wiring component according to claim 7 , wherein the positional relationship between the position recognition mark and the optical waveguide in the first step uses the optical circuit pattern as a position reference on the optical waveguide side. In the third step, through the window portion supplying the uncured adhesive to the optical waveguide insertion hole, then any one of claims 1 to 8 to cure the adhesive of the uncured 1 The manufacturing method of the optical wiring component as described in a term. The method of manufacturing an optical wiring component according to claim 9 , wherein, in the third step, light is irradiated through the window portion to photocur the uncured adhesive.

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