JPH04204523A - Optical waveguide device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the manufacturing time and obtain an optical waveguide device with which the need of positioning a heating electrode is obviated, by forming the heating electrode having a optical waveguide pattern on the upper or undersurfaces of a optical waveguide layer. CONSTITUTION:In an optical waveguide, if electric current flows in a thin film heater 3 from a power source A, the thin film heater 3 generates heat. Then, also the part of the optical waveguide layer 2 on the thin film heater 3 is heated along the pattern 9 of the thin film heater 3. The refractive index of the heated part of the optical waveguide layer 2 becomes higher than other part. Accordingly, a three-dimensional optical guide is formed. Accordingly, if light is inputted from one edge of the guide passage, the inputted light advances in the guide passage. At this time, the pattern of the thin film heater may be formed according to the shape of the guide passage, and the formation to an arbitrary shape is enabled. Accordingly, patterning can be carried out only for the thin film heater, and the need of positioning for the optical waveguide is perfectly obviated. In particular, a three-dimensional optical waveguide having an arbitrary shape can be formed by forming the optical waveguide layer by hardening the liquid material without using a stamper.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical waveguide device that controls light using thermo-optic effects.

Conventional technology and its problems One of the conventional optical waveguides that control light using the thermo-optic effect
There is an ion exchange glass waveguide.

Cut-off type switches, branch switches, etc. have been realized. In order to manufacture such an optical waveguide device, it is necessary to perform patterning, perform ion exchange, and then load a heating electrode.

However, there is a problem in that ion exchange requires a relatively long time. Furthermore, the heating electrode must be accurately aligned with the ion exchange optical waveguide, and this operation also requires a relatively long time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an optical waveguide device that can shorten manufacturing time and does not require alignment of heating electrodes.

Structure 2 of the Invention Functions and Effects The optical waveguide device according to the present invention includes a substrate, an optical waveguide layer formed on the substrate using a material having a thermo-optic effect, and the optical waveguide to form a three-dimensional optical waveguide. It consists of a heating electrode loaded on at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the layer and having an optical waveguide pattern to be formed.

According to this invention, a heating electrode having an optical waveguide pattern is formed on the upper surface or lower surface of the optical waveguide layer made of a material having a thermo-optic effect.

When a current is passed through the heating electrode, the electrode generates heat, and the portion of the optical waveguide layer directly below or above it is heated. The refractive index of the heated portion of the leading waveguide layer increases, and a three-dimensional optical waveguide is formed along the heating electrode pattern.

The optical waveguide device according to the present invention differs from conventional ion-exchange optical waveguides in that a three-dimensional optical waveguide can be obtained without ion exchange, so that manufacturing time can be shortened. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Further, the heating electrode can be provided in a portion where a three-dimensional optical waveguide is to be realized, and there is no need to form it in alignment with the optical waveguide as in the conventional case. Therefore, manufacturing time can be shortened.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an optical waveguide device according to the present invention.

A thin film heater (electrode) 3 is loaded on the surface of the glass substrate 1 . This thin film heater 3 is formed in the pattern of a linear optical waveguide to be formed, and a power source 4 is connected between both ends of the thin film heater 3.
is connected to enable on/off control. Glass substrate 1
A waveguide layer 2 made of a material having a thermo-optic effect is formed thereon. Examples of materials having a thermo-optic effect include ultraviolet curing resins.

In the leading waveguide shown in FIG. 1, when a current is passed through the thin film heater 3 by the power source 4, the thin film heater 3 generates heat. As a result, the portion of the optical waveguide layer 2 on the thin film heater 3 is also heated along the pattern of the thin film heater 3. The refractive index of the heated portion of the optical waveguide layer 2 increases compared to other portions. A three-dimensional optical waveguide is thus formed. Therefore, when light enters from one end of this three-dimensional optical waveguide, the incident light is guided through the three-dimensional optical waveguide.

The guiding waveguide device shown in FIG. 1 can be manufactured as follows.

A glass substrate 1 is prepared. A thin film heater 3 is loaded onto a glass substrate 1 by sputtering or vapor deposition. At this time or afterwards, lead portions for connecting the power source 4 are formed at both ends of the thin film heater 3.

The optical waveguide layer 2 is formed by spin-coating a liquid material that will become an optical waveguide layer on the glass substrate 1, and then hardening this liquid material. When an ultraviolet curing resin is selected as the liquid material, ultraviolet rays are irradiated for curing.

The thin film heater 3 is not limited to the lower surface of the optical waveguide layer 2 as shown in FIG. 1, but may be loaded on the upper surface of the optical waveguide layer 2 as shown in FIG. Even when the thin film heater 3 is loaded on the upper surface of the optical waveguide layer 2, by passing current through the thin film heater 3 from the power source 4, the portion of the optical waveguide layer directly below the thin film heater 3 is heated.

As a result, the refractive index of the portion of the optical waveguide layer 2 immediately below the thin film heater 3 increases along the thin film heater 3. Therefore, the portion of the waveguide layer 2 directly below the thin film heater 3 becomes an optical waveguide.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, and is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an optical switch.

Two thin film heaters 3A and 3B are loaded on the glass substrate 1. A power source 4A is connected between both ends of one thin film heater 3A, and a power source 4B is also connected between both ends of the other thin film heater 3B.

The spacing between the thin film heaters 3A and 3B is very narrow at one end, the spacing gradually increases near the middle, and the spacing increases at the other end.

An optical waveguide layer 2 is formed on the upper surface of the substrate 1 including these thin film heaters 3A and 3B.

It is assumed that light is made to enter the optical waveguide layer 2 directly above the thin film heaters 3A and 3B at one end where the interval is narrow. If only one of the thin film heaters (for example, 4B) is energized and heated, a three-dimensional optical waveguide will be formed only in the portion directly above this thin film heater, so that the incident light to the optical waveguide layer 2 will be transmitted through the heated thin film heater. The light passes directly above and exits from the other end. By selecting the thin film heater to be energized, light can be guided only to one three-dimensional optical waveguide formed directly above the thin film heater in the optical waveguide layer 2.

This is a kind of branching optical switch.

The optical switch shown in FIG. 3 is also fabricated by forming thin film heaters 3A and 3B on a glass substrate, then spin coating a liquid material having a thermo-optic effect on the glass substrate 1, and curing this liquid material. can do.

Thin film heaters 3A and 3B may be formed on the upper surface of the optical waveguide layer 2.

The pattern of the thin film heater may be manufactured according to the shape of the three-dimensional optical waveguide to be formed, and can be of any shape.

As described above, a three-dimensional optical waveguide having a pattern of thin film heaters is formed, so patterning can be performed only by using the thin film heater, and no alignment with respect to the optical waveguide is required at all. In particular, by curing a liquid material for the optical waveguide layer, it becomes possible to produce a three-dimensional optical waveguide of any shape without using a stamper.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is an exploded perspective view of an optical waveguide device. FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of an optical waveguide device. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment in which the optical waveguide device according to the present invention is applied to an optical switch. 1...Glass substrate. 2... Optical waveguide layer. 3.3A, 3B... Thin film heater. that's all

Claims (1)

[Claims] A substrate, an optical waveguide layer formed on the substrate using a material having a thermo-optic effect, and at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the optical waveguide layer to form a three-dimensional optical waveguide. An optical waveguide device comprising: a heating electrode loaded on one side and having an optical waveguide pattern to be formed.