Optical waveguide for optical connector, optical connector using same, and method of manufacturing optical waveguide for optical connector

Abstract

Disclosed is inexpensive optical waveguide for an optical connector which is accurately positioned across the width of cores when inserted in and fixed in an optical waveguide fixing through hole of a ferrule to provide low optical coupling loss when connected, an optical connector using the same, and a method of manufacturing the same. An optical waveguide for an optical connector includes cores, an under cladding layer, and an over cladding layer. The strip-shaped optical waveguide has a longitudinal end portion configured to be fixed in a predetermined through hole provided in a ferrule of an optical connector. The cores are formed on the under cladding layer by a photolithographic method. The over cladding layer is formed with respect to the positions of the cores or positioning alignment marks by a photolithographic method. The over cladding layer covers the cores, and the under cladding layer including crosswise end surfaces thereof and the width of the over cladding layer is approximately equal to that of the hole for fixing the optical waveguide.

Description

Technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an optical waveguide for an optical connector, an optical connector using the optical waveguide, and a method for manufacturing the optical waveguide for the optical connector. Background technique [0002] In recent years, due to the integration and large-scale increase of electronic equipment, heat generation and power consumption of electrical wiring, which are often used to connect between boards in the equipment and between chips on the board, have become a problem. Therefore, an optical wiring (optical interconnection) technology for replacing the above-mentioned electrical wiring with a lightweight, low-heat-generating, and flexible polymer optical waveguide is being developed. [0003] In this optical wiring, the optical connector used to connect the boards and the like consists of a strip-shaped optical waveguide and a ferrule (ferrule) mounted on the longitudinal end of the optical waveguide. The connection of a pre...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0009] However, due to the performance limit of the dicing process performed by a dicing machine, the optical waveguide for an optical connector obtained by individually separating the dicing machine as described above suffers from low dimensional accuracy, and especially large variations in the width direction of the optical waveguide. The problem

In this way, if the variation in the dimension of the width direction of the optical waveguide is large, even if the optical waveguide is inserted and fixed in the through-hole for fixing the optical waveguide formed at a predetermined position of the ferrule, and the guide pin or the like is used to adjust the While the cores connect the optical connectors facing each other, the optical axes of the cores in the abutting optical waveguide do not coincide, which increases the optical coupling loss

[0010] In addition, compared with the above-mentioned case of using a dicing machine, the optical waveguide for optical connectors separated by laser has improved dimensional accuracy in the width direction, but the performance of the optical waveguide decreases due to the heating of the laser.

In addition, unlike a dicing machine, a laser has the advantage of being able to separate optical waveguides in a curved line, but has the disadvantage of requiring an additional cleaning process to remove processing residue remaining after processing

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