Waveguide type optical device and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

An array waveguide diffraction grating 201 as waveguide type optical device comprises a planer lightwave circuit 203 with an optical waveguide layer 211 formed on a silicon substrate 212 and having a predetermined thickness h0, a first compensation substrate 204 bonded to the side of the optical waveguide layer 211 and having a thickness h1 and a second compensation substrate 205 formed on the silicon substrate 212 and having a thickness h4. The linear expansion coefficients α1 and α4 of the two compensation substrates 204 and 205 are set to be greater than that of the optical waveguide element 203, and highly rigid adhesives are used as a first and a second adhesive 214 and 215. It is thus possible to have the contraction of the optical waveguide element 203 due to a temperature change increased with the first and second substrates, thus permitting the center frequency setting to a desired value in a predetermined temperature range. Similar effects are obtainable by merely providing a support substrate on the substrate side of the optical waveguide element 203.

Description

[0001] The present Application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 266,631 filed on Oct. 9, 2002. [0002] This application claims benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-312611 filed on Oct. 10, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated by the reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention relates to waveguide type optical device used as filter device in such fields as optical communication and data processing using light and also to method of manufacturing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a waveguide type optical device permitting improvement of the yield in manufacture and also to method for manufacturing the same. [0004] With spread of optical communication techniques and development of data processing techniques using light, optical waveguide elements have become in wide spread use as optical waveguide filters. Such optical waveguide elements permitting various functions by utilizing interf...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a waveguide type optical device that can improve yield when manufacturing waveguides with desired center wavelengths. This is achieved by controlling the temperature of the optical waveguide element using a support substrate with a greater linear expansion coefficient than the substrate. The support substrate is bonded to the optical waveguide element using a highly rigid adhesive, which allows for efficient transmission of the support substrate's expansion and contraction to the optical waveguide element. The linear expansion coefficients of the support substrate and the optical waveguide element are set to preclude warping with temperature changes when bonding only one substrate to the optical waveguide element. The waveguide type optical device may also include a fiber array optically coupled to the optical waveguide element and reinforcement glass to reinforce the bonding strength of the fiber array. The overall thickness of the device may be increased, but the thickness can be kept within a range by making the support substrate and temperature controller equal in thickness.

Problems solved by technology

However, the center wavelength of manufactured optical waveguide elements or waveguide type devices incorporating such elements may not always be preset to a desired value in a temperature range adjusted by the above temperature controller.

The optical waveguide elements and waveguide type optical devices, which are incapable of being temperature adjusted with the temperature controller, have heretofore become rejected products, and this has been a significant cause of the fact that the yield of manufactured elements or devices can not be improved.

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