A manufacturing method and equipment for MT ferrule, and MT ferrule

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for manufacturing a MT ferrule, and the MT ferrule. The method comprises: providing a glass substrate having a first end face and a second end face that oppose each other; removing stains from the surface of the glass substrate using a laser process; performing laser layered processing on at least one location within the glass substrate where a fiber hole to be processed is to be formed, thereby forming at least one modified region within the glass substrate, wherein each modified region extends through the first end face and the second end face; removing material from each modified region using a selective etching process to form at least one fiber hole within the glass substrate; polishing the wall of each fiber hole; and chamfering at least one of the two end ports of each fiber hole using a laser process. By utilizing the glass substrate's excellent temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, the method can address the shortcomings of current MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optical fiber technology, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a MT ferrule and a device thereof, and the MT ferrule. Background Art

[0002] Fiber-optic communication offers a number of advantages over wireless and other types of communication. First, it boasts a wide transmission bandwidth and high communication capacity, with an available bandwidth of approximately 50,000 GHz. Second, it boasts low transmission loss and long relay distances. Due to the low loss of optical fiber, long relay distances are possible. A fiber-optic communication system composed of quartz optical fiber can achieve a maximum relay distance of over 200 kilometers. Furthermore, it offers strong resistance to electromagnetic interference. Optical fiber is made from melt-drawn quartz, a high-dielectric-constant insulator. Therefore, it is immune to interference from both external and artificial electromagnetic environments. Therefore, it can be installed parallel to high-voltage transmission lines or combined with power conductors to form composite optical cables, thereby reducing the cost of long-distance communication. In addition to these advantages, optical fiber also boasts strong corrosion and radiation resistance, excellent coilability, no sparking, minimal leakage, and strong confidentiality, making it suitable for use in specialized environments or military applications.

[0003] Due to its incomparable advantages over copper cables and radio communications, fiber optic communication now dominates all communication backbones. As fiber optic communication becomes more prevalent and demand increases, data centers are increasingly located around various backbone communication networks, necessitating the interconnection of these networks with data centers. With the advancement of optical communications, fiber optic connectors have become smaller, denser, easier to install, and offer superior performance. MPO connectors (a type of fiber optic connector) and multimode fiber optic patch cables share the same size as SC connectors (a type of fiber optic connector), but offer advantages such as a higher fiber count, smaller size, and higher transmission rates, making them a crucial component in optical communications. The sheer flexibility and scalability of MPO connectors and multimode fiber optic patch cables also simplify cabling deployment, making them more adaptable to future network upgrades, expansions, and changes. They are now widely used in fiber optic communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks. Their use in active optical cable assemblies, such as AOCs and QSFPs, is also increasing, making them a preferred solution for high-speed communication networks.

[0004] Currently, MPO connectors and multimode fiber optic patch cables are widely used in pre-terminated trunk optical cables, high-density data centers, splitters, and as connectors within optical transceivers such as 40G / 100G, SFP, and QSFP. MPO connectors consist of a combination of loose components and MT ferrules. The loose components include a dust cap, outer frame, PIN, bushing, spring, retaining ring, copper fittings, and a tail boot. These components and MT ferrules are primarily manufactured through plastic molding of polymer materials such as plastic and nylon, with a smaller number being sintered from a single piece of ceramic. While polymer materials offer processing advantages, they also suffer from temperature tolerance, with poor stability above 70°C and a low dielectric constant in high-frequency environments such as RF. Consequently, they place high demands on the stability and electromagnetic environment of their use. MPO connectors, made from sintered ceramic, require secondary processing. Furthermore, the dimensional accuracy of the sintered ceramic ferrule hole is difficult to match with the outer diameter of the optical fiber. Therefore, the optical fiber must be secured with glue. While this improves electromagnetic resistance, its temperature resistance is limited by the glue's thermal stability and decreased strength, resulting in no improvement in heat resistance. Multimode fiber optic patch cords use graded-index fiber at the output end. This involves gradually changing the fiber's refractive index and then mechanically cold-working the port to create a micro-focusing mirror on the end face. This allows for connection by focusing and coupling light into the optical fiber. However, graded-index fiber is expensive, and end-face machining is complex and costly. Furthermore, the core diameter cannot be too small. Therefore, this method is unsuitable for single-mode fiber, resulting in poor communication quality.

[0005] As mentioned above, several current MPO connectors suffer from poor temperature resistance and stability under high-temperature conditions. Therefore, they are not suitable for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies, which require stringent temperature control. Multimode fiber optic patch cables utilize cold-processing of graded-index fiber, a complex and costly process. Furthermore, processing with single-mode fiber is difficult. Consequently, due to the instability of the transverse mode during light transmission, multimode fiber optic patch cables suffer from low signal-to-noise ratios, resulting in poor communication quality. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an MT ferrule and an apparatus thereof, and the MT ferrule, which can solve the defects of the current MPO connector, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an MT ferrule, which is used in an MPO connector. The method comprises: providing a glass substrate having a first end face and a second end face opposite to each other; removing stains from the surface of the glass substrate using a laser process; performing laser layered processing modification on at least one optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate to form at least one modified zone in the glass substrate, wherein each modified zone extends through the first end face and the second end face; removing material in each modified zone using a selective etching process to form at least one optical fiber hole in the glass substrate; polishing the wall of each optical fiber hole; and chamfering at least one of the two end ports of each optical fiber hole using a laser process.

[0008] In the above-mentioned scheme, a glass substrate is used as the base material for the MT ferrule. Laser processing is then used to sequentially decontaminate the glass substrate surface. A modified zone is then formed within the glass substrate using a laser process, and the material in the modified zone is selectively etched away. The fiber hole walls are then polished and chamfered. In other words, the fiber hole is primarily machined using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and hole accuracy. By modifying the current patch cord manufacturing process used in fiber-optic communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and leveraging the glass substrate's excellent temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, the MT ferrule can address the current shortcomings of MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and stability under high-temperature conditions. It can also address issues such as transverse mode instability and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in multimode fiber optic patch cords, which can lead to poor communication quality. This significantly improves the MPO connector's temperature tolerance, reduces the stringent requirements for ambient temperature, and reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowering production costs and expanding their application. This allows the device to meet the information industry's requirements for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber end faces, allowing for the arbitrary selection of fiber core counts. This reduces the device's environmental requirements, significantly lowers operating and maintenance costs, and broadens its scope of application.

[0009] In one specific embodiment, a laser process for removing stains from the surface of a glass substrate includes: generating a nanosecond laser beam from a Q-switched nanosecond pulsed laser source; shaping the nanosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam using a telescope system and a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens assembly; focusing the flat-top beam on the surface of the glass substrate and scanning the surface to remove stains. This improves the cleanliness of the glass substrate surface, prevents oil and stains on the glass substrate surface from altering the refractive index of the optical fiber, and prevents carbonization of the stains from affecting the laser modification process in the subsequent step.

[0010] In a specific embodiment, using a laser process to remove stains from the surface of a glass substrate further includes: using an exhaust system to discharge dust generated by the vaporization of the stains outside the processing chamber. By promptly discharging the dust generated by the vaporization of the stains outside the processing chamber, the dust is prevented from adhering to the surface of the glass substrate again after solidification, thereby improving the stain removal effect.

[0011] In a specific embodiment, at least one optical fiber hole to be processed in a glass substrate is subjected to laser layered processing modification to form at least one modified zone in the glass substrate, comprising: outputting a femtosecond laser beam with a duration between 300 fs and 1000 fs from a femtosecond laser light source; filtering the femtosecond laser beam through an aperture to remove peripheral stray light; sequentially passing the filtered laser beam through a telescope system and a DOE system to convert the femtosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam; focusing the flat-top beam at a position of an optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate, and sequentially scanning a plurality of modified lines at each position of the optical fiber hole to be processed, wherein the plurality of modified lines extend through cracks to form a modified zone; wherein each modified line passes through a first end face and a second end face, and a spacing between any two of the plurality of modified lines is 20-50 microns. Through the above method, the power density distribution of the light spot after flattening treatment is basically uniform, which can reduce the power density of the unit area of ​​the optical device and reduce the damage to the optical device. At the same time, it can also quickly complete the modification of the material at the position of the optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate to form a modified area.

[0012] In one specific embodiment, polishing the walls of each fiber hole includes adding abrasive particles to deionized water to form a water abrasive; and pressurizing the water abrasive through each fiber hole to polish the walls of each fiber hole. Because the selective etching process is isotropic, the walls of the fiber holes after selective etching are uneven. Pressurizing the water abrasive through each fiber hole to polish the walls of each fiber hole improves the flatness of the fiber holes, thereby achieving the desired dimensions.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a manufacturing device for a MT ferrule, which is used in an MPO connector. The MT ferrule manufacturing device includes: a laser cleaning device, a laser modification and selective processing device, a selective etching device, a polishing device, and a laser chamfering device. The laser cleaning device is used to remove stains from the surface of a glass substrate using a laser process; wherein the glass substrate has a first end face and a second end face that are opposite to each other. The laser modification and selective processing device is used to perform laser layered processing and modification on at least one optical fiber hole to be processed within the glass substrate to form at least one modified zone within the glass substrate, wherein each modified zone extends through the first end face and the second end face. The selective etching device is used to remove material from each modified zone using a selective etching process to form at least one optical fiber hole within the glass substrate. The polishing device is used to polish the wall of each optical fiber hole. The laser chamfering device is used to chamfer at least one of the two end ports of each optical fiber hole using a laser process.

[0014] In the above-mentioned scheme, a glass substrate is used as the base material for the MT ferrule. Laser processing is then used to sequentially decontaminate the glass substrate surface. A modified zone is then formed within the glass substrate using a laser process, and the material in the modified zone is selectively etched away. The fiber hole walls are then polished and chamfered. In other words, the fiber hole is primarily machined using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and hole accuracy. By modifying the current patch cord manufacturing process used in fiber-optic communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and leveraging the glass substrate's excellent temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, the MT ferrule can address the current shortcomings of MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and stability under high-temperature conditions. It can also address issues such as transverse mode instability and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in multimode fiber optic patch cords, which can lead to poor communication quality. This significantly improves the MPO connector's temperature tolerance, reduces the stringent requirements for ambient temperature, and reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowering production costs and expanding their application. This allows the device to meet the information industry's requirements for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber end faces, allowing for the arbitrary selection of fiber core counts. This reduces the device's environmental requirements, significantly lowers operating and maintenance costs, and broadens its scope of application.

[0015] In a specific embodiment, the laser cleaning device includes: a nanosecond Q-switched pulsed laser light source, a first telescope system and a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group, and a first focusing and scanning system. The nanosecond Q-switched pulsed laser light source is used to output a nanosecond laser beam. The first telescope system and the cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group are used to shape the nanosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam into a flat-top beam. The first focusing and scanning system is used to focus the flat-top beam on the surface of the glass substrate and scan the surface of the glass substrate to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate. The cleanliness of the glass substrate surface is improved, and the oil and stains on the surface of the glass substrate are prevented from changing the refractive index of the optical fiber, and the carbonization of the stains affects the laser modification of the next process.

[0016] In a specific embodiment, the laser cleaning device also includes: an exhaust system for discharging dust generated by the vaporization of the stains outside the processing chamber when using a laser process to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate. By promptly discharging the dust generated by the vaporization of the stains outside the processing chamber, the dust is prevented from sticking to the surface of the glass substrate again after solidification, thereby improving the stain removal effect.

[0017] In a specific embodiment, a laser modification selective processing device includes: a femtosecond laser light source, an aperture, a second telescope system and a DOE system, and a second focusing and scanning system. The femtosecond laser light source is used to output a femtosecond laser beam with a wavelength between 300fs and 1000fs. The aperture is used to filter out peripheral stray light from the femtosecond laser beam. The second telescope system and the DOE system are used to convert the filtered femtosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam. The second focusing and scanning system is used to focus the flat-top beam on a location of a fiber hole to be processed in a glass substrate, and sequentially scan out multiple modification lines at each location of the fiber hole to be processed, with the multiple modification lines extending through the crack to form a modification zone; wherein each modification line passes through the first end face and the second end face, and the interval between any two modification lines among the multiple modification lines is 20-50 microns. Through the above method, the power density distribution of the light spot after flattening treatment is basically uniform, which can reduce the power density of the unit area of ​​the optical device and reduce the damage to the optical device. At the same time, it can also quickly complete the modification of the material at the position of the optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate to form a modified area.

[0018] In one specific embodiment, the polishing apparatus includes a water abrasive device and a pressurizing device. The water abrasive device is used to add abrasive particles to deionized water to form a water abrasive. The pressurizing device is used to pressurize the water abrasive through each fiber hole to polish the wall of each fiber hole. Because the selective etching process is isotropic, the fiber hole walls after selective etching are uneven. By pressurizing the water abrasive through each fiber hole to polish the wall of each fiber hole, the flatness of the fiber hole can be improved to achieve the required size.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present invention also provides a MT ferrule for use in an MPO connector. The MT ferrule comprises a glass substrate and at least one optical fiber hole fabricated on the glass substrate using any of the aforementioned MT ferrule manufacturing methods. A glass substrate is used as the base material for the MT ferrule, and the surface of the glass substrate is sequentially decontaminated using a laser process. A modified area is formed within the glass substrate using a laser process, and the material in the modified area is selectively etched away. The walls of the optical fiber hole are then polished and chamfered. In other words, the optical fiber hole is primarily fabricated using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and optical fiber hole accuracy. In the process of manufacturing the MT ferrule using the aforementioned method, by modifying the current jumper manufacturing process used in optical fiber communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and by utilizing the glass substrate's excellent temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, the MT ferrule can address the current shortcomings of MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions. Furthermore, the MT ferrule can also address issues such as transverse mode instability and low signal-to-noise ratio in multimode optical fiber jumpers, which can lead to poor communication quality. This significantly improves the thermal resistance of MPO connectors, reducing stringent ambient temperature requirements. This reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowers production costs, and expands their application. This meets the information industry's requirements for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber endface, allowing for the arbitrary selection of fiber core counts. This reduces the device's environmental requirements, significantly lowers operating and maintenance costs, and broadens its scope of application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for manufacturing an MT ferrule provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of an MT ferrule manufacturing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a structure for preparing a modified area on a glass substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a selective etching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a polishing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a laser chamfering device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figures 7 to 10 They are respectively a three-dimensional perspective view and three-view drawings of an MT ferrule manufactured by the manufacturing method of the MT ferrule provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Reference numerals:

[0028] 10-Glass substrate 11-Modified area 12-Fiber hole 13-Chamfer

[0029] 21-Corrosion container 22-AC electric field driving device 23-Internal reflux device

[0030] 31-Auxiliary water guide system 32-Fiber laser processing head 33-Spiral motion platform

[0031] 41-Laser cleaning device 42-Laser modification selection processing device

[0032] 43-Selective etching device 44-Polishing device 45-Laser chamfering device DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] To facilitate understanding of the manufacturing method for the MT ferrule provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the following first describes an application scenario of the manufacturing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. This manufacturing method is applied to the preparation of an MT ferrule, which is a ferrule used in an MPO connector. The following describes this manufacturing method in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 7 to 10 The manufacturing method of the MT ferrule provided in the embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0036] Step 10: Providing a glass substrate 10, wherein the glass substrate 10 has a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other;

[0037] Step 20: Using a laser process to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate 10;

[0038] Step 30: performing laser layered processing modification on at least one optical fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10 to form at least one modified region 11 in the glass substrate 10, wherein each modified region 11 extends through the first end face and the second end face;

[0039] Step 40: removing the material in each modified area 11 by a selective etching process to form at least one optical fiber hole 12 in the glass substrate 10;

[0040] Step 50: Polishing the wall of each optical fiber hole 12;

[0041] Step 60: chamfering 13 at least one of the two end ports of each optical fiber hole 12 using a laser process.

[0042] In the above-described scheme, a glass substrate is used as the base material for manufacturing the MT ferrule. A laser process is used to sequentially remove stains from the surface of the glass substrate 10. A laser process is used to form a modified area 11 within the glass substrate 10, and the material of the modified area 11 is selectively etched away. The walls of the fiber hole 12 are then polished and chamfered 13. In other words, the fiber hole 12 is primarily machined using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and the accuracy of the fiber hole 12. In the process of manufacturing the MT ferrule in the above-described manner, by changing the current jumper manufacturing process used in optical fiber communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and by utilizing the good temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient of the glass substrate 10, the defects of current MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions, can be addressed. Furthermore, the problems of transverse mode instability, low signal-to-noise ratio, and poor communication quality caused by multimode optical fiber jumpers can be improved. This significantly improves the thermal resistance of MPO connectors, reducing stringent ambient temperature requirements. This reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowers production costs, and expands their application. This meets the information industry's demands for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber endface and allows for arbitrary selection of fiber core counts, lowering the device's environmental requirements, significantly reducing operational and maintenance costs, and broadening its scope of application. The following describes each of these steps in detail, with accompanying figures.

[0043] First, refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 7A glass substrate 10 is provided. The glass substrate 10 has a first end face and a second end face that are opposite to each other. Specifically, the glass substrate 10 is a cubic block having a first end face and a second end face that are opposite to each other and serve as the two end faces through which the optical fiber hole 12 passes. The glass substrate 10 can be made of a glass material such as a fused silica glass substrate 10, a sapphire glass substrate 10, or a BK7 glass substrate 10.

[0044] Next, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a laser process is used to remove stains from the surface of the glass substrate 10. Specifically, when using a laser process to remove stains from the surface of the glass substrate 10, a nanosecond Q-switched pulsed laser light source can first output a nanosecond laser beam; then, a telescope system and a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group are used to shape the nanosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam, reducing its power density per unit area; then, the flat-top beam is focused on the surface of the glass substrate 10 and scanned across the surface of the glass substrate 10 to remove stains from the surface of the glass substrate 10. This improves the cleanliness of the surface of the glass substrate 10, prevents oil and stains on the surface of the glass substrate 10 from changing the refractive index of the optical fiber, and prevents carbonization of the stains from affecting the laser modification of the next step. The Gaussian beam spot can also be shaped from a point spot to a line spot or a square spot through a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens, thereby increasing the spot area and improving the efficiency of stain removal.

[0045] In addition, while using the laser process to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate 10, an exhaust system can also be used to discharge the dust generated by the vaporization of the stains outside the processing chamber. By promptly discharging the dust generated by the vaporization of the stains outside the processing chamber, it can be prevented from sticking to the surface of the glass substrate 10 again after solidification, thereby improving the stain removal effect.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 Laser layering processing is performed on at least one optical fiber hole 12 to be processed within the glass substrate 10 to form at least one modified region 11 within the glass substrate 10, wherein each modified region 11 extends through the first end face and the second end face. It should be noted that the number of modified regions 11 is equal to the number of cores supported by the MT ferrule. For example, when the MT ferrule is used in a 128-core MPO connector, the number of modified regions 11 on the glass substrate 10 is 128. When the MT ferrule is used in a 64-core MPO connector, the number of modified regions 11 on the glass substrate 10 is 64. When the MT ferrule is used in a 32-core MPO connector, the number of modified regions 11 on the glass substrate 10 is 32. Multiple modified regions 11 can be arranged in an array within the glass substrate 10, so that the processed optical fiber holes 12 are arranged in an array within the glass substrate 10.

[0047] Specifically, when performing laser layered processing modification on at least one optical fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10 to form at least one modified area 11 in the glass substrate 10, the following steps may be employed:

[0048] First, a femtosecond laser light source outputs a femtosecond laser beam between 300fs and 1000fs. The power of the femtosecond laser beam can be 10W to 20W. The femtosecond laser light source can use a 1070nm femtosecond laser and output a femtosecond laser beam between 300fs and 1000fs. Specifically, femtosecond laser beams between 300fs and 1000fs, such as 300fs, 350fs, 400fs, 500fs, 600fs, 700fs, 800fs, 900fs, and 1000fs, can be output.

[0049] The femtosecond laser beam is then passed through an aperture to filter out peripheral stray light. The aperture can be 6mm, 7mm, or 8mm.

[0050] The filtered laser beam then passes through a telescope system and a DOE system in sequence to convert the femtosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam, reducing the power density per unit area of ​​the optical device and minimizing damage to the optical device. The telescope system can be a 4x telescope system or a 5x telescope system.

[0051] Then, the flat top beam is focused on a location of a fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10, and multiple modified lines are scanned at each location of the fiber hole 12 to be processed. A modified area 11 is formed by the multiple modified lines extending through the cracks; wherein, each modified line passes through the first end face and the second end face, and the interval between any two modified lines among the multiple modified lines is 20-50 microns. Figure 3 As shown, the 3D structure of each fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10 can be scribed. Specifically, multiple modified lines are scanned across each modified region 11. These modified lines extend through the cracks to form a modified region 11. The multiple modified lines can be spaced apart to form a modified region 11 with a circular cross-section. The spacing between any two modified lines can be 20-50 microns. After processing one modified region 11, selective layered processing and modification are then performed on the location of another fiber hole 12 to be processed.

[0052] Through the above method, the power density distribution of the light spot after flattening treatment is basically uniform, which can reduce the power density of the unit area of ​​the optical device and reduce the damage to the optical device. At the same time, it can also quickly complete the modification of the material at the position of the optical fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10 to form a modified area 11.

[0053] Next, refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 4 A selective etching process is used to remove the material in each modified region 11 to form at least one optical fiber hole 12 in the glass substrate 10. In one embodiment, the material in each modified region 11 can be removed in the following manner.

[0054] First, the glass substrate 10 is placed in a hydrofluoric acid solution containing magnetic powder. The mass concentration of the hydrofluoric acid solution can be between 30% and 50%. Specifically, the mass concentration of the hydrofluoric acid solution can be any value between 30% and 50%, such as 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, etc., to improve the efficiency of selective etching. The particle size of the magnetic powder can be between 200 mesh and 600 mesh. Specifically, the particle size of the magnetic powder can be any value between 200 mesh and 600 mesh, such as 200 mesh, 300 mesh, 400 mesh, 500 mesh, 600 mesh, etc., to improve the effect of driving the flow of the hydrofluoric acid solution.

[0055] Afterwards, if Figure 4 As shown, an AC magnetic field can be applied around the hydrofluoric acid solution carrying the magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow, selectively corrode the material in each modified area 11, and form at least one optical fiber hole 12 in the glass substrate 10. Specifically, an AC magnetic field can be applied to the bottom of the hydrofluoric acid solution carrying the magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow, selectively corrode the material in each modified area 11, and form at least one optical fiber hole 12 in the glass substrate 10. Improve the effect of driving the flow of the hydrofluoric acid solution. It should be understood that the method of applying the AC magnetic field is not limited to the method shown above at the bottom of the hydrofluoric acid solution. In addition, other methods can also be used.

[0056] By adding magnetic powder to the hydrofluoric acid solution, after placing the modified glass substrate 10 into the hydrofluoric acid solution containing the magnetic powder, an AC magnetic field is applied around the hydrofluoric acid solution carrying the magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow and selectively corrode the material in each modified area 11, thereby accelerating the corrosion rate of the modified area 11, quickly corroding and removing the material in the modified area 11, and improving the degree of influence of isotropy on the unevenness of the wall of the optical fiber hole 12 due to excessively long corrosion time.

[0057] Next, refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 5, polishing the wall of each fiber hole 12. When polishing the wall of each fiber hole 12, abrasive particles can be added to deionized water to form a water abrasive. The water abrasive is then pressurized through each fiber hole 12 to polish the wall of each fiber hole 12. Because the selective etching process is isotropic, the wall of the fiber hole 12 after selective etching is uneven. By pressurizing the water abrasive through each fiber hole 12 to polish the wall of each fiber hole 12, the flatness of the fiber hole 12 can be improved to achieve the required size.

[0058] When specifically carried out, Figure 5 As shown, a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber with abrasive can be used to perform rotary polishing on the wall of each optical fiber hole 12. The water diameter of the high-pressure water-guided optical fiber can be less than 20 μm, and the auxiliary water guide liquid of the high-pressure water-guided optical fiber is deionized water mixed with abrasive to improve the polishing accuracy. In addition, refer to Figure 5 When a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber with an abrasive is used to rotary-polish the wall of each optical fiber hole 12, the spiral motion platform 33 carrying the optical fiber laser head can be controlled to use a spiral processing method to rotary-polish the optical fiber hole 12 with a set fiber diameter, thereby improving the polishing effect. The set fiber diameter can be 30um-300um. Specifically, the set fiber diameter can be 30um, 50um, 70um, 80um, 100um, 130um, 150um, 170um, 180um, 200um, 230um, 250um, 270um, 280um, 300um, or any other value between 30um and 300um, so that the processed optical fiber hole 12 can be finer, improving the accuracy and adaptability of application scenarios. By using a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber with an abrasive to rotary-polish the wall of each optical fiber hole 12, not only can the flatness and uniformity of the optical fiber hole 12 wall be improved, reducing the impact on subsequent light propagation in the waveguide, but also improving the polishing effect and efficiency.

[0059] Next, refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 6 , a laser process is used to perform chamfering 13 on at least one of the two end ports of each fiber hole 12. That is, after each fiber hole 12 is processed, there is a certain degree of roughness at the entrance and exit ports of the fiber hole 12, which can easily damage the coating layer of the optical fiber, resulting in poor moisture resistance and bending performance of the optical fiber, and even fiber breakage. In this case, a laser process can be used to perform chamfering 13 on at least one of the two end ports of each fiber hole 12. Specifically, a nanosecond Q-switched laser can be used to pass through a telescope system and then through a 2D galvanometer to shape the beam into spiral light or annular light. The entrance and exit positions of the fiber hole 12 are then chamfered 13 to reduce damage to the optical fiber caused by the port, thereby completing the processing of the entire MT ferrule.

[0060] In the various embodiments described above, a glass substrate is used as the base material for manufacturing the MT ferrule. A laser process is used to sequentially remove stains from the surface of the glass substrate 10. A laser process is used to form a modified area 11 within the glass substrate 10, and the material of the modified area 11 is selectively etched away. The walls of the fiber hole 12 are then polished and chamfered 13. In other words, the fiber hole 12 is primarily machined using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and the accuracy of the fiber hole 12. In the process of preparing the MT ferrule in the above manner, by changing the current jumper preparation process used in optical fiber communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and by utilizing the good temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient of the glass substrate 10, the defects of the current MPO connector, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions, can be addressed. Furthermore, the problems of transverse mode instability, low signal-to-noise ratio, and poor communication quality caused by multimode optical fiber jumpers can be improved. This significantly improves the thermal resistance of MPO connectors, reducing stringent ambient temperature requirements. This reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowers production costs, and expands their application. This meets the information industry's requirements for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber endface, allowing for the arbitrary selection of fiber core counts. This reduces the device's environmental requirements, significantly lowers operating and maintenance costs, and broadens its scope of application.

[0061] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a manufacturing device for an MT ferrule, which is used in an MPO connector. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 7 to 10 The MT ferrule manufacturing equipment includes: a laser cleaning device 41, a laser modification and selective processing device 42, a selective etching device 43, a polishing device 44, and a laser chamfering device 45. The laser cleaning device 41 is used to remove stains from the surface of a glass substrate 10 using a laser process; the glass substrate 10 has a first end face and a second end face that are opposite each other. The laser modification and selective processing device 42 is used to perform laser layered processing and modification on at least one optical fiber hole 12 to be processed within the glass substrate 10, thereby forming at least one modified region 11 within the glass substrate 10, wherein each modified region 11 extends through the first end face and the second end face. The selective etching device 43 is used to remove material from each modified region 11 using a selective etching process, thereby forming at least one optical fiber hole 12 within the glass substrate 10. The polishing device 44 is used to polish the wall of each optical fiber hole 12. The laser chamfering device 45 is used to chamfer 13 at at least one of the two end ports of each optical fiber hole 12 using a laser process.

[0062] In the above-described scheme, a glass substrate is used as the base material for manufacturing the MT ferrule. A laser process is used to sequentially remove stains from the surface of the glass substrate 10. A laser process is used to form a modified area 11 within the glass substrate 10, and the material of the modified area 11 is selectively etched away. The walls of the fiber hole 12 are then polished and chamfered 13. In other words, the fiber hole 12 is primarily machined using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and the accuracy of the fiber hole 12. In the process of manufacturing the MT ferrule in the above-described manner, by changing the current jumper manufacturing process used in optical fiber communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and by utilizing the good temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient of the glass substrate 10, the defects of current MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions, can be addressed. Furthermore, the problems of transverse mode instability, low signal-to-noise ratio, and poor communication quality caused by multimode optical fiber jumpers can be improved. This significantly improves the thermal resistance of MPO connectors, reducing stringent ambient temperature requirements. This reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowers production costs, and expands their application. This meets the information industry's requirements for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber endface, allowing for the arbitrary selection of fiber core counts. This reduces the device's environmental requirements, significantly lowers operating and maintenance costs, and broadens its scope of application.

[0063] refer to Figure 2 When setting up the above-mentioned laser cleaning device 41, the laser cleaning device 41 may include: a nanosecond Q-switched pulsed laser light source, a first telescope system and a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group, and a first focusing and scanning system. Among them, the nanosecond Q-switched pulsed laser light source is used to output a nanosecond laser beam. The first telescope system and the cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group are used to shape the nanosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam into a flat-top beam. The first focusing and scanning system is used to focus the flat-top beam on the surface of the glass substrate 10 and scan the surface of the glass substrate 10 to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate 10. Improve the cleanliness of the surface of the glass substrate 10, prevent the oil and stains on the surface of the glass substrate 10 from causing changes in the refractive index of the optical fiber, and prevent the carbonization of the stains from affecting the laser modification of the next process. Of course, other settings can also be used as the laser cleaning device 41.

[0064] In addition, the laser cleaning device 41 may also include: an exhaust system for discharging dust generated by the vaporization of stains outside the processing chamber when using a laser process to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate 10. By promptly discharging the dust generated by the vaporization of stains outside the processing chamber, it is prevented from sticking to the surface of the glass substrate 10 again after solidification, thereby improving the stain removal effect.

[0065] When setting the above-mentioned laser modification selection processing device 42, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The laser modification selection processing device 42 may include: a femtosecond laser light source, an aperture, a second telescope system and a DOE system, and a second focusing and scanning system. The femtosecond laser light source is used to output a femtosecond laser beam with a wavelength between 300fs and 1000fs. The aperture is used to filter out peripheral stray light of the femtosecond laser beam. The second telescope system and the DOE system are used to convert the filtered femtosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam. The second focusing and scanning system is used to focus the flat-top beam on a position of a fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10, and sequentially scan out multiple modification lines at each position of the fiber hole 12 to be processed, and a modified area 11 is formed by the multiple modification lines extending through the crack; wherein each modification line passes through the first end face and the second end face, and the interval between any two modification lines among the multiple modification lines is 20-50 microns. Through the above-described method, the power density distribution of the light spot after the flattening process is substantially uniform, which can reduce the power density per unit area of ​​the optical device and minimize damage to the optical device. Furthermore, the material at the location of the optical fiber hole 12 to be processed in the glass substrate 10 can be quickly modified to form the modified area 11. Of course, other configurations can also be used as the laser modification selective processing device 42.

[0066] When setting up the selective etching device 43, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 The selective etching device 43 may include: an etching container 21, an AC electric field driving device 22, and a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber polishing device 44. The etching container 21 is used to hold a hydrofluoric acid solution containing magnetic powder and is also used to hold a glass substrate 10. The AC electric field driving device 22 is used to apply an AC magnetic field around the hydrofluoric acid solution containing magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow, selectively etching away the material in each modified area 11 to form at least one optical fiber hole 12 in the glass substrate 10. The high-pressure water-guided optical fiber polishing device 44 is used to rotary polish the wall of each optical fiber hole 12 using a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber with an abrasive. By adding magnetic powder to the hydrofluoric acid solution, after placing the modified glass substrate 10 into the hydrofluoric acid solution containing the magnetic powder, an AC magnetic field is applied around the hydrofluoric acid solution carrying the magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow and selectively corrode the material in each modified area 11, thereby accelerating the corrosion rate of the modified area 11, quickly corroding and removing the material in the modified area 11, and improving the degree of influence of isotropy on the unevenness of the wall of the optical fiber hole 12 due to excessively long corrosion time.

[0067] refer to Figure 4When placing the corrosion container 21 and the AC electric field driving device 22, the corrosion container 21 can be located above the AC electric field driving device 22, so that the AC electric field driving device 22 can apply an AC magnetic field around the hydrofluoric acid solution and drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow from the bottom of the hydrofluoric acid solution. This improves the effect of driving the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow. It should be understood that the corrosion container 21 is not limited to the AC electric field driving device 22. Figure 4 In addition to the above-mentioned placement method of the AC electric field driving device 22, other placement methods can also be used. Figure 4 An internal reflux device 23 may be further provided inside the corrosion container 21 to guide the hydrofluoric acid solution to dynamically reflux inside the corrosion container 21 and improve the corrosion effect.

[0068] When setting the above-mentioned polishing device 44, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 The polishing device 44 may include a water abrasive device and a pressurizing device. The water abrasive device is used to add abrasive particles to deionized water to form a water abrasive. The pressurizing device is used to pressurize the water abrasive through each fiber hole 12 to polish the hole wall of each fiber hole 12. Because the selective etching process is isotropic, the hole wall of the fiber hole 12 after selective etching is uneven. By pressurizing the water abrasive through each fiber hole 12 to polish the hole wall of each fiber hole 12, the flatness of the fiber hole 12 can be improved to achieve the required size.

[0069] like Figure 5 A polishing device 44 is shown, which is a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber polishing device 44. The high-pressure water-guided optical fiber polishing device 44 may include: an auxiliary water-guided liquid supply system 31, a fiber laser processing head 32, and a spiral motion platform 33. The auxiliary water-guided liquid supply system 31 is used to provide deionized water doped with abrasive. The fiber laser processing head 32 is used to receive the deionized water doped with abrasive and output a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber with abrasive. The spiral motion platform 33 is used to drive the fiber laser processing head 32 in spiral motion, thereby using a spiral processing method to rotary polish the optical fiber hole 12 of a set fiber diameter, thereby improving the polishing accuracy and effect. By using a high-pressure water-guided optical fiber with abrasive to rotary polish the wall of each optical fiber hole 12, not only can the smoothness and uniformity of the optical fiber hole 12 wall be improved, reducing the impact on subsequent light propagation within the waveguide, but also the polishing effect and efficiency can be improved.

[0070] In addition, the embodiment of the present invention further provides an MT ferrule, which is used in an MPO connector. Figures 7 to 10The MT ferrule comprises a glass substrate 10; and at least one optical fiber hole 12 manufactured on the glass substrate 10 using any of the aforementioned MT ferrule manufacturing methods. A glass substrate is used as the base material for the MT ferrule, and the surface of the glass substrate 10 is sequentially decontaminated using a laser process. A modified region 11 is formed within the glass substrate 10 using a laser process, and the material of the modified region 11 is selectively etched away. The walls of the optical fiber hole 12 are then polished and chamfered 13. In other words, the optical fiber hole 12 is primarily machined using a laser process, thereby improving processing efficiency and the accuracy of the optical fiber hole 12. In the MT ferrule manufactured in the aforementioned manner, by modifying the current jumper manufacturing process used in optical fiber communication networks, high-density data centers, transmission systems, and CATV networks, and by utilizing the glass substrate 10's excellent temperature resistance and low thermal expansion coefficient, the defects of current MPO connectors, such as poor temperature resistance and poor stability under high temperature conditions, can be addressed. Furthermore, the transverse mode instability and low signal-to-noise ratio of multimode optical fiber jumpers, which can lead to poor communication quality, can be improved. This significantly improves the thermal resistance of MPO connectors, reducing stringent ambient temperature requirements. This reduces operating costs for high-density data centers, high-speed communications, and active optical cable assemblies. It also improves the communication quality of multimode fiber optic patch cords, lowers production costs, and expands their application. This meets the information industry's requirements for high-speed interconnection, high signal-to-noise ratio, and low cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the aforementioned fabrication process requires no special treatment of the fiber endface, allowing for the arbitrary selection of fiber core counts. This reduces the device's environmental requirements, significantly lowers operating and maintenance costs, and broadens its scope of application.

[0071] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an MT ferrule, wherein the MT ferrule is applied to an MPO connector, characterized in that: include: Providing a glass substrate, wherein the glass substrate has a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other; Using a laser process to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate; Performing laser layered processing modification on at least one optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate to form at least one modified zone in the glass substrate, wherein each modified zone runs through the first end face and the second end face; removing material from each modified region using a selective etching process to form at least one optical fiber hole in the glass substrate; Polishing the hole wall of each optical fiber hole; chamfering at least one of the two end ports of each optical fiber hole using a laser process; The selective etching process used to remove the material in each modified area includes: Place the glass substrate in a hydrofluoric acid solution containing magnetic powder; An AC magnetic field is applied around the hydrofluoric acid solution carrying magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow and selectively corrode the material in each modified area.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein The step of removing stains from the surface of the glass substrate by using a laser process includes: A nanosecond laser beam is outputted by a nanosecond Q-switched pulse laser light source; The nanosecond laser beam is shaped from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam by using a telescope system and a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group; The flat top beam is focused on the surface of the glass substrate and scanned on the surface of the glass substrate to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein: The step of removing stains from the surface of the glass substrate by using a laser process further comprises: The exhaust system is used to discharge the dust generated by the gasification of stains out of the processing chamber.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of performing laser layered processing on at least one optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate to form at least one modified area in the glass substrate comprises: A femtosecond laser light source outputs a femtosecond laser beam with a duration between 300fs and 1000fs; Passing the femtosecond laser beam through an aperture to filter out peripheral stray light; Passing the filtered laser beam through a telescope system and a DOE system in sequence to convert the femtosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam; The flat-top beam is focused at a location of a fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate, and multiple modification lines are scanned in sequence at each location of the fiber hole to be processed, and the multiple modification lines extend through the cracks to form a modified zone; wherein each modification line passes through the first end face and the second end face, and the interval between any two modification lines among the multiple modification lines is 20-50 microns.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The polishing process for the hole wall of each optical fiber hole comprises: Add abrasive particles to deionized water to form water abrasive; The water abrasive is pressed through each optical fiber hole to polish the hole wall of each optical fiber hole.

6. A manufacturing device for an MT ferrule, wherein the MT ferrule is used in an MPO connector, characterized in that: The manufacturing equipment includes: A laser cleaning device for removing stains from the surface of a glass substrate using a laser process; wherein the glass substrate has a first end face and a second end face opposite to each other; a laser modification and selective area processing device for performing laser layered processing modification on at least one optical fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate to form at least one modified area in the glass substrate, wherein each modified area passes through the first end face and the second end face; A selective etching device is configured to remove material in each modified area using a selective etching process to form at least one optical fiber hole in the glass substrate; wherein the selective etching process to remove material in each modified area comprises: placing the glass substrate in a hydrofluoric acid solution containing magnetic powder; applying an AC magnetic field around the hydrofluoric acid solution containing the magnetic powder to drive the hydrofluoric acid solution to flow and selectively etch away the material in each modified area; A polishing device, used for polishing the hole wall of each optical fiber hole; The laser chamfering device is used for chamfering at least one of the two end ports of each optical fiber hole by using a laser process.

7. The manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that The laser cleaning device comprises: Nanosecond Q-switched pulse laser light source, used to output nanosecond laser beam; A first telescope system and a cylindrical mirror + cylindrical lens group are used to shape the nanosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam; The first focusing and scanning system is used to focus the flat top beam on the surface of the glass substrate and scan the surface of the glass substrate to remove stains on the surface of the glass substrate.

8. The manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, wherein: The laser modification selective area processing device comprises: A femtosecond laser light source, used to output a femtosecond laser beam between 300fs and 1000fs; An aperture, used to filter out peripheral stray light of the femtosecond laser beam; a second telescope system and a DOE system for converting the filtered femtosecond laser beam from a Gaussian beam to a flat-top beam; A second focusing and scanning system is configured to focus the flat-top beam at a location of a fiber hole to be processed in the glass substrate, and sequentially scan a plurality of modified lines at each location of the fiber hole to be processed, wherein the plurality of modified lines extend through the crack to form a modified zone; wherein each modified line passes through the first end face and the second end face, and the interval between any two of the plurality of modified lines is 20-50 microns.

9. The manufacturing equipment according to claim 6, wherein: The polishing device comprises: Water abrasive equipment, used to add abrasive particles into deionized water to form water abrasive; A pressurizing device is used to pressurize the water abrasive through each optical fiber hole to polish the hole wall of each optical fiber hole.

10. An MT ferrule, which is applied to an MPO connector, characterized in that: include: Glass substrate; At least one optical fiber hole is manufactured on the glass substrate by using the method for manufacturing the MT ferrule according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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