Optical fiber array, preparation method of optical fiber array and optical device

Abstract

The invention provides an optical fiber array, a preparation method of the optical fiber array and an optical device. The optical fiber array comprises optical fibers and a substrate; the optical fiber is used for emitting light beams; the substrate is provided with an accommodating groove, a reflecting surface and a light emitting surface, the accommodating groove and the reflecting surface are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate, the reflecting surface is positioned on one side of the end part of the accommodating groove, the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate, and at least part of the optical fiber is arranged in the accommodating groove; a light beam emitted from the optical fiber is emitted to the reflecting surface, is reflected to the light-emitting surface through the reflecting surface, and is emitted out of the substrate through the light-emitting surface. The accommodating groove, the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface are formed on the substrate by utilizing a photoetching process, so that the process of mutually assembling a lens and the substrate in the related technology is omitted, the use quantity of a lens material is reduced, and the assembly cost, the material cost and the production cost are reduced. Moreover, the subsequent packaging process is simplified, the spacing tolerance between the accommodating grooves is reduced, and the miniaturization of the optical device is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of optical communication technology, and specifically relates to an optical fiber array, a method for preparing an optical fiber array, and an optical device. Background Art

[0002] In the field of optical communications, optical fiber arrays are often used as channels for light beams to enter and exit optical devices. In related technologies, the light array is assembled by assembling a lens on a substrate, for example, bonding the lens to the substrate. However, this results in a complicated assembly process for the optical fiber array and high production costs. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the first aspect of the present application provides an optical fiber array, the optical fiber array comprising: Optical fiber, used to emit light beam; A substrate, provided with a receiving groove, a reflecting surface and a light emitting surface, wherein the receiving groove and the reflecting surface are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate, the reflecting surface is located at one side of the end of the receiving groove, the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate, and at least part of the optical fiber is arranged in the receiving groove; The light beam emitted from the optical fiber is emitted to the reflection surface, the light beam is reflected by the reflection surface to the light emitting surface, and then emitted from the substrate through the light emitting surface.

[0004] The substrate is further provided with a verification groove, which is located between the receiving groove and the reflecting surface, passes through the substrate along the width direction of the substrate, is connected to the receiving groove, and has a groove depth greater than a groove depth of the receiving groove.

[0005] Wherein, the ratio of the groove depth of the containing groove to the groove depth of the checking groove is 1:(1.63-2).

[0006] A reflective enhancement layer is disposed on the groove wall of the inspection groove facing the accommodating groove, and the refractive index of the reflective enhancement layer is 1.45-3.48; and the light beam emitted from the optical fiber passes through the reflective enhancement layer and then reaches the reflecting surface.

[0007] Wherein, along the length direction of the substrate, the thickness of the anti-reflection layer is 200nm~500nm.

[0008] The anti-reflection layer is prepared by using a refractive index glue, and the anti-reflection layer is bonded to the substrate.

[0009] Wherein, the angle between the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface is greater than or equal to 30° and less than 45°.

[0010] The reflective surface is provided with a first condenser, the first condenser and the substrate are integrally formed structural parts, and the first condenser is used to condense the light beam emitted from the optical fiber and also allows the condensed light beam to be emitted to the light emitting surface.

[0011] The light emitting surface is provided with a second condenser, the second condenser and the substrate are integrally formed structural parts, and the second condenser is used to condense the light beam from the reflecting surface and also make the condensed light beam emit out of the substrate.

[0012] Wherein, the substrate satisfies at least one of the following conditions: The height of the substrate is 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm; The length of the substrate is 4 mm to 6 mm; The width of the substrate is 3 mm to 5 mm.

[0013] There are multiple containing grooves, and the spacing tolerance between two adjacent containing grooves is ±0.5 μm.

[0014] Wherein, the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate from the light emitting surface is ≤10 μm, or ≤7 μm, or ≤4 μm.

[0015] The second aspect of the present application provides a method for preparing the optical fiber array provided in the first aspect of the present application, the preparation method comprising: providing a substrate to be processed; Using a photolithography process, a receiving groove, a reflecting surface and a light emitting surface are formed on the substrate to be processed, wherein the receiving groove and the reflecting surface are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate to be processed, the reflecting surface is located at one side of the end of the receiving groove, and the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate to be processed, thereby obtaining a substrate; An optical fiber is provided, and the optical fiber is arranged in the receiving groove to obtain the optical fiber array provided in the first aspect of the present application.

[0016] The third aspect of the present application provides an optical device, which includes a receiving element and an optical fiber array as provided in the first aspect of the present application, wherein the receiving element is arranged facing the light emitting surface, and is used to receive a light beam emitted from the substrate from the light emitting surface.

[0017] The optical fiber array, the preparation method of the optical fiber array, and the optical device provided by the present application use a photolithography process to form a receiving groove, a reflecting surface, and a light-emitting surface on a substrate, thereby omitting the process of assembling the lens and the substrate with each other in the related art, and also reducing the amount of lens material used, thereby reducing the assembly cost, material cost, and production cost. In addition, such a setting is also conducive to simplifying the subsequent packaging process, reducing the spacing tolerance between the receiving grooves, and is conducive to miniaturizing the optical device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the implementation modes of the present application, the drawings required for use in the implementation modes of the present application will be described below.

[0019] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an optical fiber array provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an optical fiber array provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical fiber array provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an optical fiber array provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a light spot of a light beam emitted from a substrate from a light emitting surface provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a light spot of a light beam emitted from a light emitting surface of a substrate provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical fiber array provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical fiber array provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical fiber array provided in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing an optical fiber array provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Fig.11 A schematic structural diagram of an optical device provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals: optical fiber array 1, optical fiber 10, substrate 11, accommodating groove 111, reflecting surface 112, light emitting surface 113, verification groove 114, anti-reflection layer 115, first condenser 116, second condenser 117, cover plate 12, optical device 2, receiving element 21. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following are preferred implementations of the present application. It should be noted that, for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present application, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0032] In view of this, in order to solve the above problems, please refer to Figure 1-Figure 4 It should be noted that Figure 4 The optical fiber 10 is not shown in the figure. This embodiment provides an optical fiber array 1, which includes an optical fiber 10 and a substrate 11. The optical fiber 10 is used to emit a light beam. The substrate 11 is provided with a receiving groove 111, a reflecting surface 112 and a light emitting surface 113, wherein the receiving groove 111 and the reflecting surface 112 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate 11, the reflecting surface 112 is located at one side of the end of the receiving groove 111, and the reflecting surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate 11, and at least part of the optical fiber 10 is arranged in the receiving groove 111. The light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 is emitted to the reflecting surface 112, and the light beam is reflected by the reflecting surface 112 to the light emitting surface 113, and then emitted from the substrate 11 through the light emitting surface 113.

[0033] The optical fiber array 1 provided in this embodiment can be applied to optical devices, and the optical devices can be used in optical communication systems including optical network terminals, optical network units, or optical distribution networks. Figure 1 As shown in the X direction, the width direction of the substrate 11 is as shown in Figure 1 As shown in the Y direction, the height direction of the substrate 11 is as shown in Figure 1 Shown in the Z direction.

[0034] The optical fiber 10 can emit a light beam. The number of optical fibers 10 is one or more, for example, the number of optical fibers 10 is four. Optionally, the wavelengths of the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 are different; optionally, the wavelengths of the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 are the same; optionally, the wavelengths of the light beams emitted by some optical fibers 10 are different, and the wavelengths of the light beams emitted by another part of the optical fibers 10 are the same. The multiple optical fibers 10 are arranged parallel to each other, and the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 are parallel to each other. At least part of the optical fibers 10 is arranged in the receiving groove 111 of the substrate 11, and the connection method between the optical fiber 10 and the groove wall of the receiving groove 111 can be a clamping connection, an adhesive connection, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment. Optionally, the multiple optical fibers 10 are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the substrate 11, and the extension direction of the optical fiber 10 is the same as the length direction of the substrate 11.

[0035] The substrate 11 is provided with a receiving groove 111, a reflecting surface 112 and a light emitting surface 113, and the receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112, the light emitting surface 113 and the substrate 11 are an integrated structural member. Optionally, the material of the substrate 11 is silicon. For example, the receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 are prepared on the substrate 11 by a photolithography process.

[0036] The receiving groove 111 can receive and fix the optical fiber 10. One receiving groove 111 is used to receive one optical fiber 10. The receiving groove 111 can be obtained by etching the substrate 11 through a photolithography process. The number of the receiving grooves 111 is one or more. For example, the number of the receiving grooves 111 is four. Optionally, the number of the receiving grooves 111 is the same as the number of the optical fibers 10. Optionally, the plurality of receiving grooves 111 are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the substrate 11. The plurality of receiving grooves 111 are arranged parallel to each other, and the extending direction of the receiving grooves 111 is the same as the length direction of the substrate 11. The shape of the receiving groove 111 can be a V-shaped groove, a rectangular groove, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0037] The reflective surface 112 can receive and reflect the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10, and the reflective surface 112 can be obtained by etching the substrate 11 through a photolithography process, and there is a gap between the optical fiber 10 and the reflective surface 112. Optionally, the angle between the extension direction of the reflective surface 112 and the extension direction of the optical fiber 10 is an acute angle. The light-emitting surface 113 can receive and transmit the light beam emitted from the reflective surface 112, and the light-emitting surface 113 can be obtained by etching the substrate 11 through a photolithography process, and there is a gap between the optical fiber 10 and the light-emitting surface 113.

[0038] Optionally, the optical fiber array 1 further includes a cover plate 12 , which is disposed on the substrate 11 and abuts against the optical fiber 10 , and the optical fiber 10 is sandwiched between the accommodating groove 111 and the cover plate 12 .

[0039] The assembly process of the optical fiber array 1 is introduced as follows: a substrate 11 having a receiving groove 111 , a reflecting surface 112 and a light emitting surface 113 , and an optical fiber 10 are provided; then, the optical fiber 10 is arranged on the receiving groove 111 , and the assembly of the optical fiber array 1 is completed.

[0040] The optical path in the optical fiber array 1 is introduced as follows: the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 is first emitted to the reflecting surface 112, the reflecting surface 112 receives the light beam and reflects the light beam to the light emitting surface 113, and the light beam is emitted from the substrate 11 through the light emitting surface 113. Among them, at least part of the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 is emitted into the substrate 11 and emitted to the reflecting surface 112; the light beam reflected from the reflecting surface 112 propagates in the substrate 11 and is emitted to the light emitting surface 113, and the light beam is emitted from the substrate 11 through the light emitting surface 113. Optionally, the light beam emitted from the substrate 11 is emitted to a receiving element, which may be an optoelectronic chip, an optoelectronic conversion structure, etc. The optical path in the optical fiber array 1 is as follows: Figure 3 As shown in L.

[0041] The optical fiber array 1 provided in this embodiment uses a photolithography process to form a receiving groove 111, a reflecting surface 112, and a light-emitting surface 113 on a substrate 11, thereby omitting the process of assembling the lens and the substrate 11 in the related art, and also reducing the amount of lens material used, thereby reducing assembly costs, material costs, and production costs. In addition, such a setting is also conducive to simplifying the subsequent packaging process, reducing the spacing tolerance between the receiving grooves 111, and is conducive to miniaturization of optical devices.

[0042] In one embodiment, the substrate 11 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: The height of the substrate 11 is 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. Specifically, the height of the substrate 11 may be 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, etc.

[0043] And / or, the length of the substrate 11 is 4 mm to 6 mm. Specifically, the length of the substrate 11 can be 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, etc.

[0044] And / or, the width of the substrate 11 is 3 mm to 5 mm. Specifically, the width of the substrate 11 can be 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, etc.

[0045] In summary, in this embodiment, the receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 are arranged on the substrate 11. The receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112, the light emitting surface 113 and the substrate 11 are an integrated structural component, which can reduce the overall size of the optical fiber array 1, is conducive to the miniaturization of optical devices, and can also save the substrate 11 material, save the lens material, and reduce the production cost of the optical fiber array 1.

[0046] In one implementation, there are multiple containing grooves 111 , and the spacing tolerance between two adjacent containing grooves 111 is ±0.5 μm.

[0047] The plurality of receiving grooves 111 are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the substrate 11. Optionally, the spacing between two adjacent receiving grooves 111 is 0.5 mm-1 mm, and the specific spacing between two adjacent receiving grooves 111 can be, for example, 0.5 mm, or 0.6 mm, or 0.7 mm, or 0.75 mm, or 0.8 mm, or 0.9 mm, or 1 mm, etc. Preferably, the spacing between two adjacent receiving grooves 111 is 0.75 mm.

[0048] In the related art, the spacing tolerance between two adjacent receiving grooves 111 is ±1μm~2μm, while in this embodiment, by using a photolithography process to prepare multiple receiving grooves 111 on the substrate 11, the spacing tolerance between two adjacent receiving grooves 111 can be reduced to ±0.5μm, thereby making the distance between the optical fibers 10 more precise, which is beneficial to improving the coupling efficiency when the optical fiber 10 is used for photonic chip coupling and array waveguide grating coupling, and is also beneficial to reducing the transmission loss and shadow effect of the optical fiber 10, thereby reducing the power attenuation of the optical signal and improving the quality of the optical signal.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 6 In one embodiment, the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate 11 from the light exit surface 113 is ≤10μm, and the specific spot diameter can be, for example, 10μm, or 9μm, or 8μm, or 7μm, or 6μm, or 5μm, or 4μm, or 3.5μm, or 3μm, etc. Preferably, the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate 11 from the light exit surface 113 is ≤7μm; more preferably, the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate 11 from the light exit surface 113 is ≤4μm.

[0050] In the relevant technology, 400G optical module refers to the technology that can support 400Gbps (400 gigabits per second) data transmission rate. When the rate is increased to above 400G, the light receiving area of ​​the receiver is reduced, resulting in the light beam in the relevant technology cannot be fully received by the receiver, resulting in the power attenuation of the optical signal and the reduction of the quality of the optical signal.

[0051] By adopting the optical fiber array 1 provided in this embodiment, the optical path of the light beam can be shortened, the loss of the light beam can be reduced, and the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate 11 by the light output surface 113 can be controlled to be below 10μm, or even below 4μm, thereby greatly reducing the spot diameter, reducing the requirements for the light receiving area of ​​the receiving component, and improving the quality of the optical signal.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 2-Figure 4 In one embodiment, the substrate 11 is further provided with a verification groove 114, and the verification groove 114 is located between the accommodating groove 111 and the reflecting surface 112. The verification groove 114 penetrates the substrate 11 along the width direction of the substrate 11, and the verification groove 114 is connected to the accommodating groove 111, and the groove depth of the verification groove 114 is greater than the groove depth of the accommodating groove 111.

[0053] The check groove 114 is used to observe the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 and check whether the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 are horizontally aligned. There is a gap between the optical fiber 10 and the groove wall of the check groove 114 facing the accommodating groove 111. The check groove 114 penetrates the substrate 11 along the width direction of the substrate 11, which can also be understood as the check groove 114 penetrating the opposite peripheral side walls of the substrate 11. Specifically, the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 first passes through the check groove 114, and then the light beam passing through the check groove 114 is projected to the reflecting surface 112.

[0054] For example, the inspection slot 114 is used to visually observe whether the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 are horizontally aligned. For another example, an analyzer is used to check whether the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 passing through the inspection slot 114 are horizontally aligned; the analyzer can be arranged inside the inspection slot 114 or outside the inspection slot 114; the analyzer can be a laser collimator, a beam quality analyzer, a photoelectric sensor, etc.; the data of the multiple light beams is obtained through the analyzer, and then the data of the multiple light beams is compared to determine whether the light beams emitted by the multiple optical fibers 10 are horizontally aligned.

[0055] In summary, this embodiment sets a verification groove 114 between the receiving groove 111 and the reflecting surface 112 to verify whether the light beams emitted by multiple optical fibers 10 are horizontally aligned, so that the position of the optical fiber 10 in the receiving groove 111 can be adjusted in time to improve the quality of the optical signal.

[0056] In one embodiment, the ratio of the groove depth of the receiving groove 111 to the groove depth of the verification groove 114 is 1:(1.63-2). The specific ratio of the groove depth of the receiving groove 111 to the groove depth of the verification groove 114 can be 1:1.63, or 1:1.65, or 1:1.7, or 1:1.75, or 1:1.8, or 1:1.85, or 1:1.9, or 1:1.95, or 1:2, etc.

[0057] Optionally, the groove depth of the verification groove 114 is 0.325 mm to 0.4 mm, and the specific groove depth of the verification groove 114 can be, for example, 0.325 mm, or 0.35 mm, or 0.3725 mm, or 0.4 mm, etc. Optionally, the opening width of the verification groove 114 is 0.45 mm to 0.65 mm, and the specific opening width of the verification groove 114 can be, for example, 0.45 mm, or 0.5 mm, or 0.55 mm, or 0.6 mm, or 0.65 mm, etc.

[0058] In summary, this embodiment, by limiting the depth ratio of the receiving groove 111 to the depth ratio of the verification groove 114, not only ensures that the depth of the verification groove 114 is large enough to verify the state of the light beams emitted by multiple optical fibers 10, but also reduces the overall height of the optical fiber array 1 as much as possible, which is conducive to the miniaturization of optical devices and saves the material of the substrate 11.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 7 In one embodiment, a reflective enhancement layer 115 is provided on the groove wall of the verification groove 114 facing the accommodating groove 111 , and the refractive index of the reflective enhancement layer 115 is 1.45~3.48; wherein the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 passes through the reflective enhancement layer 115 and then is emitted to the reflecting surface 112.

[0060] The anti-reflection layer 115 can allow more light beams to enter the substrate 11 and then reach the reflective surface 112, thereby reducing light reflection of the light beam at the interface, thereby reducing light loss of the light beam. Wherein, at a wavelength of 1550nm, the refractive index of the anti-reflection layer 115 is 1.45-3.48, and the specific refractive index of the anti-reflection layer 115 can be exemplified as 1.45, or 1.6, or 1.8, or 2, or 2.2, or 2.4, or 2.6, or 2.8, or 3, or 3.2, or 3.4, or 3.48, etc., which is between the refractive index of the optical fiber 10 and the refractive index of the substrate 11.

[0061] For example, the anti-reflection layer 115 includes at least one low refractive index layer stacked. For another example, the anti-reflection layer 115 includes at least one high refractive index layer and at least one low refractive index layer, the high refractive index layer and the low refractive index layer are stacked with each other, and the refractive index of the high refractive index layer is greater than the refractive index of the low refractive index layer. For another example, the anti-reflection layer 115 also includes at least one medium refractive index layer, the medium refractive index layer is arranged between the high refractive index layer and the low refractive index layer, the refractive index of the high refractive index layer is greater than the refractive index of the medium refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the medium refractive index layer is greater than the refractive index of the low refractive index layer.

[0062] In summary, the embodiment provides the anti-reflection layer 115 to reduce the light reflection of the light beam at the interface, so that more light beams are incident into the substrate 11 and then incident on the reflection surface 112, thereby improving the quality of the light signal.

[0063] In one embodiment, along the length direction of the substrate 11 , the thickness of the anti-reflection layer 115 is 200 nm to 500 nm.

[0064] The specific thickness of the anti-reflection layer 115 can be, for example, 200 nm, 250 nm, 300 nm, 350 nm, 400 nm, 450 nm, or 500 nm.

[0065] In one implementation, the anti-reflection layer 115 is made of refractive index glue, and the anti-reflection layer 115 is bonded to the substrate 11 .

[0066] The refractive index of the refractive index glue is 1.45-3.48. When the refractive index glue is used to prepare the anti-reflection layer 115, the thickness of the anti-reflection layer 115 is 50 μm-300 μm, and the specific thickness of the anti-reflection layer 115 can be 50 μm, 100 μm, 150 μm, 200 μm, 250 μm, 300 μm, etc.

[0067] In this embodiment, the anti-reflection layer 115 is prepared by using a refractive index glue, which not only simplifies the preparation process of the anti-reflection layer 115 and saves preparation materials, but also the anti-reflection layer 115 can be directly bonded to the substrate 11, reducing the difficulty of assembly.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 3 In one embodiment, the angle between the reflective surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 is equal to 45°.

[0069] At this time, the light beam emitted from the reflective surface 112 to the light emitting surface 113 is perpendicular to the light emitting surface 113. This method is simple and convenient, and the light beam path is short, and the light beam of the optical fiber 10 can be transmitted to the light emitting surface 113.

[0070] However, since the light beam is emitted vertically to the light emitting surface 113 , there is a certain probability that the light beam is re-reflected from the light emitting surface 113 to the reflecting surface 112 , or even re-reflected to the optical fiber 10 , thereby damaging the optical fiber 10 .

[0071] Please refer to Figure 8 In another embodiment, the angle between the reflecting surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 is greater than or equal to 30° and less than 45°.

[0072] The included angle between the reflection surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 may be 30°, 32.5°, 35°, 37.5°, 40°, 42.5°, 44.5°, etc., for example.

[0073] In summary, this embodiment limits the angle between the reflection surface 112 and the light-emitting surface 113 to be greater than or equal to 30° and less than 45° to avoid the light beam from being vertically emitted to the light-emitting surface 113, so that the light beam is emitted from the light-emitting surface 113 at an angle to avoid the light beam being re-reflected onto the reflection surface 112 and the optical fiber 10. This not only reduces the probability of damage to the optical fiber 10 and improves the reliability of the optical fiber array 1, but also enables more light to pass through the light-emitting surface 113 and be received by the receiving component, thereby improving the quality of the optical signal.

[0074] Please refer to Fig. 9 In one embodiment, the reflective surface 112 is provided with a first condenser 116, and the first condenser 116 and the substrate 11 are integrally formed structural components. The first condenser 116 is used to condense the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 and also allows the condensed light beam to be emitted to the light output surface 113.

[0075] The first condenser 116 can gather scattered light. The first condenser 116 can be obtained by etching the substrate 11 through a photolithography process, and the accommodating groove 111, the reflecting surface 112, the first condenser 116, the light emitting surface 113, and the substrate 11 are an integrated structural member. For example, the first condenser 116 is a convex lens, a concave lens, etc. The number of the first condenser 116 is one or more, for example, the number of the first condenser 116 is four, optionally, the number of the first condenser 116 is the same as the number of the optical fiber 10; optionally, the plurality of first condensers 116 are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the substrate 11, and the plurality of first condensers 116 are arranged parallel to each other.

[0076] Specifically, the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 is first emitted to the first condenser 116 of the reflective surface 112 , and the first condenser 116 condenses the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 10 , and then emits the condensed light beam to the light output surface 113 .

[0077] In summary, this embodiment, by setting the first condenser 116, can not only concentrate the light beam, reduce the loss of the light beam, and improve the quality of the optical signal, but also can omit the process of assembling the lens and the substrate 11 with each other in the related technology, and reduce the amount of lens material used, thereby reducing assembly cost, material cost, and production cost.

[0078] Please refer to Figure 3 ,and Figure 7-Figure 9 In one embodiment, the light emitting surface 113 is provided with a second condenser 117, and the second condenser 117 and the substrate 11 are integrally formed structural components. The second condenser 117 is used to collect the light beam from the reflecting surface 112 and also allows the collected light beam to be emitted from the substrate 11.

[0079] The second condenser 117 can collect scattered light. The second condenser 117 can be obtained by etching the substrate 11 through a photolithography process, and the receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112, the light emitting surface 113, the second condenser 117, and the substrate 11 are an integrated structural member. For example, the second condenser 117 is a convex lens, a concave lens, etc. The number of the second condensers 117 is one or more, for example, the number of the second condensers 117 is four, optionally, the number of the second condensers 117 is the same as the number of the optical fibers 10; optionally, the plurality of second condensers 117 are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the substrate 11, and the plurality of second condensers 117 are arranged parallel to each other.

[0080] Specifically, the light beam from the reflection surface 112 is emitted to the second condenser 117 of the light emitting surface 113 , and the second condenser 117 condenses the light beam from the reflection surface 112 and then emits the condensed light beam out of the substrate 11 .

[0081] In summary, the present embodiment, by setting the second condenser 117, can not only concentrate the light beam, reduce the loss of the light beam, and improve the quality of the optical signal, but also can reduce the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate 11 by the light emitting surface 113, thereby reducing the requirement for the area of ​​the light receiving area of ​​the receiving element; moreover, it can also omit the process of assembling the lens and the substrate 11 with each other in the related technology, and also reduce the amount of lens material used, thereby reducing the assembly cost, material cost, and production cost.

[0082] Please refer to Fig.10 The present application also provides a method for preparing the optical fiber array 1 as provided above in the present application, the preparation method comprising: S100, providing a substrate to be processed.

[0083] S200, using a photolithography process, forming a receiving groove 111, a reflecting surface 112 and a light emitting surface 113 on the substrate to be processed, wherein the receiving groove 111 and the reflecting surface 112 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate to be processed, the reflecting surface 112 is located on one side of the end of the receiving groove 111, and the reflecting surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate to be processed, to obtain a substrate 11.

[0084] Optionally, the receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 are prepared in one step on the substrate to be processed by a photolithography process; or, the receiving groove 111 and the reflecting surface 112 are first prepared in one step on the substrate to be processed by a photolithography process, and the light emitting surface 113 is prepared in another step; or, the light emitting surface 113 is first prepared in one step on the substrate to be processed by a photolithography process, and the receiving groove 111 and the reflecting surface 112 are prepared in another step.

[0085] S300 , providing an optical fiber 10 , placing the optical fiber 10 in the receiving groove 111 , and obtaining the optical fiber array 1 provided above in the present application.

[0086] Specifically, a photolithography process is performed on a clean substrate to be processed; first, a photoresist is coated on the substrate to be processed, and the pattern on the mask is exposed to the substrate to be processed coated with the photoresist through a light source, and then a development process is performed, so that the receiving groove 111, the reflection surface 112 and the light emitting surface 113 are etched out on the substrate to be processed, and the remaining photoresist is stripped off, and finally the substrate 11 provided in the present application is obtained. In addition, the optical fiber 10 is installed on the substrate 11, so as to obtain the optical fiber array 1 provided in the present application.

[0087] In summary, the preparation method of the optical fiber array 1 provided in this embodiment uses a photolithography process to form a receiving groove 111, a reflecting surface 112, and a light-emitting surface 113 on a substrate 11, thereby omitting the process of assembling the lens and the substrate 11 with each other in the related art, and also reducing the amount of lens material used, thereby reducing assembly costs, material costs, and production costs. In addition, such a setting is also conducive to simplifying the subsequent packaging process, reducing the spacing tolerance between the receiving grooves 111, and is conducive to miniaturization of optical devices.

[0088] Please refer to Fig.11 The present application also provides an optical device 2, which includes a receiving element 21 and an optical fiber array 1 as provided above in the present application, wherein the receiving element 21 is arranged facing the light emitting surface 113, and the receiving element 21 is used to receive a light beam emitted from the substrate 11 from the light emitting surface 113.

[0089] The receiving element 21 can also be called a receiving chip. The receiving element 21 can receive light and convert the light into electric current. The number of the receiving elements 21 is one or more. Optionally, the receiving element 21 can be a photoelectric chip, a photoelectric conversion structure, etc. For example, the number of the receiving elements 21 is four. Optionally, the number of the receiving elements 21 is the same as the number of the optical fibers 10; optionally, the plurality of receiving elements 21 are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the substrate 11, and the plurality of receiving elements 21 are arranged parallel to each other. Optionally, one receiving element 21 is arranged corresponding to a second condenser 117 of a light-emitting surface 113.

[0090] In summary, the optical device 2 provided in this embodiment adopts the optical fiber array 1 provided in the present application, and forms the receiving groove 111, the reflecting surface 112, and the light-emitting surface 113 on the substrate 11 by using the photolithography process, thereby omitting the process of assembling the lens and the substrate 11 with each other in the related art, and also reducing the amount of lens material used, thereby reducing the assembly cost, material cost, and production cost. Moreover, such a setting is also conducive to simplifying the subsequent packaging process, reducing the spacing tolerance between the receiving grooves 111, and is conducive to miniaturization of the optical device 2.

[0091] Unless otherwise specified or there is a contradiction, the terms and phrases used in this application have the following meanings: In this application, "first", "second", etc. are used only for descriptive purposes and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features.

[0092] In this application, "one or several" refers to any one, any two or more of the listed items. Among them, "several" refers to any two or more of the listed items.

[0093] In the present application, it is necessary to understand that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0094] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. It can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0095] Mentioning "embodiment" and "implementation method" in this application means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrases in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application can be combined with other embodiments. In addition, it should also be understood that the features, structures or characteristics described in the various embodiments of the present application can be arbitrarily combined to form another embodiment that does not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present application, provided that there is no contradiction between them.

[0096] The above is part of the implementation methods of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An optical fiber array, characterized in that: The optical fiber array comprises: Optical fiber, used to emit light beam; A substrate, provided with a receiving groove, a reflecting surface and a light emitting surface, wherein the receiving groove and the reflecting surface are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate, the reflecting surface is located at one side of the end of the receiving groove, the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate, and at least part of the optical fiber is arranged in the receiving groove; The light beam emitted from the optical fiber is emitted to the reflection surface, the light beam is reflected by the reflection surface to the light emitting surface, and then emitted from the substrate through the light emitting surface.

2. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate is also provided with a verification groove, which is located between the accommodating groove and the reflecting surface, and passes through the substrate along the width direction of the substrate. The verification groove is connected to the accommodating groove, and the groove depth of the verification groove is greater than the groove depth of the accommodating groove.

3. The optical fiber array according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ratio of the groove depth of the accommodating groove to the groove depth of the checking groove is 1:(1.63-2).

4. The optical fiber array according to claim 2, characterized in that: The groove wall of the inspection groove facing the accommodating groove is provided with an anti-reflection layer, and the refractive index of the anti-reflection layer is 1.45-3.48; wherein the light beam emitted from the optical fiber passes through the anti-reflection layer and then reaches the reflecting surface.

5. The optical fiber array according to claim 4, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the substrate, the thickness of the anti-reflection layer is 200nm~500nm.

6. The optical fiber array according to claim 4, characterized in that: The anti-reflection layer is prepared by using a refractive index glue, and the anti-reflection layer is bonded and connected to the substrate.

7. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The included angle between the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface is greater than or equal to 30° and less than 45°.

8. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein: The reflective surface is provided with a first condenser, the first condenser and the substrate are integrally formed structural parts, and the first condenser is used to condense the light beam emitted from the optical fiber and also allows the condensed light beam to be emitted to the light emitting surface.

9. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light-emitting surface is provided with a second condenser, the second condenser and the substrate are integrally formed structural parts, and the second condenser is used to condense the light beam from the reflecting surface and also to make the condensed light beam emit out of the substrate.

10. The optical fiber array according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The substrate satisfies at least one of the following conditions: The height of the substrate is 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm; The length of the substrate is 4 mm to 6 mm; The width of the substrate is 3 mm to 5 mm.

11. The optical fiber array according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: There are a plurality of the containing grooves, and a spacing tolerance between two adjacent containing grooves is ±0.5 μm.

12. The optical fiber array according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the substrate from the light emitting surface is ≤10 μm, or ≤7 μm, or ≤4 μm.

13. A method for preparing an optical fiber array as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The preparation method comprises: providing a substrate to be processed; Using a photolithography process, a receiving groove, a reflecting surface and a light emitting surface are formed on the substrate to be processed, wherein the receiving groove and the reflecting surface are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the substrate to be processed, the reflecting surface is located at one side of the end of the receiving groove, and the reflecting surface and the light emitting surface are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the substrate to be processed, thereby obtaining a substrate; An optical fiber is provided and arranged in the receiving groove to obtain the optical fiber array as claimed in claim 1.

14. An optical device, characterized in that: The optical device includes a receiving element and an optical fiber array as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the receiving element is arranged facing the light emitting surface, and the receiving element is used to receive a light beam emitted from the substrate from the light emitting surface.

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