Manufacturing method of optical waveguide connector and optical waveguide connector

Abstract

The invention provides an optical waveguide connector and a manufacturing method, and relates to the technical field of connector processing, and the manufacturing method comprises the steps: processing a positioning hole array penetrating through a whole glass rod in the end face of the glass rod; tapering the processed glass rod to a preset diameter; a tapering section with the diameter meeting the preset standard is cut and reserved; and cutting the tapering section into the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector, and writing the tapering section into an optical path through femtosecond laser to complete the preparation of the optical waveguide connector. Two or more positioning holes arranged according to a certain space structure are obtained through an etching or finish machining drilling technology on the end face of a glass rod, then the glass rod is tapered to a preset size, then the tapered glass rod is cut according to the positioning holes, and finally, an optical path is written through femtosecond laser, so that an optical waveguide connector meeting the standard can be obtained. The difficulty of manufacturing the optical waveguide connector is reduced, the preparation cost of the optical waveguide connector is reduced, and the preparation efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of connector processing, and in particular to a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector and the optical waveguide connector. Background Art

[0002] Optical waveguide connectors are used between printed circuit boards. With the development of technology, the requirements for the progress of optical waveguide connectors are getting higher and higher.

[0003] The optical waveguide connectors in the prior art are generally made by laser etching or high-precision drilling, which has high processing costs, and the precision of the same batch of products is different, which is not conducive to mass production. In addition, the precision control of the products is difficult, and there is room for improvement. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the defects in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector and an optical waveguide connector.

[0005] A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0006] Step S1, machining an array of positioning holes that penetrate the entire glass rod on the end surface of the glass rod;

[0007] Step S2, taper the processed glass rod to a predetermined diameter;

[0008] Step S3, cutting and retaining the tapered section whose diameter meets the preset standard;

[0009] Step S4, cutting the tapered section into the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector and completing the preparation of the optical waveguide connector by writing the optical path through a femtosecond laser.

[0010] Preferably, the material of the glass rod is convenient for directly writing the optical waveguide using a femtosecond laser inside; the material of the glass rod includes silicon dioxide, borate glass, silicate glass, phosphate glass, chalcogenide glass or halide glass.

[0011] Preferably, the diameter of the positioning hole is 2 to 100 times the diameter of the optical waveguide connector plug hole.

[0012] Preferably, in step S2, the heated glass rod is tapered at a uniform speed, and the diameter of the glass rod is measured while tapering to see whether it reaches a predetermined value, and the heating temperature during tapering is 400°C to 1500°C.

[0013] Preferably, step S4 includes:

[0014] Annealing the tapered section, the annealing temperature is 300° C. to 1200° C., the annealing heating time is 4 to 10 hours, and the annealing cooling time is 5 to 9 hours;

[0015] Cutting is started from the end surface of the tapered section along the length direction of the tapered section to cut the tapered section into a plurality of long strip devices, each of which includes two positioning holes;

[0016] The size and shape of the optical waveguide connector are formed by cutting the long strip device at intervals along its length.

[0017] Preferably, step S4 includes:

[0018] Cutting at intervals along the length direction of the tapered section to form a plurality of disc-shaped devices;

[0019] The size and shape of the optical waveguide connector is formed by cutting the end surface of the disk-shaped device along the length direction of the disk-shaped device.

[0020] Preferably, the diameter of the glass rod is 150 mm to 600 mm. The larger the positioning hole processed on the glass rod is, the more precise the optical waveguide connector structure obtained after taper cutting is.

[0021] Preferably, in step S2, during the taper heating process, the glass rod is in a molten state.

[0022] An optical waveguide connector provided by the present invention is manufactured by adopting a manufacturing method of an optical waveguide connector.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. The present invention obtains two or more positioning holes arranged in a certain spatial structure by etching or finishing drilling technology on the end face of the glass rod, then tapers the glass rod to a predetermined size, cuts the tapered glass rod according to the positioning holes, and finally writes the optical path through a femtosecond laser to obtain a standard optical waveguide connector, which helps to reduce the difficulty of manufacturing the optical waveguide connector, helps to reduce the preparation cost of the optical waveguide connector, and further helps to improve the preparation efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of the main manufacturing method of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of processing a positioning hole on the end face of a glass rod in step S1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of taper pulling in step S2 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a cut view of the end face of the tapered section in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector cut and formed in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an axial cutting along the taper section in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector cut to form the optical waveguide connector in the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several changes and improvements can also be made without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0034] Embodiment 1

[0035] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 As shown, a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector and connecting boards according to the present invention includes the following steps:

[0036] Step S1, machining an array of positioning holes that penetrate the entire glass rod on the end face of the glass rod. The material of the glass rod is convenient for using a femtosecond laser to directly write an optical waveguide inside, and specifically, the material of the glass rod includes silicon dioxide, borate glass, silicate glass, phosphate glass, chalcogenide glass or halide glass.

[0037] More specifically, the two positioning holes on the glass rod form a group, corresponding to the two pin holes of the optical waveguide connector, and the diameter of the positioning holes is 2 to 100 times the diameter of the optical waveguide connector plug hole. It should be noted that the multiple relationship between the diameter of the positioning holes and the diameter of the optical waveguide connector plug hole is related to the process progress. For example, the current process accuracy reaches 3μm, and the diameter of the positioning holes can be 3 times the diameter of the optical waveguide connector plug hole. When the process accuracy is higher, the multiple relationship between the diameter of the positioning holes and the diameter of the optical waveguide connector plug hole can be smaller or larger.

[0038] The diameter of the glass rod is 150mm to 600mm. The larger the positioning hole processed on the glass rod, the more accurate the optical waveguide connector structure obtained after taper cutting. It should be noted that the size of the glass rod diameter is related to the drilling accuracy of the equipment and the structural magnification. The design standard requires that the tolerance after taper cutting is less than or equal to 1μm.

[0039] In terms of efficiency and capacity, the diameter of the positioning hole is preferably 20 to 80 times that of the optical waveguide connector. The diameter of the glass rod is 150 mm to 600 mm, and the drilling equipment accuracy is less than 64 μm. In a more preferred embodiment: the diameter of the positioning hole is 40 to 60 times that of the optical waveguide connector, the diameter of the glass rod is 290 mm to 430 mm, and the drilling equipment accuracy is less than 48 μm.

[0040] Step S2, taper the processed glass rod to a predetermined diameter. Specifically, taper the heated glass rod at a uniform speed, and measure whether the diameter of the glass rod reaches the predetermined value while tapering. The heating temperature during tapering is 400°C to 1500°C. If the temperature is too low, the melting is insufficient, which affects the formation of the taper structure; if the temperature is too high, the volatilization of the material is accelerated, resulting in the displacement of the pin hole, the decrease in structural accuracy, and even the destruction of the material properties. The material of the glass rod for tapering is a rigid material, which prevents deformation when the optical waveguide connector is coupled and clamped with other optical devices. During the heating process of tapering, the glass rod is in a molten state, which can repair cracks and burrs caused by drilling and improve the plug-in and pull-out life of the optical waveguide connector.

[0041] Step S3, cutting and retaining the tapered section whose diameter meets the preset standard. Specifically, cutting off the two ends of the glass rod after the tapered section is completed.

[0042] Step S4, cutting the tapered section into the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector and completing the preparation of the optical waveguide connector by writing the optical path through a femtosecond laser. Specifically, the tapered section is first annealed, the annealing temperature is 300°C to 1200°C, the annealing heating time is 4 to 10 hours, the annealing cooling time is 5 to 9 hours, and the annealing is completed before cutting. Annealing can eliminate stress and prevent material cracking during cutting. When cutting, start cutting from the end face of the tapered section along the length direction of the tapered section, and cut the tapered section into a plurality of long strip devices, each of which includes two positioning holes. Cut at intervals along the length direction of the long strip device to form the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector.

[0043] It is important to note that during the taper heating process, the fewer round holes on the glass rod, the larger the round hole diameter can be made, and the more accurate the optical waveguide connector structure. In a feasible implementation: for the same 500mm diameter glass rod, according to the diameter, 8 positioning holes can be etched on the end face to make 4 optical waveguide connectors, and the hole diameter is 21mm, which is 30 times larger than the pin hole; 2 positioning holes can be etched on the end face to make 1 optical waveguide connector, and the round hole diameter is 42mm, which is 60 times larger than the pin hole; after cutting and tapering, the optical waveguide connector enlarged 60 times is more accurate in structure than the one enlarged 60 times and.

[0044] The present invention also provides an optical waveguide connector, which is manufactured using the manufacturing method of the optical waveguide connector.

[0045] The important parameters of the optical waveguide connector structure are the pin hole diameter, pin hole spacing, and tolerance requirements. Optical waveguide connectors can be divided into 12-channel, 16-channel, 24-channel, 32-channel, and 48-channel structures according to the number of optical path channels. The structural dimensions of the optical waveguide connector can be adjusted according to the number of designed optical paths. The length, width, and height of the structure can be adjusted as needed after leaving the minimum space for the pin hole diameter and the pin hole spacing.

[0046]

[0047] A feasible implementation method as shown in the table above: the pin hole diameter of the optical waveguide connector is 0.7mm, and the tolerance is ±1um; the pin hole spacing of the optical waveguide connector is 4.6mm, and the tolerance is ±3um. If the tolerance is too large, it will seriously affect the light transmission. Direct processing with existing processing technology (laser etching, high-precision drilling) will incur extremely high costs and is not conducive to mass production (the accuracy of the same batch of products is different), and the precision control of the product may not meet the requirements. Current mechanical processing technology can achieve a precision tolerance of ±0.02mm. The technical solution of the present application drills holes in the transverse section of the glass rod. The size of the positioning hole and the diameter D of the glass rod are related to the accuracy of the existing drilling technology. When the existing drilling accuracy of ±αμm is used, the taper multiple is n; according to the number of optical channels of the optical waveguide connector, the width of the connector is a mm and the height is b mm. At this time, the minimum diameter of the glass rod After taper, the tolerance ρ should meet

[0048]

[0049] In an implementation of a 12-path optical waveguide connector: Taking the drilling equipment accuracy of 20μm as an example, using a 30-fold scaling parameter, the pin hole diameter is 21mm and the pin hole spacing is 138mm. After taper cutting, the pin hole diameter is reduced from 21mm to 0.7mm, and the structure is reduced by 30 times, so the tolerance is also proportionally reduced from ±0.02mm to ±0.67um. There are other factors that affect the taper, so the tolerance is ±0.8um, which is less than the minimum tolerance of 1um affected by insertion loss.

[0050] When a larger taper multiple of 60 times is used, the minimum tolerance is ±0.06mm, and the precision tolerance of mechanical processing can be improved to less than ±0.05mm. When the taper multiple is 60 times, the drilling accuracy of the equipment is required to be lower than ±0.06mm. At this time, according to the technical solution of the present application, lower precision equipment can be used to achieve the goal, for example: the drilling accuracy of the equipment is ±0.05mm, and the drilling accuracy of the equipment is ±0.05mm. The tolerance after taper is 0.84μm, which is less than 1μm and meets the requirements. Compared with the conventional solutions of the prior art, the technical solution of the present application can use lower precision equipment to process products of the same quality as the conventional solutions of the prior art. At the same time, some tolerance space is reserved to deal with the impact of the taper process.

[0051]

[0052]

[0053] Embodiment 2

[0054] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, based on the first embodiment, a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector and inter-board connection according to the present invention are provided.

[0055] The steps regarding step S4 include:

[0056] A plurality of disk-shaped devices are formed by cutting at intervals along the length direction of the tapered section, and the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector are formed by cutting from the end surface of the disk-shaped device along the length direction of the disk-shaped device.

[0057] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are 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.

[0058] The above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which does not affect the essence of the present invention. In the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other arbitrarily.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector, characterized in that: The steps include: Step S1, machining an array of positioning holes that penetrate the entire glass rod on the end surface of the glass rod; Step S2, taper the processed glass rod to a predetermined diameter; Step S3, cutting and retaining the tapered section whose diameter meets the preset standard; Step S4, cutting the tapered section into the size and shape of the optical waveguide connector and completing the preparation of the optical waveguide connector by writing the optical path through a femtosecond laser.

2. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the glass rod facilitates the use of femtosecond laser direct writing of optical waveguides inside; The material of the glass rod includes silicon dioxide, borate glass, silicate glass, phosphate glass, chalcogenide glass or halide glass.

3. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, wherein: The diameter of the positioning hole is 2 to 100 times the diameter of the optical waveguide connector plug hole.

4. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, wherein: Regarding step S2, the heated glass rod is tapered at a uniform speed, and the diameter of the glass rod is measured while tapering to see whether it reaches a predetermined value. The heating temperature during tapering is 400° C. to 1500° C.

5. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, wherein: Step S4 includes: Annealing the tapered section, the annealing temperature is 300° C. to 1200° C., the annealing heating time is 4 to 10 hours, and the annealing cooling time is 5 to 9 hours; Cutting is started from the end surface of the tapered section along the length direction of the tapered section to cut the tapered section into a plurality of long strip devices, each of which includes two positioning holes; The size and shape of the optical waveguide connector are formed by cutting the long strip device at intervals along its length.

6. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, wherein: Step S4 includes: Cutting at intervals along the length direction of the tapered section to form a plurality of disc-shaped devices; The size and shape of the optical waveguide connector is formed by cutting the end surface of the disk-shaped device along the length direction of the disk-shaped device.

7. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, wherein: The diameter of the glass rod is 150 mm to 600 mm. The larger the positioning hole processed on the glass rod is, the more precise the optical waveguide connector structure obtained after taper cutting is.

8. The method for manufacturing an optical waveguide connector according to claim 1, wherein: In step S2, during the heating process of the taper, the glass rod is in a molten state.

9. An optical waveguide connector, characterized in that: The optical waveguide connector is manufactured by the manufacturing method of any one of claims 1 to 8.

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