Optical connection member

Abstract

An optical connection member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an optical connection member having a structure for reducing optical coupling loss between external devices made of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients. The optical connection member includes a glass substrate and a lens. The glass substrate has a first substrate end surface, a second substrate end surface, and a core, and is made of a glass material that is transparent to the wavelength of light propagating through the core. The lens is disposed on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the core.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to optical connection components.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-023501, filed on February 17, 2023, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. Background Art

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a resin-molded ferrule as an optical component that functions as an optical connection component. The ferrule is provided with a positioning structure and a lens holding structure for stably holding a plurality of optical fibers.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Publication No. US2021 / 149127A1

[0007] Non-patent literature

[0008] Non-patent literature 1: Y.Nasu, et al. "Low-loss waveguides written with afemtosecond laser for flexible interconnection in a planar light-wavecircuit", OPTICS LETTERS Vol.30, No.7, April 1, 2005 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The optical connection component disclosed herein comprises a glass substrate having one or more optical cores formed therein and one or more first lenses. The glass substrate comprises a first substrate end face, a second substrate end face located on a side opposite to the first substrate end face, and one or more optical cores disposed between the first substrate end face and the second substrate end face. Furthermore, the glass substrate is formed of a glass material that is transparent to the wavelength of light propagating through each of the optical cores. The one or more first lenses are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the optical cores and are disposed on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding optical cores. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 These are diagrams for explaining various installation examples of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of a representative cross-sectional structure of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing device and a scanning operation for manufacturing the optical connecting component of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 Is used to Figure 3 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating a cross-sectional structure of the core and its surroundings in an optical connecting component obtained by the manufacturing apparatus shown.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing a first modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement.

[0015] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing a second modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing a third modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement.

[0017] Figure 8 These are diagrams showing the core shapes of the fourth to sixth modified examples of the optical connecting component disclosed herein.

[0018] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing a seventh modification of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a diagram for explaining another example of mounting the optical connecting component of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] [Problems to be Solved by the Present Disclosure]

[0021] As a result of studying the above-mentioned prior art, the inventors discovered the following problem. That is, the thermal expansion coefficient of the resin ferrule of Patent Document 1 is large, so the temperature dependence of the light beam position is large. Therefore, when the optical fiber is optically coupled to the external device in a state where the resin ferrule is directly mounted on an external device that may become a heat source, there is a problem that the optical coupling loss increases as the temperature of the external device rises. Specifically, the thermal expansion coefficient of PEI (Poly Ether Imide) used as a resin molding material at 1.310μm and 1.550μm, which are optical communication wavelengths, is 4.7×10 －5 / ℃ to 5.6×10 －5 / ℃. In contrast, the thermal expansion coefficient of Si used in SiPh (Silicon photonics) technology is 2.5×10 －6 / °C. Comparing the two, the thermal expansion coefficients differ by an order of magnitude. Therefore, when a resin ferrule fixed to the tip of an optical fiber is directly mounted on a Si-based external device, such as an optical IC substrate manufactured using SiPh technology, there is a high likelihood that the optical output position on the external device and the optical input and output position of the resin ferrule will shift due to temperature fluctuations. In other words, the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the coupled components contributes to increased optical coupling loss. In particular, as the number of connected optical input and output channels, or the number of fiber cores, increases, the size of the resin ferrule itself increases. Therefore, this problem caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficients is particularly pronounced in optical connector components with a certain number of fiber cores or more.

[0022] Furthermore, when light is deflected at a right angle, that is, when the direction of light travel is bent 90 degrees, as in the case of the resin ferrule of Patent Document 1, there is also the problem of difficulty in performing a two-dimensional lens configuration. Specifically, when the resin ferrule is provided with a positioning structure for the optical fiber, it is necessary to configure the holes for inserting the optical fiber in a two-dimensional manner. However, flexibly changing the terminal position of the optical coupling end face of the inserted optical fiber for each column makes the shape of the mold for forming the ferrule complicated and therefore extremely difficult. On the other hand, when the direction of light travel is bent 90 degrees, it is actually difficult to fix and stably maintain the distance between the terminal position of the optical fiber and the lens arranged two-dimensionally in the resin ferrule. As a result, it is difficult to unify the light beam focusing position.

[0023] Furthermore, resin ferrules present difficulties in performing configuration changes, such as changing the core pitch between the end face closest to the optical fiber and the end face closest to external devices, or changing the optical input and output positions from a one-dimensional to a two-dimensional configuration. Specifically, after the optical fiber is positioned using the resin ferrule, when light from the optical fiber's terminal position is guided to the lens, the light propagates linearly within the resin. Therefore, the core pitch change and configuration changes of the optical input and output positions described in Patent Document 1 are difficult to perform in the resin ferrule.

[0024] The present disclosure provides an optical connecting component having a structure for reducing optical coupling loss between external devices made of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients.

[0025] [Effects of the Present Disclosure]

[0026] According to the optical connecting component of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce optical coupling loss between external devices formed of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients.

[0027] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]

[0028] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be individually listed and described.

[0029] (1) The optical connection component disclosed in the present invention comprises a glass substrate having one or more fiber cores formed therein and one or more first lenses. The glass substrate comprises a first substrate end face, a second substrate end face located on a side opposite to the first substrate end face, and one or more fiber cores arranged between the first substrate end face and the second substrate end face. In addition, the glass substrate is made of a glass material that is transparent to the wavelength of light propagating in each of the fiber cores. The one or more first lenses are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the fiber cores and are arranged on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding fiber cores.

[0030] Thus, by constructing the optical waveguide forming region of the optical connector disclosed herein from a glass material, optical coupling loss is effectively reduced between external components made of materials with different thermal expansion coefficients, such as Si-based external components (e.g., SiPh chips utilizing SiPh technology) such as optical IC substrates, and resin-based external components such as optical connectors formed from resin ferrules. Specifically, the optical connector disclosed herein utilizes glass materials such as synthetic quartz and aluminosilicate glass, each with a thermal expansion coefficient that is an order of magnitude smaller than that of the resin. In this case, the resin ferrule of the optical connector does not come into contact with Si-based external components such as the optical IC substrate, thereby preventing thermal expansion of the resin ferrule and reducing optical coupling loss between the optical IC and the optical fiber. Furthermore, by using a resin material to manufacture the first lens using 3D molding technology, lens manufacturing itself becomes easier, reducing manufacturing costs and increasing production volume.

[0031] (2) In the above (1), the cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. The first core end faces are each arranged on the first substrate end face, and the second core end faces are each arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. The first lens is each arranged on the second substrate end face. In this way, the first core end face extends to the first substrate end face, thereby optically connecting the core in the glass substrate to a general optical fiber array or optical connector. In addition, the second core end face forms a terminal inside the glass substrate, and the first lens is arranged at a position where light from the second core end face forming the terminal reaches. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the distance from the terminal position of the core as an optical waveguide in the glass substrate to the first lens and the lens design, a light beam with arbitrary beam quality such as beam diameter, beam divergence angle, and focusing position can be obtained.

[0032] (3) In the above (1), the number of cores may be three or more. The three or more cores respectively have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. When the first core end face is observed from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, the first core end face is two-dimensionally arranged on the first substrate end face. On the other hand, when the second core end face is observed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is one-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. In the glass substrate of the optical connection component disclosed in the present invention, an optical connection is made from the first substrate end face to the second substrate end face where the first lens is arranged via a core that can be processed into any shape. Therefore, configuration changes such as core spacing change and optical input and output position change from a one-dimensional configuration to a two-dimensional configuration can be easily achieved. Thus, by using the optical connecting component of the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve optical coupling between an optical connector as a resin external device in which optical fibers are two-dimensionally arranged and an Si-based external device in which optical input and output positions are one-dimensionally arranged.

[0033] (4) In the above (1), the number of cores may be three or more. The three or more cores each have a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. When the first core end face is observed from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, the first core end face is one-dimensionally arranged on the first substrate end face. On the other hand, when the second core end face is observed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is two-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. In this configuration, the lens on the second substrate end face is also two-dimensionally arranged. That is, even in a configuration in which the optical input and output positions of the optical connector as a resin external device are one-dimensionally arranged and the optical input and output positions of the Si-based external device are two-dimensionally arranged, by utilizing the optical connecting component disclosed in the present invention, the optical input and output positions of both the resin external device and the Si-based external device can be made consistent.

[0034] (5) In the above (1), the number of cores may be two or more. The two or more cores respectively have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. The first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face. On the other hand, the second core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. Moreover, the first core spacing, which is the center-to-center distance between adjacent first core end faces in the first core end face, is different from the second core spacing, which is the center-to-center distance between adjacent second core end faces in the second core end face. In this way, by utilizing the optical connection component disclosed in the present invention, even when the spacing between the optical input and output positions of the external devices to be optically coupled is different, the core spacing on the first substrate end face and the core spacing at the terminal position of the core located inside the glass substrate can be flexibly changed.

[0035] (6) In the above (1), the number of cores may be three or more. The three or more cores respectively have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. On the other hand, the second substrate end face is inclined relative to the first substrate end face. When the second core end face is observed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is two-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face, and is arranged in a manner such that the optical path length from the second core end face to the first lens is consistent with each other. It should be noted that in this configuration, the "optical path length" is defined on the optical axis of the light propagating between the second core end face and the first lens. Moreover, the first lenses are respectively arranged on the inclined second substrate end face. At this time, the inclination angle of the second substrate end face is set so as to cause total reflection of the light reaching the first lens.

[0036] When a short-pulse laser such as a femtosecond laser is used to form the core inside the glass substrate, the spacing between the cores and the terminal positions of the cores can be flexibly changed. As a result, the terminal positions of the two-dimensionally arranged cores can be flexibly changed for each column. In addition, when the direction of light travel is bent 90 degrees, the distance from the terminal positions of the two-dimensionally arranged cores to the first lens can be kept fixed, so that the beam quality as described above can be uniform between the cores. In addition, by utilizing such technical features, the optical path can be transformed from the two-dimensionally arranged cores to a right angle direction, and collimated light with an arbitrary beam diameter can be formed. It should be noted that for a part of the multiple cores, the distance from the terminal position of the core to the first lens can be changed, thereby also being able to change to a beam diameter and focusing position suitable for the coupling object.

[0037] (7) In the above (1), the optical connecting component may also have a reflective film that covers the remaining surface of each surface of the first lens except the surface opposite to the surface of the glass substrate. In the structure in which light is totally reflected by the surface of the first lens, the refractive index difference between the inside of the lens and the lens surface may change due to foreign matter adhering to the surface of the first lens. In this way, when the refractive index difference on the lens surface changes, the reflection characteristics of the first lens may change. Therefore, a reflective film formed of a metal film or a multilayer film is formed on the exposed surface of the first lens, thereby obtaining stable reflection characteristics even in actual use.

[0038] (8) In the above (1), the number of cores may be two or more, and the type of the first lens may be two or more. That is, by the configuration of the above (2), a light beam having any beam quality as described above can be manufactured. In addition, when the first lens is made of resin, it is easy to design it arbitrarily for each lens by using 3D modeling technology. That is, by utilizing the optical connecting component disclosed in the present invention, the optical path can be transformed from the two-dimensionally arranged cores to the right angle direction, and light with an arbitrary beam diameter can be formed. It should be noted that in this case, the distance from the terminal position of the core to the first lens does not need to be consistent between the cores, as long as it is appropriately set for each core according to the beam diameter to be obtained at the terminal position of the core. For example, in the configuration in which the distance from the terminal position of the core to the first lens is consistent with the distance from the first lens to the bottom surface of the glass substrate, and each first lens has an appropriate focal length, the light beam is focused in a manner such that the beam diameter in the bottom surface of the glass substrate is consistent with the mode field of the core as a waveguide.

[0039] (9) In the above (1), the glass substrate may have a positioning structure for determining the relative position of the fiber core with respect to an external device having a structure capable of optically coupling with the fiber core. Specifically, by providing a guide hole, a V-groove, or other structure in the glass substrate, the fiber core can be passively and optically coupled to an external device such as an optical connector made of resin within the glass substrate.

[0040] (10) In the above (1), the first substrate end face may be tilted within a range of 5° or more and 20° or less relative to a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the top portion of the fiber core located near the first substrate end face. Generally, the fiber core formed in the glass substrate is not easily deformed. Therefore, when mating with an optical connector or the like, which is an external device made of resin, it is difficult to perform a PC (Physical contact) connection by pressing, and it is also difficult to reduce reflection on the first substrate end face. Therefore, by tilting both the first substrate end face and the ferrule end face of the optical connector within a range of 5° or more and 20° or less, for example, by tilting at about 8°, the generation of excessive insertion loss can be reduced, and a reflection loss of 40 dB or more or close to 40 dB can be achieved. In this case, the reflected light will not be recoupled to each fiber core, and the influence on the propagation characteristics is effectively reduced.

[0041] (11) In the above (10), the optical connecting component may include a spacer member disposed between the first substrate end face and an external device to be optically connected to the first substrate end face, maintaining a gap of 5 μm or more and 25 μm or less between the first substrate end face and the external device. By combining this configuration with the configuration of the above (10), a reflection loss of 40 dB or more can be reliably achieved. That is, reflected light is not recoupled into the respective cores, thereby effectively reducing the effect on propagation characteristics.

[0042] (12) In the above (1), the optical connection component may also have a reflection prevention structure provided on the first substrate end face. In addition, the cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. In addition, the first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face in a state covered by the reflection prevention structure. In the above (10) and (11) configurations, it is difficult to obtain a reflection loss of 55 dB or more. Therefore, a reflection loss of 55 dB or more can be obtained by providing a reflection prevention structure on the first core end face of the core located on the first substrate end face.

[0043] (13) In the above (1), the optical connection component may also have one or more second lenses, which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the cores provided inside the glass substrate and are arranged on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled with the corresponding cores. The cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. The first core end faces are each arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the first substrate end face. Similarly, the second core end faces are also each arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. Moreover, the first lens is each arranged on the second substrate end face. The second lens is each arranged on the first substrate end face. In this way, by arranging the second lens on the first substrate end face, the optical connection component of the present disclosure can be optically coupled to an optical connector having a lens structure with a magnifying optical system. In addition, the tolerance for relative positional deviation during coupling can be relaxed. As a result, a simple optical coupling structure can be achieved between the optical connection component of the present disclosure and an external device.

[0044] (14) In the above (1), the first lens may be arranged on a third substrate end face located between the first substrate end face and the second substrate end face on the surface of the glass substrate, for example, the bottom face of the glass substrate. In this case, the second substrate end face functions as a reflection surface. It should be noted that in order to make the second substrate end face function as a reflection surface, it is possible to consider tilting the second substrate end face relative to the first substrate end face, providing a reflection film on the second substrate end face, or a combination thereof, so that the light from the second core end face or the first lens is totally reflected on the second substrate end face. The cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. The first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face. The second core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. The second substrate end face functions as a reflection surface, and the first lenses are respectively arranged on the third substrate end face located between the first substrate end face and the second substrate end face on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding core via the second substrate end face. With this configuration, a light beam having any beam quality such as beam diameter, beam divergence angle, and focusing position can be obtained by appropriately adjusting the distance from the terminal position of the fiber core serving as the optical waveguide in the glass substrate to the first lens and the lens design.

[0045] (15) In the above (1), the number of cores may be three or more. Similar to the above (14), the first lens may be arranged on a third substrate end face located between the first substrate end face and the second substrate end face on the surface of the glass substrate, for example, the bottom face of the glass substrate. In this case, the second substrate end face functions as a reflection surface. The cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, a first core end face located near the first substrate end face, and a second core end face located near the second substrate end face. The second substrate end face functions as a reflection surface and is inclined relative to the first substrate end face. When the second core end face is viewed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is two-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face, and is arranged in a manner such that the optical path length from the second core end face to the first lens via the second substrate end face is consistent with each other. It should be noted that in this configuration, "optical path length" is defined on the optical axis of light propagating between the second core end face and the first lens via the second substrate end face. Furthermore, the first lenses are positioned on a third substrate end face, located between the first and second substrate end faces, on the surface of the glass substrate, optically coupled to their corresponding fiber cores via the second substrate end face. This configuration allows for the production of a beam with a desired beam quality, including beam diameter, beam divergence, and focusing position, by appropriately adjusting the distance from the terminal position of the fiber core, which serves as an optical waveguide within the glass substrate, to the first lens and the lens design.

[0046] Each aspect listed above in the [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] column is applicable to each of all the remaining aspects or to all combinations of the remaining aspects.

[0047] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure]

[0048] The following describes the specific structure of the optical connector disclosed herein in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples but is set forth in the claims, which are intended to encompass all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In the description of the drawings, identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0049] Figure 1 It is a figure for explaining various installation examples of the optical connecting component disclosed in the present invention ( Figure 1 In the Figure 1 The upper section ( Figure 1 The example of installation of the optical connecting component 100 of the present disclosure in which one of the optical input and output end faces at both ends is tilted is shown in FIG. Figure 1 The lower part ( Figure 11 and 2) show an example of mounting the optical connecting component 200 of the present disclosure in which the light input and output end faces at both ends are arranged in parallel.

[0050] exist Figure 1 In the installation example 1 shown in the upper section, the optical connection component 100 of the present disclosure is fixed to the top surface of an optical IC substrate 500, which is configured with optical input and output positions. The optical IC substrate 500 and the optical connector 700 are optically connected. It should be noted that the optical IC substrate 500 is an example of an external component based on a Si substrate, and the optical connector is an example of an external component made of resin. The optical connection component 100 includes a glass substrate 120 having one or more fiber cores 110 formed therein, and one or more lenses 420. The glass substrate 120 has a first substrate end face 100a facing the optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 100b located opposite the first substrate end face 100a. The fiber cores 110 are arranged between the first substrate end face 100a and the second substrate end face 100b. The lenses 420 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the fiber cores 110 and are arranged on the surface of the glass substrate 120 so as to be optically coupled to the corresponding fiber cores 110. The optical coupling state means that the coupling efficiency is 80% or higher.

[0051] It should be noted that the glass substrate 120 is made of a glass material that is transparent to the wavelength of light propagating through each of the fiber cores 110, for example, light in the communication band corresponding to the S-band to C-band, which is 1.310 μm to 1.565 μm. Transparency means a transmittance of 95% or higher for a material thickness of 1 mm. Furthermore, the second substrate end face 100 b of the glass substrate 120 is inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100 a, and lenses 420 are disposed on this second substrate end face 100 b. Each lens 420 functions as a reflective lens that redirects light from the fiber core 110 to optically couple the fiber core 110 to the optical IC board. Therefore, the inclination angle of the second substrate end face 100 b is set to satisfy the condition for total internal reflection on the exposed convex surface of the lens 420. Furthermore, the first substrate end face 100 a of the glass substrate 120 is provided with guide holes 150A and 150B, into which the first ends of the guide pins 160A and 160B are inserted. These guide holes 150 a and 150B face the first substrate end surface 100 a and function as positioning structures for determining the relative position of the core 110 with respect to the optical connector 700 having a structure capable of optically coupling with the core 110 .

[0052] The optical connector 700 includes an optical fiber ribbon 710 including multiple optical fibers, and a ferrule 720 mounted on the tip of the optical fiber ribbon 710. A ferrule end face 720A of the ferrule 720, which faces the first substrate end face 100a, is provided with multiple openings for exposing the end faces of the optical fibers included in the optical fiber ribbon 710. Furthermore, the ferrule end face 720A is provided with guide holes 730A and 730B for inserting the second ends of guide pins 160A and 160B. Therefore, by inserting the guide pins 160A and 160B into the guide holes 150a and 150B of the glass substrate 120 and the guide holes 730A and 730B of the ferrule 720, the relative position of the fiber core 110 is fixed with respect to the optical connector 700.

[0053] exist Figure 1 In the second installation example shown in the lower section, the optical connection component 200 of the present disclosure is fixed to the side of the optical IC substrate 500 where the optical input and output positions are arranged, and the optical IC substrate 500 and the optical connector 700 are optically connected. Similar to the optical connection component 100, the optical connection component 200 includes a glass substrate 220 having one or more fiber cores 110 formed therein, and one or more lenses 410. The glass substrate 220 has a first substrate end face 200a opposite to the optical connector 700 and a second substrate end face 200b located on the side opposite to the first substrate end face 200a. The fiber core 110 is arranged between the first substrate end face 200a and the second substrate end face 200b. The lenses 410 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the fiber cores 110 and are arranged on the surface of the glass substrate 220 in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding fiber cores 110. The optically coupled state means that the coupling efficiency is 80% or more.

[0054] It should be noted that the glass substrate 220 is made of a glass material that is transparent to the wavelength of light propagating through each of the fiber cores 110, for example, light in the communication band of 1.310 μm to 1.565 μm. Transparency means that the transmittance is 95% or higher in a material with a thickness of 1 mm. In addition, the first substrate end face 200a and the second substrate end face 200b of the glass substrate 220 are arranged in parallel, and a lens 410 is arranged on the second substrate end face 200b. The lenses 410 each function as a transmissive lens that guides light from the fiber core 110 to the optical IC substrate 500 in a manner that optically couples the fiber core 110 and the optical IC substrate 500. Therefore, a spacer member 900A is arranged between the optical IC substrate 500 and the second substrate end face 200b to maintain a space for accommodating the lens 410. Furthermore, guide holes 150A and 150B, into which the first ends of guide pins 160A and 160B are inserted, are also provided on the first substrate end surface 200a of the glass substrate 220. These guide holes 150a and 150B are open on the first substrate end surface 200a and function as positioning structures for determining the relative position of the fiber core 110 with respect to the optical connector 700, which is structured to be optically coupled to the fiber core 110.

[0055] Specifically, in addition to the optical connecting components 100 and 200 of the present disclosure, by using a glass substrate in a modified example described later, when an optical connecting component is directly mounted on an external device on a Si substrate, such as an optical IC substrate manufactured using SiPh technology, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the external device and the portion that directly contacts the external device can be reduced. For example, the thermal expansion coefficient of synthetic quartz is approximately 0.5×10 －6 / ℃, the thermal expansion coefficient of borosilicate (BOROFLOAT) glass is about 3×10 －6 / ℃), the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminosilicate glass is about 3.5×10 －6 / ℃. By using these glass materials as the material of the glass substrate, the thermal expansion with Si is reduced to a small enough level, so that the optical coupling loss is effectively reduced. In addition, for the lens used in the optical connection component of the present invention, a resin lens is more suitable. Compared with glass lenses, resin lenses are easy to manufacture using three-dimensional molding technology, so it can be expected to reduce manufacturing costs and increase production volume. Moreover, resin lenses can also have heat resistance. If it is a resin lens with heat resistance to 260℃, it can also cope with the reflow process.

[0056] Furthermore, the optical connector components disclosed herein can also be manufactured separately, with the glass substrate and lens containing the fiber core that serves as the optical waveguide built into it. In this case, the position of the core end face and the lens can be measured separately, making it easy to achieve the submicron-level accuracy required for the relative positional error between the lens and the fiber core in single-mode transmission. Furthermore, optical waveguide structures, including those with different lens configurations and fiber core shapes, can be easily customized, making the optical connector components disclosed herein readily adaptable to various specifications.

[0057] Figure 2 : is a diagram showing an example of a representative cross-sectional structure of the optical connecting component disclosed in the present invention ( Figure 2 In Figure 2 The upper section ( Figure 2 The section along the Figure 1 The cross-sectional structure of the optical connecting component 200 along the line II-II is shown in the lower section. Figure 2 The middle section ( Figure 2 The section along Figure 1 The cross-sectional structure of the optical connecting component 100 along line II shown in the upper section. Figure 2 The lower part ( Figure 2 The figure shows the section along the Figure 1 The cross-sectional structure of another optical connecting component 300 taken along line II shown in the upper section.

[0058] exist Figure 2 The optical connecting component 200 shown in the upper section includes a glass substrate 220 having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein and a transmissive lens 410. The glass substrate 220 has a first substrate end face 200a facing a resin-made external device 800B, such as an optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 200b arranged parallel to the first substrate end face 200a. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 200a toward the second substrate end face 200b. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 200a and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 200b. The bottom surface of the glass substrate 220 faces the side surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0059] In this example of the optical connecting component 200, there are three or more cores 110. The first core end faces 110a of the cores 110 are arranged two-dimensionally on the first substrate end face 200a. The second core end faces 110b are located within the glass substrate 220, a certain distance from the second substrate end face 200b. Furthermore, when viewed from the second substrate end face 200b toward the first substrate end face 200a, the second core end faces 110b are arranged two-dimensionally. A lens 410 is disposed on the second substrate end face 200b, corresponding one-to-one with the cores 110. It collimates light output from the second core end face 110b or focuses collimated light from the external device 800A onto the second core end face 110b. The collimated light transmitted by the lens 410 is supplied to the optical input / output position on the upper surface of the Si-based external device 800A. Meanwhile, collimated light from external device 800A is reflected by lens 420A, with the reflected light focused on second core end face 110b. It should be noted that, in the example of optical connector 200, the distance from first substrate end face 200a to second core end face 110b is consistent between cores 110, and the optical path length from second core end face 110b to second substrate end face 200b is also consistent. Thus, first core end face 110a extends to first substrate end face 200a, thereby optically coupling core 110 within glass substrate 220 with resin external device 800B. Furthermore, second core end face 110b forms a terminal within glass substrate 220, and lens 410 is positioned at the location where light from the terminated second core end face 110b reaches. In this way, by appropriately adjusting the distance from the terminal position of the core 110 inside the glass substrate 220 to the lens 410 and the lens design, a beam having any beam quality such as beam diameter, beam divergence angle, and focusing position can be obtained.

[0060] exist Figure 2 The optical connecting component 100 shown in the middle section includes a glass substrate 120 with multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein, and a reflective lens 420A. The glass substrate 120 has a first substrate end face 100a that faces the resin external device 800B, and a second substrate end face 100b that is inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100a. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 100a toward the second substrate end face 100b. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100a, and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100b. The bottom surface of the glass substrate 120 faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A.

[0061] In this example of the optical connecting component 100, the number of cores 110 is three or more. The first core end faces 110a of the cores 110 are arranged two-dimensionally on the first substrate end face 100a. The second core end face 110b is located within the glass substrate 120, a certain distance from the second substrate end face 100b. Furthermore, when viewed from the second substrate end face 100b toward the first substrate end face 100a, the second core end face 110b is arranged two-dimensionally. A lens 420A is arranged on the second substrate end face 100b, corresponding one-to-one with the cores 110. It collimates light output from the second core end face 110b or focuses collimated light from the external device 800A onto the second core end face 110b. The tilt angle of the second substrate end face 100b is set to an angle at which light from the cores 110 reaching the lens 420A is totally reflected. This reflection bends the direction of travel of the light, for example, to a right angle. Collimated light reflected by lens 420A is supplied to the Si-based external device 800A. Meanwhile, collimated light from external device 800A is reflected by lens 420A, and the reflected light is focused on the second core end face 110b. It should be noted that in the example of the optical connector 100, while the distance from the first substrate end face 100a to the second core end face 110b varies between the cores 110, the optical path length from the second core end face 110b to the second substrate end face 100b is consistent.

[0062] When a glass substrate 120 is used in which the cores 110 are formed by a short-pulse laser such as a femtosecond laser, the spacing between the cores and the terminal positions of the cores 110 can be flexibly changed. As a result, the terminal positions of the two-dimensionally arranged cores 110 can be flexibly changed for each column. In addition, when the direction of light propagation is bent 90 degrees, the distance from the terminal positions of the two-dimensionally arranged cores 110 to the lens 420A can be kept fixed, so that the beam quality such as the beam diameter, beam divergence angle, and focusing position can be unified among the cores 110. In addition, by utilizing such technical features, the optical path can be transformed from the two-dimensionally arranged cores 110 to a right angle direction, and collimated light with an arbitrary beam diameter can be formed. It should be noted that for a portion of the cores in the core 110, by changing the distance from the terminal position of the core 110 to the lens 420A, the beam diameter and focusing position can also be changed to be suitable for the coupling object.

[0063] exist Figure 2The optical connecting component 300 shown in the lower section includes a glass substrate 320 having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein, and two types of lenses 410 and 420A. Lens 410 is a transmissive collimating lens, and lens 420A is a reflective collimating lens. The glass substrate 320 has a first substrate end face 300a that faces the resin external device 800B, and a second substrate end face 300b that is inclined relative to the first substrate end face 300a. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 300a toward the second substrate end face 300b. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 300a, and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 300b. The bottom surface of the glass substrate 320 faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A.

[0064] In this example of the optical connecting component 300, the number of cores 110 is three or more. The first core end face 110a of the core 110 is located within the glass substrate 320, at a predetermined distance from the first substrate end face 300a. The second core end face 110b is also located within the glass substrate 320, at a predetermined distance from the second substrate end face 300b. Furthermore, when viewing the first core end face 110a from the first substrate end face 300a toward the second substrate end face 300b, the first core end face 110a is arranged two-dimensionally. When viewing the second core end face 110b from the second substrate end face 300b toward the first substrate end face 300a, the second core end face 110b is also arranged two-dimensionally.

[0065] Furthermore, lens 410 is disposed on the first substrate end face 300a in a one-to-one correspondence with the fiber core 110. Lens 410 collimates light from the resin external device 800B or focuses the collimated light from the resin external device 800B onto the first core end face 110a. Collimated light transmitted through lens 410 is guided to the first core end face 110a of the corresponding fiber core 110. Meanwhile, lens 420A is disposed on the second substrate end face 300b in a one-to-one correspondence with the fiber core 110. Lens 420A collimates light output from the second core end face 110b or focuses the collimated light from the external device 800A onto the second core end face 110b. The inclination angle of the second substrate end face 300b is set to an angle at which light from the fiber core 110 reaching lens 420A is totally reflected. This reflection bends the direction of travel of the light, for example, into a right angle. The collimated light reflected by lens 420A is supplied to the Si-based external device 800A. Meanwhile, the collimated light from the Si-based external device 800A is reflected by lens 420A, and the reflected light is focused on the second core end face 110b. It should be noted that in the example of the optical connecting component 300, the optical path length from the first substrate end face 300a to the first core end face 110a is consistent between the cores 110, and the optical path length from the second core end face 110b to the second substrate end face 300b is also consistent. However, in the example of the optical connecting component 300, the distance from the first substrate end face 300a to the second core end face 110b varies between the cores 110.

[0066] Thus, by disposing the lens 410 on the first substrate end surface 300a, which is optically coupled to the resin external device, the optical connecting component 300 can be optically coupled to an optical connector, for example, having a lens structure with a magnifying optical system. Furthermore, the tolerance for relative positional misalignment during optical coupling can be mitigated. In other words, a simple optical coupling structure can be achieved between the optical connecting component 300 and the resin external device 800B.

[0067] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing device and a scanning operation for manufacturing the optical connecting component disclosed in the present invention. Figure 3 In Figure 3 The upper section ( Figure 3 The structure of the device for manufacturing the optical connecting component of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 3 The lower part ( Figure 3 The scanning action for forming a core inside the glass substrate is shown in FIG. Figure 4 Is used to Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional structure of the core periphery of an optical connecting component obtained by the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. Figure 4In Figure 4 The upper section ( Figure 4 The cross-sectional structure is shown in FIG. Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of the fiber core of line III-III is shown in the lower part of FIG. Figure 4 The lower part ( Figure 4 The refractive index distribution of the core and its periphery along the Y-axis direction is shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as “refractive index distribution” in FIG. 1 ).

[0068] exist Figure 3 The manufacturing apparatus shown in the upper section includes: a stage 600 on which a glass substrate 121 having a core formed thereon as an optical waveguide is placed; a laser light source 610 that outputs short-pulse laser light L, such as a femtosecond laser; a reflective mirror 620 for changing the direction of the short-pulse laser light L; and a focusing optical system 630 for focusing the short-pulse laser light L from the reflective mirror 620 onto the interior of the glass substrate 121. The focusing optical system 630 is movable relative to the stage 600 in the directions indicated by arrows S1 and S2.

[0069] In the actual manufacturing process, as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, a pulse light of 150 fs with a wavelength of 775 nm and a repetition rate of 1 kHz is irradiated onto the glass substrate 121. Figure 3 As shown in the lower part of FIG, by repeatedly performing scanning operations along the Z-axis direction while moving in the X-axis direction, a core 110 serving as an optical waveguide is formed inside the glass substrate 121.

[0070] exist Figure 4 The above paragraph shows that Figure 3 The schematic diagram and photograph of the cross-sectional structure of the core 110 formed by the scanning action shown in the lower section of FIG. Figure 4 As shown in the lower part of FIG, a modified region 110A having a refractive index lower than that of the unirradiated portion of the glass substrate 121 not irradiated by the short pulse laser L is formed at the focal point of the short pulse laser L, and a core 110 serving as an optical waveguide is formed at the lower portion thereof. It should be noted that in this specification, as Figure 4 As shown in the lower section of FIG, the core 110 is defined as a region where the relative refractive index difference Δ is 0.01% or more relative to the refractive index of the unirradiated portion of the glass substrate 121. Figure 4 In the lower part, n0 represents a relative refractive index difference of 0% serving as a reference, n1 represents a relative refractive index difference of 0.01%, n+ represents a maximum relative refractive index difference as a positive value, and n- represents a minimum relative refractive index difference as a negative value.

[0071] Figure 5 : is a diagram showing a first modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement ( Figure 5 In the Figure 5The upper section ( Figure 5 The core is shown as viewed from the side of the optical connecting component. Figure 5 The middle section ( Figure 5 The fiber core configuration (terminal position C) is shown in Figure 5 The core configuration at the terminal position C is shown in the upper section of FIG. Figure 5 The lower part ( Figure 5 The core arrangement on the first substrate end surface is shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as “core arrangement (first substrate end surface)”).

[0072] exist Figure 5 The first modified optical connecting component 100A shown in the upper section includes a glass substrate 120A having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein and a reflective lens 420A. The glass substrate 120A has a first substrate end face 100A1 facing a resin external device 800B, such as an optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 100A2 inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100A1. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 100A1 toward the second substrate end face 100A2. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100A1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100A2. In this optical connecting component 100A, the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120A also faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0073] In the example of the optical connecting component 100A, the number of the cores 110 is three or more. Figure 5 As shown in the lower part of FIG, the first core end face 110a of the core 110 is arranged two-dimensionally on the first substrate end face 100A1. The second core end face 110b is located inside the glass substrate 120A at a certain distance from the second substrate end face 100A2. Specifically, the position of the second core end face 110b of the core 110 is Figure 5 The end position C is shown by the dashed line in the upper part of the figure. Figure 5As shown in the middle section of the figure, when observing the second core end face 110b from the second substrate end face 100A2 toward the first substrate end face 100A1, the second core end face 110b is arranged one-dimensionally. Lens 420A is arranged on the second substrate end face 100A2 in a one-to-one correspondence with the core 110, collimating the light output from the second core end face 110b of the core 110 or focusing the collimated light from the external device 800A onto the second core end face 110b. The inclination angle of the second substrate end face 100A2 is set to an angle at which light from the core 110 reaching the lens 420A is totally reflected. Through reflection, the direction of travel of the light is bent, for example, at a right angle. The collimated light reflected by the lens 420A is supplied to the external device 800A. On the other hand, the collimated light from the external device 800A is reflected by the lens 420A, and the reflected light is focused onto the second core end face 110b.

[0074] It should be noted that, in the example of the optical connecting component 100A, the distances from the first substrate end face 100A1 to the second core end face 110b are consistent between the fiber cores 110, and the optical path lengths from the second core end face 110b to the lens 420A on the second substrate end face 110A2 are also consistent. Figure 5 As shown in the middle and lower sections of the figure, the core spacing at the terminal position C in the fiber core 110, that is, the center-to-center distance between adjacent second core end faces 110b, is given by D1. Furthermore, the core spacing at the first substrate end face 100A1 in the fiber core 110, that is, the center-to-center distance between adjacent first core end faces 110a, is given by D2. In the optical connecting component 100A, D1 and D2 are different.

[0075] As described above, the use of the optical connecting component 100A allows for flexible conversion of the core pitch on the first substrate end surface 100A1 and the core pitch at the terminal position C. Specifically, it allows for easy conversion of the pitch at the optical input / output locations and for easy conversion from a one-dimensional arrangement to a two-dimensional arrangement. Thus, the use of the optical connecting component 100A also enables optical coupling from the optical connector 700, which has optical fibers arranged two-dimensionally by stacking multiple optical fiber ribbons 710, to a SiPh chip, such as the optical IC substrate 500, which has optical input / output locations arranged one-dimensionally.

[0076] Figure 6 : is a diagram showing a second modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement ( Figure 6 In the Figure 6 The upper section ( Figure 6 The core is shown as viewed from the side of the optical connecting component. Figure 6 The middle section ( Figure 6 The fiber core configuration (terminal position C) is shown in Figure 6 The core configuration at the terminal position C is shown in the upper section of FIG. Figure 6 The lower part ( Figure 6 The core arrangement on the first substrate end surface is shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as “core arrangement (first substrate end surface)”).

[0077] exist Figure 6 The second modified optical connecting component 100B shown in the upper section includes a glass substrate 120B having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein and a reflective lens 420A. The glass substrate 120B has a first substrate end face 100B1 that faces a resin-made external device 800B, such as an optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 100B2 that is inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100B1. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 100B1 toward the second substrate end face 100B2. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100B1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100B2. In this optical connecting component 100B, the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120B faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0078] In the example of the optical connecting component 100B, the number of the cores 110 is three or more. Figure 6 As shown in the lower part of FIG, the first core end face 110a of the core 110 is arranged one-dimensionally on the first substrate end face 100B1. The second core end face 110b is located inside the glass substrate 120B at a certain distance from the second substrate end face 100B2. Figure 6 In the upper part of FIG. 1 , the terminal position C is shown by a dotted line at the position of the second core end face 110b closest to the first substrate end face 100B1. Figure 6 As shown in the middle section of the figure, when viewing the second core end face 110b from the second substrate end face 100B2 toward the first substrate end face 100B1, the second core end face 110b is arranged two-dimensionally. Lens 420A is arranged on the second substrate end face 100B2 in a one-to-one correspondence with the core 110, collimating the light output from the second core end face 110b of the core 110 or focusing the collimated light from the external device 800A onto the second core end face 110b. The inclination angle of the second substrate end face 100B2 is set to an angle at which light from the core 110 reaching the lens 420A is totally reflected. This reflection bends the direction of travel of the light, for example, into a right angle. The collimated light reflected by the lens 420A is supplied to the external device 800A. Meanwhile, the collimated light from the external device 800A is reflected by the lens 420A, and this reflected light is focused onto the second core end face 110b.

[0079] It should be noted that, in the example of the optical connecting component 100B, the distance from the first substrate end face 100B1 to the second core end face 110b is different between the fiber cores 110. However, the optical path length L1 from the second core end face 110b closest to the first substrate end face 100B1 to the lens 420A on the second substrate end face 100B2 is the same as the optical path length L2 from the second core end face 110b farthest from the first substrate end face 100B1 to the lens 420A on the second substrate end face 100B2. Moreover, in the example of the optical connecting component 100B, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown in the middle and lower sections of the figure, the core spacing D1 at the terminal position C in the fiber core 110 matches the core spacing D2 on the first substrate end face 100B1. Specifically, the optical connecting component 100B has a configuration in which the optical input and output positions of the resin-made external device 800B, such as the optical connector 700, are arranged one-dimensionally, while the lenses 420A are arranged two-dimensionally on the second substrate end face 100B2. Therefore, even when the optical input and output positions of the external device 800A are arranged two-dimensionally, the use of the optical connecting component 100B allows the optical input and output positions of both the external device 800B and the external device 800A to be aligned.

[0080] Figure 7 : is a diagram showing a third modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement ( Figure 7 (Recorded as "Variation 3" in the text). Figure 7 The upper section ( Figure 7 The core is shown as viewed from the side of the optical connecting component. Figure 7 The middle section ( Figure 7 The fiber core configuration (terminal position C) is shown in Figure 7 The core configuration at the terminal position C is shown in the upper section of FIG. Figure 7 The lower part ( Figure 7 The core arrangement on the first substrate end surface is shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as “core arrangement (first substrate end surface)”).

[0081] exist Figure 7The third modified optical connecting component 100C shown in the upper section includes a glass substrate 120C having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein and two reflective lenses 420B with different focusing positions. The glass substrate 120C has a first substrate end face 100C1 that faces a resin-made external device 800B, such as an optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 100C2 that is inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100C1. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 100C1 toward the second substrate end face 100C2. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100C1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100C2. In this optical connecting component 100C, the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120C faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0082] In the example of the optical connecting component 100C, the number of the cores 110 is three or more. Figure 7 As shown in the lower part of FIG, the first core end face 110a of the core 110 is arranged one-dimensionally on the first substrate end face 100C1. The second core end face 110b is located inside the glass substrate 120C at a certain distance from the second substrate end face 100C2. Figure 7 In the upper part of FIG. 1 , the terminal position C is shown by a dotted line at the position of the second core end face 110b closest to the first substrate end face 100C1. Figure 7 As shown in the middle section of the figure, when viewing the second core end face 110b from the second substrate end face 100C2 toward the first substrate end face 100C1, the second core end face 110b is arranged two-dimensionally. A reflective lens 420B, functioning as a focusing lens, is arranged on the second substrate end face 100C2 in a one-to-one correspondence with the core 110, focusing the light output from the second core end face 110b of the core 110. The inclination angle of the second substrate end face 100C2 is set to an angle at which light from the core 110 reaching the lens 420B is totally reflected. This reflection bends the direction of travel of the light, for example, into a right angle. The light reflected and focused by the lens 420B is supplied to the external device 800A. Conversely, light from the external device 800A is reflected by the lens 420B and focused on the second core end face 110b.

[0083] It should be noted that, in the example of the optical connection component 100C using the lens 420B that functions as a reflective focusing lens, the distance from the first substrate end face 100C1 to the second core end face 110b is different between the fiber cores 110. In addition, the optical path length L1 from the second core end face 110b closest to the first substrate end face 100C1 to the lens 420B on the second substrate end face 100C2 is different from the optical path length L2 from the second core end face 110b farthest from the first substrate end face 100C1 to the lens 420B on the second substrate end face 100C2. Moreover, in the example of the optical connection component 100C, as Figure 7 As shown in the middle and lower sections of the figure, the core spacing D1 at the terminal position C in the fiber core 110 matches the core spacing D2 on the first substrate end face 100C1. That is, similar to the case of Modification 2 described above, the optical connecting component 100C has a configuration in which the optical input and output positions of the resin-made external device 800B, such as the optical connector 700, are arranged one-dimensionally, while the lens 420B on the second substrate end face 100C2 is arranged two-dimensionally. Therefore, even if the optical input and output positions of the external device 800A are arranged two-dimensionally, the use of this optical connecting component 100C can align the optical input and output positions of both the external device 800B and the external device 800A.

[0084] Moreover, according to the optical connecting component 100C, a light beam with any beam quality can be produced. In addition, when the lens 420B is made of resin, it is easy to perform arbitrary lens design for each lens by using 3D modeling technology. That is, by using the optical connecting component 100C, the optical path can be transformed from the two-dimensionally arranged core 110 to the right angle direction, and light with any beam diameter can be formed. It should be noted that in this case, the distance from the terminal position C of the core 110 to the lens 420B does not need to be the same between the cores 110, and can be appropriately set according to the beam diameter desired to be obtained at the terminal position C of the core 110. For example, in a configuration where the distance from the terminal position C of the fiber core 110 to the lens 420B inside the glass substrate 120C is made consistent with the distance from the lens 420B to the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120C, and each lens 420B has an appropriate focal length, the light beam can be focused in such a way that the beam diameter on the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120C is equal to the mode field of the fiber core 110 serving as a waveguide.

[0085] Figure 8 : is a diagram showing the core shape of each of the fourth to sixth modified examples of the optical connecting component disclosed in the present invention ( Figure 8 In the Figure 8 The upper section ( Figure 8 The end face structure of the optical connecting component of the fourth modified example is shown in FIG. Figure 8The middle section ( Figure 8 The end face structure of the optical connecting component of the fifth modification is shown in FIG. Figure 8 The lower part ( Figure 8 The end face structure of the optical connecting component of the sixth modification is shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as “Modification 6” in FIG. 1 ).

[0086] exist Figure 8 The fourth modified optical connecting component 100D shown in the upper section includes a glass substrate 120D having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein and a reflective lens 420A for collimating light from the fiber cores 110. The glass substrate 120D has a first substrate end face 100D1 facing an external device 800B, such as an optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 100D2 inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100D1. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 100D1 toward the second substrate end face 100D2. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100D1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100D2. In this optical connecting component 100D, the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120D faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0087] In the example of the optical connecting component 100D, the number of cores 110 is three or more. The core shape has the same Figure 5 The optical connecting component 100D has the same shape as the first modified example shown. In addition, the optical connecting component 100D has a reflective film 450 that covers the remaining surface of the reflective lens 420A that functions as a collimating lens, except for the surface facing the surface of the glass substrate 120D. Even with a structure that causes total reflection of light through the surface of the lens 420A, the refractive index difference between the lens interior and the lens surface may sometimes change due to foreign matter adhering to the surface of the lens 420A. In this way, when the refractive index difference on the lens surface changes, the reflection characteristics of the lens 420A may change. Therefore, a reflective film 450 formed of a metal film or a multilayer film is provided on the exposed surface of the lens 420A, thereby enabling the optical connecting component 100D to efficiently reflect light from the second core end face 110b of the core 110.

[0088] exist Figure 8The fifth modified optical connecting component 100E shown in the middle section includes a glass substrate 120E having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein and a reflective lens 420A for collimating light from the fiber cores 110. The glass substrate 120E has a first substrate end face 100E1 facing an external device 800B, such as an optical connector 700, and a second substrate end face 100E2 inclined relative to the first substrate end face 100E1. The fiber cores 110 extend from the first substrate end face 100E1 toward the second substrate end face 100E2. The fiber cores 110 have a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100E1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100E2. In this optical connecting component 100E, the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120E faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0089] In the example of the optical connecting component 100E, the number of cores 110 is three or more. The core shape has the same Figure 5 In addition, in the optical connecting component 100E, the first substrate end face 100E1 is inclined within a range of 5° to 20° relative to a reference plane perpendicular to the central axis of the top portion of the core 110 including the first core end face 110a. Figure 8 The middle section of the diagram shows a reference plane with a dashed line. When the optical connector 700 is used as the external device 800B, the ferrule end face 720B of the optical connector 700, which is opposite the first substrate end face 100E1, is similarly tilted within a range of 5° to 20° relative to the reference plane shown by the dashed line. In particular, by tilting the first substrate end face 100E1 and the ferrule end face 720B, for example, by approximately 8°, excessive insertion loss can be reduced, and a reflection loss of 40 dB or greater, or close to 40 dB, can be achieved. In this case, reflected light is prevented from recoupling to the fiber cores 110, effectively minimizing its impact on propagation characteristics. Reflection loss can be measured using a reflection attenuation meter.

[0090] Furthermore, the optical connector 100E may include a spacer member 900B, which is arranged on the first substrate end face 100E1 to surround the first fiber core end face 110a. This spacer member 900B maintains a gap of at least 5 μm and no more than 25 μm between the inclined first substrate end face 100E1 and the inclined ferrule end face 720B. In this case, a return loss of at least 40 dB can be reliably achieved, preventing reflected light from recoupling into the fiber cores 110, further minimizing the impact on propagation characteristics.

[0091] exist Figure 8The optical connecting component 100F of the sixth modified example shown in the lower section includes a glass substrate 120F having a plurality of cores 110 formed therein and a reflective lens 420A for collimating light from the cores 110. The glass substrate 120F has Figure 1 and Figure 2 The illustrated optical connector 700 has a first substrate end face 100F1 facing an external device 800B, and a second substrate end face 100F2 tilted relative to the first substrate end face 100F1. A fiber core 110 extends from the first substrate end face 100F1 toward the second substrate end face 100F2. The fiber core 110 has a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100F1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100F2. In this optical connecting component 100F, the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120F faces the top surface of the Si-based external device 800A, such as the optical IC substrate 500.

[0092] In the example of the optical connecting component 100F, the number of cores 110 is three or more. The core shape has the same Figure 5 The optical connecting component 100F has the same shape as the first modified example shown. In addition, in this optical connecting component 100F, the first core end face 110a of the core 110 arranged on the first substrate end face 110F1 is covered with a reflection prevention structure 460. In the tilt structure and gap structure of the optical connecting component 100E of the fifth modified example described above, it is difficult to obtain a reflection loss of 55 dB or more. On the other hand, the optical connecting component 100F of this sixth modified example can obtain a reflection loss of 55 dB or more by covering the first core end face 110a with the reflection prevention structure 460. As an example of the reflection prevention structure 460, for example, a commonly known structure such as an AR coating or a moth-eye structure can be applied.

[0093] Figure 9 : is a diagram showing a seventh modified example of the optical connecting component of the present disclosure and its core arrangement ( Figure 9 In the Figure 9 The upper section ( Figure 9 The core is shown as viewed from the side of the optical connecting component. Figure 9 The middle section ( Figure 9 The fiber core configuration (terminal position C) is shown in Figure 9 The core configuration at the terminal position C is shown in the upper section of FIG. Figure 9 The lower part ( Figure 9 The core arrangement on the first substrate end surface is shown in FIG. 1 (referred to as “core arrangement (first substrate end surface)”).

[0094] exist Figure 9The seventh modified optical connecting component 100G shown in the upper section includes a glass substrate 120G having multiple fiber cores 110 formed therein, a transmissive lens 410 functioning as a collimating lens, and a reflective film 470 for changing the direction of light propagating between the fiber cores 110 and the lens 410. The glass substrate 120G has a first substrate end surface 100G1 that faces an external resin device 800B, such as the optical connector 700, and a second substrate end surface 100G2 that is inclined relative to the first substrate end surface 100G1. The bottom surface of the glass substrate 120G corresponds to a third substrate end surface 100G3 located between the first substrate end surface 100G1 and the second substrate end surface 100G2, of the surface of the glass substrate 120G. The lenses 410 are arranged on the third substrate end surface 100G3, optically coupled to the corresponding fiber cores 110 via the second substrate end surface 100G2. The second substrate end face 100G2 is set to an inclination angle that satisfies the total reflection condition for the light from the core 110 and the light from the lens 410. A reflective film 470 is provided on the second substrate end face 100G2 to achieve more efficient reflection in the second substrate end face 100G2. By reflection, the direction of travel of the light is bent, for example, at a right angle. The core 110 extends from the first substrate end face 100G1 toward the second substrate end face 100G2. The core 110 has a first core end face 110a located near the first substrate end face 100G1 and a second core end face 110b located near the second substrate end face 100G2. In this optical connection component 100G, the third substrate end face 100G3, which is the bottom surface of the glass substrate 120G, faces the upper surface of the external device 800A, such as the Si substrate, such as the optical IC substrate 500, via the lens 410.

[0095] In the example of the optical connecting component 100G, the number of the fiber cores 110 is three or more. Figure 9 As shown in the lower part of FIG, the first core end face 110a of the core 110 is arranged two-dimensionally on the first substrate end face 100G1. The second core end face 110b is located inside the glass substrate 120G at a certain distance from the second substrate end face 100G2. Figure 9 In the upper part of FIG. 1 , the terminal position C is shown by a dotted line at the position of the second core end face 110b closest to the first substrate end face 100G1. Figure 9As shown in the middle section of FIG, when viewing the second core end face 110b from the second substrate end face 100G2 toward the first substrate end face 100G1, the second core end face 110b is arranged two-dimensionally. A reflective film 470 is disposed on the inclined second substrate end face 100G2 to improve reflection efficiency. A lens 410 is disposed on the third substrate end face 100G3, corresponding one-to-one with the core 110 via the second substrate end face 100G2, which functions as a reflective surface. This lens collimates light output from the second core end face 110b of the core 110 or focuses collimated light from the external device 800A onto the second core end face 110b. Light reflected from the second substrate end face 100G2 is collimated by the lens 410 and supplied to the external device 800A. Meanwhile, collimated light from the external device 800A is focused onto the second core end face 110b by the lens 410 via the second substrate end face 100G2.

[0096] It should be noted that, in the example of the optical connecting component 100G, the distance from the first substrate end face 100G1 to the second core end face 110b is different between the fiber cores 110. However, the optical path length L1 from the second core end face 110b closest to the first substrate end face 100G1 to the corresponding lens 410 via the second substrate end face 100G2 is consistent with the optical path length L2 from the second core end face 110b farthest from the first substrate end face 100G1 to the lens 410 via the second substrate end face 100G2. Moreover, in the example of the optical connecting component 100G, as Figure 9 As shown in the middle and lower sections of the figure, the core pitch D1 at the terminal position C in the fiber core 110 matches the core pitch D2 on the first substrate end face 100G1. Specifically, the optical connecting component 100G has a configuration in which the optical input and output positions of the resin external device 800B, such as the optical connector 700, are arranged two-dimensionally, and the lenses 410 on the third substrate end face 100G3 are also arranged two-dimensionally. Therefore, even if the optical input and output positions of the external device 800A are arranged two-dimensionally, the use of the optical connecting component 100G can align the optical input and output positions of both the external device 800B and the external device 800A.

[0097] Figure 10 This is a diagram for explaining another example of mounting the optical connecting component of the present disclosure. Figure 10 The optical connecting component 100H shown is Figure 1 Compared with the optical connecting components 100 and 200 shown in the upper and lower sections, the positioning structure for determining the relative position of the fiber core 110 relative to an external device 800B such as an optical connector 700 having a structure that can optically couple with the fiber core 110 is different.

[0098] Specifically, the optical connector 100H includes a first substrate end surface 100H1 and an inclined second substrate end surface 100H2. A reflective lens 420 is disposed on the second substrate end surface 100H2. Specifically, V-grooves 210A and 210B are provided near the first substrate end surface 100H1 to serve as positioning structures. Guide pins 160A and 160B are inserted into guide holes 730A and 730B provided in the ferrule end surface 720A of the optical connector 700. These guide pins 160A and 160B are then installed in the V-grooves 210A and 210B. After installation, the guide pins 160A and 160B are fixed to the V-grooves 210A and 210B, respectively, using ultraviolet-curable resin. To stably maintain the fixed state of guide pins 160A and 160B, guide pins 160A and 160B can be secured with a UV-curable resin, sandwiched between V-grooves 210A and 210B and cover glass 250. In this case, the transmittance of cover glass 250 for UV rays with a wavelength of 360 nm to 410 nm is, for example, 40% or greater at a thickness of 3 mm. Thus, by providing V-grooves 210A and 210B in the glass substrate of optical connector 100H, the fiber core disposed within the glass substrate can achieve passive optical coupling with optical connector 700, an external device.

[0099] Description of reference numerals:

[0100] 100, 100A~100H, 200, 300: optical connection components;

[0101] 100a, 100A1 to 100H1, 200a, 300a: end surfaces of the first substrate;

[0102] 100b, 100A2 to 100H2, 200b, 300b: end surface of the second substrate;

[0103] 100G3: third substrate end surface;

[0104] 120, 121, 120A~120G, 220, 320: glass substrate;

[0105] 110: fiber core;

[0106] 110a: first fiber core end face;

[0107] 110b: second fiber core end face;

[0108] 150A, 150B, 730A, 730B: guide holes;

[0109] 160A, 160B: guide pins;

[0110] 210A, 210B: V-groove;

[0111] 250: glass cover;

[0112] 410, 420, 420A, 420B: lenses;

[0113] 450, 470: reflective film;

[0114] 460: reflection prevention structure;

[0115] 500: Optical IC substrate;

[0116] 600: carrier;

[0117] 610: laser light source;

[0118] 620: reflector;

[0119] 630: focusing optical system;

[0120] 700: optical connector;

[0121] 710: optical fiber ribbon;

[0122] 720: ferrule;

[0123] 720A, 720B: Ferrule end face;

[0124] 730A, 730B: guide holes;

[0125] 800A, 800B: external devices;

[0126] 900A, 900B: spacer members;

[0127] L: short pulse laser.

Claims

1. An optical connecting component comprising: a glass substrate having: a first substrate end surface; a second substrate end surface located on a side opposite to the first substrate end surface; and one or more cores arranged between the first substrate end surface and the second substrate end surface, the glass substrate being made of a glass material transparent to a wavelength of light propagating through each of the cores; and One or more first lenses are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the cores, and the one or more first lenses are arranged on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled with the corresponding cores.

2. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The cores each have a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second core end surface located near the second substrate end surface. The first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face, The second core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. The first lenses are respectively configured on the end surfaces of the second substrate.

3. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The number of the fiber cores is three or more, and the fiber cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first fiber core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second fiber core end surface located near the second substrate end surface; When the first core end face is viewed from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, the first core end face is two-dimensionally arranged on the first substrate end face. When the second core end face is viewed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is one-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a predetermined distance from the second substrate end face.

4. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The number of the fiber cores is three or more, and the fiber cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first fiber core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second fiber core end surface located near the second substrate end surface; When the first core end face is viewed from the first substrate end face toward the second substrate end face, the first core end face is one-dimensionally arranged on the first substrate end face. When the second core end face is viewed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is two-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a predetermined distance from the second substrate end face.

5. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The number of the fiber cores is two or more, and the fiber cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first fiber core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second fiber core end surface located near the second substrate end surface. The first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face, The second core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. A first inter-core gap, which is a center-to-center distance between adjacent first core end faces in the first core end faces, is different from a second inter-core gap, which is a center-to-center distance between adjacent second core end faces in the second core end faces. The optical connecting component according to claim 1 , wherein: The number of the fiber cores is three or more, and the fiber cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first fiber core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second fiber core end surface located near the second substrate end surface; The second substrate end surface is inclined relative to the first substrate end surface, When the second core end face is viewed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is two-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a predetermined distance from the second substrate end face, and is arranged so that the optical path lengths from the second core end face to the first lens are consistent with each other. The first lenses are respectively arranged on the inclined end surfaces of the second substrate.

7. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The optical connecting member includes a reflective film that covers the remaining surface of each of the first lenses except for a surface facing the surface of the glass substrate.

8. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The number of the fiber cores is two or more, and the types of the first lenses are two or more.

9. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The glass substrate has a positioning structure for determining a relative position of the fiber core with respect to an external device having a structure capable of optically coupling with the fiber core.

10. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The first substrate end face is inclined within a range of 5° to 20° with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of a tip portion of the core located near the first substrate end face.

11. The optical connecting component according to claim 10, wherein The optical connecting component includes a spacer member disposed between the first substrate end surface and an external device to be optically coupled to the first substrate end surface, and maintaining a gap of 5 μm to 25 μm between the first substrate end surface and the external device.

12. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The optical connecting component includes a reflection preventing structure provided on the end surface of the first substrate. The cores each have a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second core end surface located near the second substrate end surface. The first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face in a state of being covered by the reflection preventing structure.

13. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The optical connecting component includes one or more second lenses, each of which is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the fiber core and is arranged on the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding fiber core. The cores each have a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second core end surface located near the second substrate end surface. The first core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the first substrate end face. The second core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. The first lenses are respectively arranged on the end surfaces of the second substrate, The second lenses are respectively configured on the end surfaces of the first substrate.

14. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The cores each have a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second core end surface located near the second substrate end surface. The first core end faces are respectively arranged on the first substrate end face, The second core end faces are respectively arranged inside the glass substrate at a certain distance from the second substrate end face. The second substrate end surface functions as a reflective surface. The first lenses are arranged on a third substrate end surface located between the first substrate end surface and the second substrate end surface in the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding cores via the second substrate end surface.

15. The optical connecting component according to claim 1, wherein The number of the fiber cores is three or more, and the fiber cores each have: a shape extending from the first substrate end surface toward the second substrate end surface, a first fiber core end surface located near the first substrate end surface, and a second fiber core end surface located near the second substrate end surface; The second substrate end surface functions as a reflecting surface and is inclined relative to the first substrate end surface. When the second core end face is viewed from the second substrate end face toward the first substrate end face, the second core end face is two-dimensionally arranged inside the glass substrate at a predetermined distance from the second substrate end face, and is arranged so that the optical path lengths from the second core end face to the first lens via the second substrate end face are consistent with each other. The first lenses are arranged on a third substrate end surface located between the first substrate end surface and the second substrate end surface in the surface of the glass substrate in a state of being optically coupled to the corresponding cores via the second substrate end surface.

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