Preparation method and structure of waveguide side micro lens

Abstract

The invention provides a preparation method and a structure of a waveguide side micro lens. The preparation method comprises the following steps: providing an optical waveguide block; forming an optical lens groove in the optical waveguide block; forming an anti-reflection layer to cover the optical waveguide block and the optical lens groove; forming an optical lens material above the optical waveguide block and filling the optical lens groove; removing a portion of the anti-reflection layer and the optical lens material to define a micro-lens preliminary structure; and performing a reflow process on the micro-lens preliminary structure to form a micro-lens.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of microlens technology, and in particular to a method for fabricating a waveguide side microlens and its structure. Background Technology

[0002] Optical waveguides typically require lenses to redirect beams where this is necessary. However, due to the extremely small size of optical waveguide blocks and waveguides themselves, adapters are currently used to redirect beams, which not only increases the overall size but also makes it difficult to align the beam for continuous redirection. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for fabricating a waveguide side microlens, which can directly form a microlens at the light-emitting surface of an optical waveguide and redirect the light beam from the light-emitting surface of the optical waveguide to the bottom of the optical lens groove and downwards. That is, the light beam that is transmitted in a parallel direction is redirected to transmit downwards, thereby achieving small size and easy alignment for continuous transmission of the light beam.

[0004] In accordance with the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens, comprising: providing an optical waveguide block; forming an optical lens groove in the optical waveguide block; forming an anti-reflection layer to cover the optical waveguide block and the optical lens groove; forming an optical lens material above the optical waveguide block and filling the optical lens groove; removing the anti-reflection layer and the optical lens material from one side of the optical lens groove and from the side of the optical waveguide block adjacent to the optical lens groove, thereby defining a preliminary microlens structure; and performing a reflow soldering process on the preliminary microlens structure to form a microlens.

[0005] In some embodiments, the optical waveguide block has multiple optical waveguides.

[0006] In some embodiments, a central axis of the optical lens slot is perpendicular to a central axis of each optical waveguide.

[0007] In some embodiments, the optical lens groove is formed such that one light-emitting surface of the plurality of optical waveguides is exposed at the optical lens groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, the optical lens material is a transparent or highly transparent organic polymer material.

[0009] In some embodiments, the optical lens material is a polymer or a photoresist.

[0010] In some embodiments, the antireflective layer is formed by coating.

[0011] In some embodiments, the optical lens material is formed by coating.

[0012] In some embodiments, the microlens has a curvature such that one end of the microlens corresponds to each of the optical waveguides, and the other end of the microlens corresponds to a bottom within the optical lens slot.

[0013] In some embodiments, the curvature is controlled by the temperature and time of heating.

[0014] The present invention also provides a structure of a waveguide side microlens, comprising an optical waveguide block having at least one optical lens groove, wherein a microlens is formed on one side of the optical lens groove using the above-described fabrication method.

[0015] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the specific embodiments listed in the figures. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the curve of the curvature of the microlens corresponding to temperature in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] S100: Method for fabricating waveguide side-side microlenses;

[0026] S110~S160: Steps;

[0027] 100: Optical waveguide block;

[0028] 110: Optical waveguide;

[0029] 111: The surface that emits light;

[0030] 200: Optical lens groove;

[0031] 300: Anti-reflective layer;

[0032] 400: Optical lens material;

[0033] 500: Preliminary structure of the microlens;

[0034] 600: Microlens. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The advantages, features, and technical methods of the present invention will be more readily understood by referring to the exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings. The present invention may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the embodiments provided will make this disclosure more thorough, complete, and fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention will be defined only as provided in the appended claims.

[0036] Additionally, the terms "comprising" and / or "including" refer to the presence of the stated features, regions, wholes, steps, operations, components, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, and / or combinations thereof.

[0037] To facilitate those skilled in the art in understanding the content of this invention and the effects it can achieve, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the specific embodiments illustrated in the figures.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the curve of the curvature of the microlens corresponding to temperature in the fabrication method of the waveguide side microlens of the present invention.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6The waveguide side microlens fabrication method S100 of the present invention includes steps S110 to S160.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In step S110, an optical waveguide block 100 is provided. In some embodiments, the optical waveguide block 100 has a plurality of optical waveguides 110. In some embodiments, the plurality of optical waveguides 110 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other within the optical waveguide block 100.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 In step S120, an optical lens groove 200 is formed in the optical waveguide block 100. In some embodiments, the formation of the optical lens groove 200 may include cutting, etching, or other methods, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a central axis of the optical lens groove 200 is perpendicular to a central axis of each optical waveguide 110. Therefore, the formation of the optical lens groove 200 exposes a light-emitting surface 111 of each optical waveguide 110 at the optical lens groove 200.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In step S130, an anti-reflection layer 300 is formed to cover the optical waveguide block 100 and the optical lens groove 200. In some embodiments, the anti-reflection layer can be formed by coating, but is not limited thereto.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 In step S140, an optical lens material 400 is formed above the optical waveguide block 100 and fills the optical lens groove 200. In some embodiments, the optical lens material 400 can be formed by coating, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the optical lens material 400 can be a transparent or highly transparent organic polymer material, for example, a polymer or a photoresist, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6In step S150, the anti-reflective layer 300 and optical lens material 400 are removed from one side of the optical lens groove 200 and from the area above and adjacent to the optical waveguide block 100, to define a preliminary microlens structure 500. In this embodiment, the preliminary microlens structure 500 is formed on the side of the optical lens groove 200 and in the area above the optical waveguide block 100 adjacent to the side, but this is not a limitation. The preliminary microlens structure 500 may also be formed only in a large area within the side of the optical lens groove 200. Therefore, the shape of the preliminary microlens structure 500 is not fixed. This shape is used to accommodate the subsequent reflow soldering step, making it easier to form the desired curvature shape, but the appearance shape is generally an arc surface. In some embodiments, the removal operation may be an exposure, development, or etching operation, but this is not a limitation.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In step S160, a reflow soldering process is performed on the preliminary microlens structure 500 to form a microlens 600. In this embodiment, the microlens must have a curvature, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the heating temperature corresponds to the heating time (in minutes), indicating that the desired curvature can be obtained under this reflow process. Since the curvature can be controlled by the heating temperature and heating time, different curvatures require adjustment of the curve, necessitating different heating temperatures and times. One end of the formed microlens 600 corresponds to each optical waveguide 110 (i.e., the light-emitting surface 111), and the other end corresponds to a bottom within the optical lens groove 200. The light beam emitted from the optical waveguide 110 (i.e., the light-emitting surface 111) is redirected by the microlens 600 to the bottom within the optical lens groove 200.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 7 The waveguide-side microlens structure of the present invention may include an optical waveguide block 100 having at least one optical lens groove 200, fabricated by the above-described preparation method S100 on one side of the optical lens groove 200 (i.e., as shown in the image). Figure 3 The light-emitting surface 111 shown forms a microlens 600.

[0047] In summary, the waveguide-side microlens fabrication method S100 and its structure of the present invention can directly form a microlens 600 at the light-emitting surface 111 of the optical waveguide 110, and redirect the light beam from the light-emitting surface 111 of the optical waveguide 110 to the bottom of the optical lens groove 200 and downward, that is, the light beam transmitted from the parallel direction is redirected to the downward direction, thereby achieving small size and easy alignment of the light beam for continuous transmission.

[0048] The above description is the preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles described in this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a waveguide side-mounted microlens, characterized in that, include: Provide an optical waveguide block; An optical lens groove is formed in the optical waveguide block; An anti-reflection layer is formed to cover the optical waveguide block and the optical lens slot; An optical lens material is formed above the optical waveguide block and fills the optical lens groove; The anti-reflective layer and the optical lens material are removed from one side of the optical lens slot and from the side of the optical waveguide block above and adjacent to the optical lens slot to define a preliminary microlens structure; and A reflow soldering process is performed on the preliminary structure of the microlens to form a microlens.

2. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical waveguide block contains multiple optical waveguides.

3. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 2, characterized in that, The central axis of the optical lens slot is perpendicular to the central axis of each of the optical waveguides.

4. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 3, characterized in that, The formation of the optical lens groove exposes one light-emitting surface of the plurality of optical waveguides at the optical lens groove.

5. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical lens material is a transparent or highly transparent organic polymer material.

6. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical lens material is a polymer or a photoresist.

7. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-reflective layer is formed by coating.

8. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical lens material is formed by coating.

9. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 4, characterized in that, The microlens has a curvature such that one end of the microlens corresponds to each of the optical waveguides, and the other end of the microlens corresponds to a bottom in the optical lens groove.

10. The method for fabricating a waveguide-side microlens according to claim 9, characterized in that, The curvature is controlled by the temperature and time of heating.

11. A structure for a waveguide-side microlens, characterized in that, The method includes an optical waveguide block having at least one optical lens groove, wherein a microlens is formed on one side of the optical lens groove by the fabrication method described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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