Optical module and components thereof

By introducing a pressing part and an adhesive receiving part into the protective component of the optical fiber coupling section, the problem of low efficiency in sleeve positioning and adhesive fixing is solved, and the high-efficiency manufacturing and reliability improvement of the optical module are achieved.

CN121605334APending Publication Date: 2026-03-03NTT INNOVATIVE DEVICES CORP +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202480050107.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-07-31
Filing Date
2024-07-25
Publication Date
2026-03-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the existing technology, the positioning and bonding of the sleeve in the manufacturing process of the connection component between the optical fiber and the silicon chip is inefficient, which leads to reduced reliability and an increased possibility of optical coupling loss.

Method used

A protective component for the fiber optic coupling section is designed, comprising a flat upper part, a vertical side part, and a pressing part. The pressing part fixes the sleeve in a predetermined position, and the adhesive receiving part prevents the adhesive from spreading, thus simplifying the positioning and bonding process of the sleeve.

Benefits of technology

This achieves efficient positioning and fixation of the sleeve, improves the reliability of the optical module, reduces the risk of optical coupling loss, and improves manufacturing efficiency.

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Abstract

The present disclosure provides a member for an optical device for easily adhering and fixing a ferrule at an appropriate position, and an optical module having the same. A member for a connection portion between a silicon chip (23) integrated on a device substrate (10) and an optical fiber (20) has a flat plate-shaped upper portion (31a), and a first side portion (31b) and a second side portion (31c) substantially perpendicular to the upper portion (31a). Furthermore, the member has a recess that is formed by an upper portion (31a), a first side portion (31b), and a second side portion (31c), and accommodates an optical fiber block (21) that holds the optical fiber (20). A second side portion (31c) of the recess has an opening portion for drawing out the optical fiber (20) in the extension direction. The member has a pressing portion (50) formed on the upper portion (31a) and substantially perpendicular to the upper portion (31a). The pressing portion (50) is configured so that an end of a ferrule (22) having a hollow portion through which the optical fiber (20) passes comes into contact.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an optical module, and more specifically, to a component for connecting an optical device to an optical fiber, and an optical module having the component. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, there were requirements for miniaturization, low power consumption, and increased transmission speed in optical transceiver modules for networks. As a device to achieve these requirements, coherent optical subassemblies (COSA) that integrate optical transmitting and receiving circuits on a small silicon chip and package these together with amplifiers and other electronic circuits have been anticipated.

[0003] Figure 1 The previous COSA100 is shown in the image. Figure 1 (a) is a three-dimensional view viewed from the top surface. Figure 1 (b) is a three-dimensional view viewed from the bottom surface. Figure 1 (c) is a perspective view of the input / output section of the COSA100 as viewed from the lower surface. Figure 1 (d) is a cross-sectional view of the input / output section of the COSA100 along the section line Id-Id. It should be noted that the ball grid array (BGA) side of the device substrate 10 constituting the COSA100 is referred to as the lower surface.

[0004] like Figure 1 As shown, the COSA100 has: a device substrate 10, on which a silicon chip 23 comprising a waveguide utilizing silicon photonics technology is integrated; and a cover plate 30, which protects these components. Figure 1 The diagram also shows an optical fiber 20 that is optically connected to a waveguide formed on the surface of the silicon chip 23. It should be noted that the silicon chip 23 is integrated with the surface on which the waveguide is formed facing the lower surface of the device substrate 10.

[0005] The fiber optic block 21 is directly fixed to the silicon chip 23, so that the fiber optic cable 20 is connected to the waveguide of the silicon chip 23 via the fiber optic block 21. Figure 1 As shown in (d), the fiber block 21 does not contact the cover plate 30 but has a small gap between it and the cover plate 30. Figure 1 In the diagram, fiber 20 represents a ribbon core composed of multiple fibers arranged neatly. The tips of each core of fiber 20 are arranged along the V-groove of fiber block 21. Figure 1The diagram also shows an optical fiber protective resin 24 positioned opposite the V-groove of the optical fiber block 21. An optical fiber 20 is fixed between the V-groove and the optical fiber protective resin 24. The tips of each core wire extend through the V-groove to the end face of the optical fiber block 21. The end face of the silicon chip 23 is fixedly connected to the end face of the optical fiber block 21. It should be noted that, to prevent reflections on the end face of the silicon chip 23, the direction of the waveguide near the end face of the silicon chip 23 is not perpendicular to that end face (not along the X-direction). Furthermore, the extension direction of the optical fiber 20 is also not perpendicular to the end face of the silicon chip 23.

[0006] Figure 1 The cover plate 30 shown has an optical fiber coupling protection section 31, which is used to protect the coupling section between the waveguide and the optical fiber 20 formed on the surface of the silicon chip 23.

[0007] Figure 2 The conventional fiber coupling protection section 31 is shown in the figure. Figure 2 (a) is with Figure 1 (c) A perspective view of the input / output section of the same COSA100 as viewed from the lower surface. Figure 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view along the extension direction of the optical fiber 20 along section line IIb-IIb. Figure 2 (c) is a top view of the lower surface of a portion of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31, and Figure 2 (d) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 along the cross-section line IId-IId.

[0008] The fiber coupling protection section 31 has a flat upper part 31a, and side parts 31b and 31c that are approximately perpendicular to the upper part 31a in three directions around the fiber block. Figure 2 As shown in (a), the space formed by the upper part 31a, the side part 31b, and the side part 31c accommodates the optical fiber block 21. The side part 31c has an opening for the optical fiber 20 to pass through.

[0009] Optical fiber 20 exhibits weaker force in the direction perpendicular to its extension direction. Therefore, as... Figure 2 As shown, a sleeve 22 is provided to protect the optical fiber 20 so that it does not directly contact the opening. The optical fiber 20 passes through the sleeve 22 and is fixed to the optical fiber block 21.

[0010] The inner diameter of the sleeve 22 is much larger than the sum of the diameters of the individual cores of the optical fiber 20. Therefore, the sleeve 22 can move freely along the extension direction of the optical fiber 20. Thus, the sleeve 22 is fixed to the optical fiber coupling protection section 31 and does not move.

[0011] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2(a) is a cross-sectional view of the opening on side 31c of section line III-III. The opening has an upper portion 32a and a side portion 32b. The sleeve 22 is configured to pass through the opening and is bonded and fixed by adhesive 40 inserted between the sleeve 22 and the opening.

[0012] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the lower surface of the opening of the side portion 31c of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31. The adhesive 40 used to bond and fix the sleeve 22 to the opening is applied... Figure 4 The injection proceeds in the order of (1) to (4). First, a fluid adhesive 40 is injected from the apex of the triangle shown in (1) to (2) between the side portion 32b and the sleeve 22 to temporarily fix the sleeve 22, making it... Figure 3 The state shown. Next, adhesive 40 is added to the top of the triangle shown in (3) to (4), and adhesive 40 is injected into the upper part of the sleeve 22 and the outside of the opening to form fillet 40a and fillet 40b. Figure 4 The dashed quadrilateral represents the fill angle 40a on the side of the sleeve 22 opposite to the upper part 32a, and the dotted-dash trapezoid represents the fill angle 40b on the outer side of the opening of the side part 31c (32b) of the sleeve 22. The optical fiber 20 passes through the inner side (hollow part) of the sleeve 22 and extends from the outer side to the inner side of the opening of the side part 31c. After exiting the hollow part of the sleeve 22, the portion of the optical fiber 20 after removing the cladding (the exposed core wire located from the outer side to the inner side of the opening of the side part 31c) is fixed in a state between the V-groove of the optical fiber block 21 and the optical fiber protective resin 24.

[0013] In the fabrication of the optical module, positioning and fixing the top end of the sleeve 22 on the fiber optic block 21 to the opening is a crucial step. If the distance between the fiber optic block 21 and the top end of the sleeve 22 is too short, the fiber coupling protection part 31 will expand and contract under the influence of heat during the subsequent reflow process, and the top end of the sleeve 22 will move, thus putting pressure on the fiber optic block 21. As a result, the possibility of coupling loss between the waveguide formed on the surface of the silicon chip 23 and the optical fiber 20 increases. Conversely, if the distance between the fiber optic block 21 and the top end of the sleeve 22 is too long, for example, if the top end of the sleeve 22 is located inside the opening, the adhesive 40 will not adequately fix the sleeve 22, potentially leading to reduced reliability. Furthermore, it is possible that the adhesive 40 may adhere to the exposed optical fiber 20 between the optical fiber block 21 and the sleeve 22, or the adhesive 40 flowing into the hollow part of the sleeve 22 may bond and fix the sleeve 22 and the optical fiber 20, thereby causing the optical fiber 20 to break due to the stress caused by the expansion and contraction of the optical fiber coupling part protection part 31 during the subsequent reflow process.

[0014] To prevent such problems from occurring, the tip of the sleeve 22 of a specified length needs to be positioned in a specified location. For example, it needs to be confirmed that the distance between the tip of one side of the sleeve 22 of a specified length (e.g., 3.6 ± 0.3 mm) and the fiber optic block 21 is within a specified range (e.g., 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm). At the same time, it also needs to be confirmed that the tip of the other side of the sleeve 22 is within a specified range (e.g., less than 2 mm) outside the opening of the side portion 31c of the fiber optic coupling protection portion 31. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Therefore, the process of positioning the top end of the sleeve 22 on the side of the optical fiber block 21 and the process of fixing the sleeve 22 to the opening of the optical fiber coupling part protection part 31 with adhesive 40 must be carried out under a microscope, which significantly reduces efficiency.

[0016] This application disclosure was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a component for easily bonding and fixing a sleeve to an optical device in a suitable position, and an optical module having the component.

[0017] One embodiment of this disclosure includes a component for connecting a silicon chip to an optical fiber integrated into an optical device substrate. The component comprises: a planar upper portion, and a first side portion and a second side portion substantially perpendicular to the upper portion; a recess formed by the upper portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion; and a pressing portion formed at a predetermined position within the recess of the upper portion and substantially perpendicular to the upper portion.

[0018] One embodiment of the component also includes a sleeve that is placed on an opening on a second side, has a hollow portion for an optical fiber to pass through, and a pressing portion is formed at a position where a portion of the sleeve abuts against but does not contact the optical fiber.

[0019] In one embodiment, the pressing portion is formed to abut against a portion of the sleeve at one point.

[0020] In one embodiment, the pressing portion is formed to abut against a portion of the sleeve at two locations.

[0021] In one embodiment, the component is connected to one side of the upper part of the pressing portion that abuts against the sleeve at two locations.

[0022] One embodiment of the component further includes an adhesive receiving portion formed between the pressing portion and the opening portion.

[0023] In one embodiment of the component, the adhesive receiving portion is formed by further cutting the surface that forms the pressing portion.

[0024] One embodiment of the optical module disclosed herein includes: any of the components as described above; an optical device substrate; and a waveguide formed on the surface of a silicon chip, wherein the waveguide and an optical fiber are optically coupled at the end face of the silicon chip.

[0025] As described above, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the sleeve can be easily bonded and fixed to a predetermined position on the component of the optical device by means of the pressing portion of the component. Furthermore, an optical module having a component of the optical device with a pressing portion can be manufactured efficiently. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 The diagram shows a conventional Coherent Optical Subassembly (COSA). (a) is a perspective view viewed from the top surface, (b) is a perspective view viewed from the bottom surface, (c) is a perspective view of the input / output section of the COSA viewed from the bottom surface, and (d) is a cross-sectional view of the input / output section of the COSA along the Id-Id section line.

[0027] Figure 2 The diagrams show the conventional fiber coupling protection section. (a) is a perspective view of the COSA input / output section viewed from the lower surface direction. (b) is a cross-sectional view along the extension direction of the fiber along the IIb-IIb section line. (c) is a top view of a part of the fiber coupling protection section in the lower surface direction. (d) is a cross-sectional view of a part of the fiber coupling protection section along the IId-IId section line.

[0028] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the side opening of the conventional fiber coupling protection section of section III-III.

[0029] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the upper surface of the opening on the side of the conventional fiber optic coupling protection section.

[0030] Figure 5 The diagram shows the fiber optic coupling section protection portion of an optical module (COSA) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. (a) is a perspective view of the input / output portion of the COSA viewed from the lower surface direction. (b) is a cross-sectional view along the extension direction of the optical fiber along the Vb-Vb section line. (c) is a top view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling section protection portion in the lower surface direction. (d) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling section protection portion along the Vd-Vd section line.

[0031] Figure 6This is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the pressure part of the fiber optic coupling section protection part of a COSA according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. (a) is a top view in the direction of the lower surface, (b) is a cross-sectional view along the VIb-VIb section line, and (c) is a cross-sectional view along the VIc-VIc section line.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the pressure part of the fiber optic coupling section protection part of a COSA according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. (a) is a top view in the direction of the lower surface, (b) is a cross-sectional view along section line VIIb-VIIb, and (c) is a cross-sectional view along section line VIIc-VIIc.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the pressure part of the fiber optic coupling protection part of a COSA according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. (a) is a top view in the direction of the lower surface, (b) is a cross-sectional view, and (c) is a cross-sectional view along the VIIIc-VIIIc section line. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, and repeated descriptions may be omitted. The materials and values ​​in the following description are examples, and other materials and values ​​may be used to implement the present disclosure. Hereinafter, an optical module for digital coherence (COSA) is illustrated as an optical device. Obviously, the present disclosure can be implemented on any optical device other than a COSA without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. It should be noted that in the following description, the side of the cover plate 30 in the optical module 100 will be described as the upward direction, and the side of the device substrate 10 will be described as the downward direction.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 of a COSA according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The configuration of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 is shown in the reference diagram. Figure 1 This describes a portion of the cover plate 30. As described above, the fiber optic coupling protection portion 31 is a component for optical devices that protects the coupling portion between the waveguide and the optical fiber 20 formed on the surface of the silicon chip 23. The fiber optic coupling protection portion 31 can be integrally formed with the cover plate 30 that protects the device substrate 10 on which the silicon chip 23 is integrated, or it can be formed separately.

[0036] The protective cover 30 can be formed by machining a metal plate. When the cover 30 and the fiber coupling protection part 31 are formed separately, if the cover 30 is metal, the material of the fiber coupling protection part 31 can also be ceramic or resin. Considering heat dissipation from the device substrate 10 where the silicon chip 23 is integrated, the cover 30 is preferably made of a metal with high thermal conductivity. In this embodiment, the fiber coupling protection part 31 is integrally formed with the cover 30 by machining a metal plate.

[0037] Furthermore, the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 of this embodiment, like the conventional fiber optic coupling protection section 31, also has a flat upper part 31a, and side parts 31b and 31c that are substantially perpendicular to the upper part 31a in a manner that surrounds the fiber optic block. Figure 5 As shown in (a), an optical fiber block 21 is accommodated in the space (recess) formed by the upper part 31a, the side part 31b, and the side part 31c. The optical fiber block 21 is not connected to the upper part 31a, and a gap exists between them. The side part 31c has an opening. The opening has an opening of the same diameter as the sleeve 22. Furthermore, Figure 5 In (d), when viewed from the extension direction of the optical fiber 20, the opening of the receiving sleeve 22 is rectangular, but it can also be U-shaped. Furthermore, the sidewall of the opening opposite the sleeve 22 can be a surface parallel to the extension direction of the optical fiber 20, or it can be a shape that expands from the inside to the outside. If the latter, the effect of suppressing the leakage of the injected adhesive 40 into the upper inward part 31a is higher.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, the fiber optic coupling protection unit 31 of this embodiment and Figure 2 The difference between the conventional fiber coupling protection section 31 shown is that a pressing section 50, which is substantially perpendicular to the upper section 31a, is formed near the side section 31c with the opening.

[0039] The pressing part 50 is formed to position the end of the sleeve 22 in a predetermined position (i.e., the appropriate position of the end of the sleeve 22). The sleeve 22 is inserted into the interior of the side portion 31c from the outside through the opening, and the sleeve 22 is fixed at a position where at least a portion of the sleeve 22 touches the pressing part 50. With the end of the sleeve 22 abutting against the pressing part 50, one end of the sleeve 22 is located inside the fiber coupling protection part 31 of the side portion 31c, and the other end is located outside the side portion 31c. Therefore, precise positioning can be easily performed in a short time without the need for fine positioning under a microscope. In this state, the sleeve 22 is bonded to the opening of the side portion 31c with adhesive 40, thereby fixing the sleeve 22 over the entire thickness of the opening and solving the problem of reduced reliability caused by insufficient bonding.

[0040] Residual adhesive from the bonding of sleeve 22 may fall into the upper part 31a between the opening and the pressing part 50. If the falling adhesive penetrates the gap between the fiber block 21 and the upper part 31a, causing the fiber block 21 to become fixed to the upper part 31a, the coupling part between the fiber block 21 and the silicon chip 23 will be stressed as the cover plate 30 expands during the reflow process, which may cause optical axis misalignment and deterioration of the fixing strength of the fiber block 21. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent the falling residual adhesive from penetrating the fiber block 21 side.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the pressing portion 50 is formed by cutting, both ends of the pressing portion 50 are made to connect with the side portion 31c. Therefore, a closed region (hereinafter referred to as the adhesive receiving portion 51) consisting of the pressing portion 50 and the side portion 31c is formed in the upper portion 31a. Figure 5 As shown in (d), the area where the remaining adhesive falls is enclosed by the wall, preventing the falling adhesive from spreading. An adhesive receiving portion 51 is formed between the pressing portion 50 and the opening of the side portion 31c. The outer wall of the adhesive receiving portion 51 includes at least the pressing portion 50 and the side portion 31c where the opening is formed. That is, the portion of the pressing portion 50 with the opening and the portion of the opening of the opposite side portion 31c constitute a part of the adhesive receiving portion 51. Figure 5 In (d), the pressing part 50 is formed around the opening, and its two ends are connected to a portion of the side part 31c. In other words, when the adhesive receiving part 51 is manufactured by cutting, a portion of the side wall of the adhesive receiving part 51 is used as the pressing part 50.

[0042] It should be noted that, from the viewpoint of preventing the falling adhesive from spreading on the upper part 31a and intruding into the gap between the optical fiber block 21 and the upper part 31a, a groove can be formed by making a deeper cut between the pressing part 50 and the area where the opening is formed (thinning the thickness of the upper part 31a from the back side), so that the groove becomes at least a part of the adhesive receiving part 51. This groove will be described in detail later.

[0043] The structure of the adhesive receiving portion 51 can be exemplified as follows: The thickness H1 of the opening in the side portion 31c (the thickness from the back surface of the upper portion 31a to the lower surface of the opening) is set to 0.9 mm. The thickness H2 of the adhesive receiving portion 51 in the side portion 31c (the thickness from the back surface of the upper portion 31a to the lower surface of the adhesive receiving portion 51) is set to 0.6 mm. The thickness H3 of the pressing portion 50 (the thickness from the back surface of the upper portion 31a to the top of the pressing portion 50) is set to 1.15 mm. The thickness H4 of the recess in the side portion 31c (the thickness from the lower surface of the side portion 31c to the lower surface of the opening) is set to 1.05 mm.

[0044] The length of the sleeve 22 (along the extension direction of the optical fiber 20) is 2.0 mm. The outer diameter of the sleeve 22 is 0.9 mm. The inner diameter of the sleeve 22 is 0.82 mm. The thickness of the sleeve 22 is 0.04 mm. The width of the opening on the side 31c is 1.2 mm. The distance between the sleeve 22 and the opening is 0.15 mm.

[0045] The length L1 of the opening of side portion 31c (along the extension direction of optical fiber 20) is 1.75 mm. The distance L2 between the opening of the pressing portion 50 and the opening of side portion 31c (the distance of the adhesive receiving portion 51 along the extension direction of optical fiber 20) is 0.6 mm. The length L3 of the pressing portion 50 (along the extension direction of optical fiber 20) is 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. The distance L4 between the pressing portion 50 and the optical fiber block 21 is 0.347 mm.

[0046] With the end of sleeve 22 in contact with the pressing part 50, according to reference Figure 4 In the described scheme, when adhesive 40 is inserted into the gap between sleeve 22 and side portion 31c, the remaining adhesive will flow into adhesive receiving portion 51. Since optical fiber 20 is covered by sleeve 22 until it reaches pressing portion 50, the remaining adhesive 40 will fall from both sides of sleeve 22 to near the opening before reaching pressing portion 50. Therefore, there will be no situation where adhesive 40 adheres to the exposed optical fiber 20 between optical fiber block 21 and sleeve 22, or adhesive 40 flows into the hollow portion of sleeve 22 (i.e., in the hollow portion, sleeve 22 and optical fiber 20 are bonded due to adhesive 40).

[0047] Thus, according to the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 of this embodiment, the process of positioning the top end of the sleeve 22 on the fiber optic block 21 side and the process of fixing the sleeve 22 to the opening of the side portion 31c of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 by means of adhesive 40 becomes easier.

[0048] The following is for reference Figures 6 to 8 The fiber optic coupling protection unit 31 of Examples 1 to 3 will be described.

[0049] (Example 1)

[0050] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 of a COSA according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 (a) is a schematic top view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 as viewed from the lower surface side. Figure 6 (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 along the VIb-VIb section line. Figure 6(c) is a cross-sectional view along the VIc-VIc section line. A rectangular pressing portion 50 is formed, approximately perpendicular to the upper portion 31a, at a position inside the fiber coupling protection portion 31, separate from the opening. An adhesive receiving portion 51 is formed between the side portion 31c and the pressing portion 50. The pressing portion 50 constitutes part of the sidewall of the adhesive receiving portion 51. Figure 6 As shown in (b), the adhesive receiving portion 51 is cut to a size greater than that shown in (b). Figure 5 The example shown in (d) is deeper (the thickness of the upper part 31a decreases from the upper surface 31TS). Figure 6 In the rectangular pressing portion 50, the width W is the same as the width of the opening, but it only needs to be the width of a portion of the sleeve 22 that abuts. It can be narrower than the width of the opening, but it is better to be wider than the diameter of the sleeve 22. This is to prevent any remaining adhesive falling from the sleeve 22 from spreading to the fiber block 21 through the sides of the pressing portion 50. Furthermore, the center of the width W is configured to be the center of the opening of the fiber coupling protection portion 31, but it is only necessary to configure it to be the center of the opening where a portion of the sleeve 22 abuts.

[0051] An example of the positional relationship between the pressing part 50 and the opening is as follows. The thickness H1 of the opening in the side part 31c (the thickness from the upper surface 31TS of the fiber coupling protection part 31 to the position 31cBS of the opening) is 0.9 mm, and the thickness H3 of the pressing part 50 (the thickness from the upper surface 31TS of the fiber coupling protection part 31 to the top end 50BS of the pressing part 50) is 1.15 mm. Therefore, as Figure 6 As shown, when the sleeve 22 is inserted into the opening of the side portion 31c, a portion of the end of the sleeve 22 abuts against the pressing portion 50 and stops. On the other hand, the inner diameter of the sleeve 22 is 0.82 mm and its thickness is 0.04 mm. The optical fiber 20 passes through the inner side of the sleeve 22 opposite the abutment portion, thus allowing it to pass sufficiently far from the top of the pressing portion 50. If the thickness H3 of the pressing portion 50 is too large, the top of the pressing portion 50 may contact the optical fiber 20; therefore, ideally, the top of the pressing portion 50 is located at a height approximately equal to the center of the sleeve 22. In this way, the optical fiber block 21 is fixed in a state of optical coupling with the end face of the silicon chip 23.

[0052] With a portion of the end of the sleeve 22 in contact with the pressing part 50, as shown in the reference... Figure 4As explained, the sleeve 22 is temporarily fixed to the opening of the fiber coupling section protection section 31 using adhesive 40, and then filler corners 40a and 40b are formed. Since the end of the sleeve 22 that abuts against the pressure section 50 is in a predetermined appropriate position (i.e., a position that prevents adhesive 40 from adhering), positioning under a microscope is not required. Furthermore, with the sleeve 22 abutting against the pressure section 50, since the length of the sleeve 22 from the opening to the pressure section 50 is sufficient, the remaining adhesive 40 will not reach the pressure section 50 but will flow from both sides of the sleeve 22 into the adhesive receiving section 51 near the opening, so the adhesive 40 will not adhere to the optical fiber 20. In the pressure section 50 of Embodiment 1, the surface orthogonal to the extension direction of the optical fiber 20 is a rectangle with a wide width and a low height, but it can also be set to other shapes as shown in the example below.

[0053] (Example 2)

[0054] Reference Figure 7 The pressing part 50a, which is a rectangle with a narrow width and a high height and is orthogonal to the extension direction of the optical fiber 20, will be described. Figure 6 The configuration of Embodiment 1 has a pressing part 50, while the configuration of Embodiment 2 differs from that of Embodiment 1 in that it has two columnar pressing parts 50a. Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 of a COSA according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 (a) is a schematic top view of the lower surface side of a part of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31. Figure 7 (b) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 along the VIIb-VIIb section line. Figure 7 (c) is a sectional view along section line VIIc-VIIc.

[0055] like Figure 7 As shown, two pressing portions 50a are formed on the device substrate 10 (not shown) side, separated from the side portion 31c with the opening of the fiber coupling portion protection portion 31, in a manner substantially perpendicular to the upper portion 31a of the fiber coupling portion protection portion 31. In this embodiment 2, the pressing portion 50a, which includes the area where the remaining adhesive falls, is cut between itself and the opening, thereby forming an adhesive receiving portion 51 in the upper portion 31a. In this embodiment 2, the two columnar pressing portions 50a are connected by a portion cut into a rectangular flat plate shape, which constitutes part of the sidewall of the adhesive receiving portion 51.

[0056] The distance between the two columnar pressure portions 50a is such that a portion of each pressure portion 50a abuts against both ends of the horizontal section of the sleeve 22. Since the distance from the abutment portion to the opening of each of the two pressure portions 50a is the same, the sleeve 22, when abutting at both points, is arranged parallel to the optical fiber 20. By pressing the sleeve 22 at both points, tilting of the sleeve 22 can be prevented, thus providing the advantage of arranging the sleeve 22 parallel to the optical fiber 20. Therefore, contact between the sleeve 22 and the optical fiber 20 can be prevented. The two pressure portions 50a have the same width Wa, but they can also have different widths. Furthermore, the two pressure portions 50a are arranged such that the center of the distance between them is the center of the opening of the optical fiber coupling protection portion 31. However, as long as a portion of the sleeve 22 abuts against at least one of the two pressure portions 50a, the center of the distance between them does not necessarily have to be the center of the opening of the optical fiber coupling protection portion 31. Furthermore, in this embodiment 2, a connecting portion is provided between the two pressing portions 50a. However, the shape and size of the connecting portion are not limited to a rectangle, as long as it does not contact the optical fiber 20. Alternatively, the connecting portion may be omitted, but if there is a possibility of adhesive spreading upon falling, the depth of the adhesive receiving portion 51 needs to be increased.

[0057] The top ends 50BS of the two pressing portions 50a are located near the lower side of the sleeve 22 (closer to the side of the optical fiber 20), and the lower surface of the connecting portion (the surface not in contact with 31a) has the same thickness as the opening H1. An example of this embodiment 2 is as follows. The thickness H1 of the opening of the side portion 31c (the thickness from the upper surface 31TS of the optical fiber coupling protection portion 31 to the opening position 31cBS) is 0.9 mm, and the thickness H3a from the upper surface 31TS to the top end 50aBS of the pressing portion 50a is 1.8 mm. The spacing between the two pressing portions 50a is appropriate between the inner and outer diameters of the sleeve 22 (around 0.82 mm to 0.9 mm). This is because the sleeve 22 is elliptical in shape and extends slightly in the left-right direction. Therefore, in the structure of this embodiment 2, as... Figure 7 As shown, when the sleeve 22 is inserted into the opening of the side portion 31c, both sides of the sleeve 22 simultaneously come into contact with and stop with the two pressing portions 50a. On the other hand, the optical fiber 20 inserted into the hollow portion of the sleeve 22 can pass between the two pressing portions 50a. In this way, optical coupling can be performed between the end face of the optical fiber block 21 fixed to the top of the optical fiber 20 and the end face of the silicon chip 23.

[0058] In this embodiment 2, the same effect as in embodiment 1 is also achieved. In the adhesive receiving part of this embodiment 2, the sleeve 22 is also configured to abut against the two pressing parts 50a. Therefore, in addition to the advantage that the sleeve 22 can be arranged parallel to the optical fiber 20 in the abutting process, the abutting process can be easily performed with high precision and high reliability compared to abutting at one place.

[0059] (Example 3)

[0060] Reference Figure 8 The following describes a variation of Example 2, namely Example 3. Figure 8 (a) is a schematic top view of the lower surface side of a part of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31. Figure 8 (b) is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the fiber optic coupling protection section 31 along the VIIIb-VIIIb section line. Figure 8 (c) is a sectional view along the VIIIc-VIIIc section line. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the pressing part can also be L-shaped or hook-shaped. The central part, which is columnar and roughly perpendicular to the upper part 31a, can be set as the pressing part 50a, and the part that is roughly horizontal to the upper part 31a can form part of the adhesive receiving part 51.

[0061] (Other variations)

[0062] exist Figure 6 In Embodiment 1, the top end 50BS of the pressing portion 50 is shown as rectangular, but the pressing portion 50 can also be shaped to surround the opening. In this case, as long as it is shaped to allow the falling adhesive to fall into the adhesive receiving portion 51, there is no possibility of the falling adhesive spreading. Figure 6 In Embodiment 1, by making the width of the pressing portion 50a wider than the outer diameter of the sleeve 22, the spread of falling adhesive can be prevented. As a variation of this example, the width of the pressing portion 50 can be expanded to the side portion 31b to enhance the effect of preventing the spread of falling adhesive. In this case, the expanded portion can be flat or curved; as long as the angle between the central portion (the portion with width W) and the expanded portion is between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, it will have the effect of preventing the spread of falling adhesive. Furthermore, it can also be used as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 In a modified example, the width of the columnar pressing portion 50a is expanded to the side portion 31b to enhance the effect of preventing the spread of falling adhesive. At this time, the expanded portion can be flat or curved, as long as the angle between the columnar pressing portion 50a (the portion with width Wa) and the expanded portion is between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, it has the effect of preventing the spread of falling adhesive.

[0063] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0064] 100: Optical Module (COSA); 10: Device Substrate; 20: Optical Fiber; 21: Optical Fiber Block; 22: Sleeve; 23: Silicon Chip; 24: Optical Fiber Protective Resin; 30: Cover Plate; 31: Optical Fiber Coupler Protection Section; 31a: Upper Part; 31b: Side Part; 31c: Side Part with Opening; 32a: Upper Part; 32b: Side Part; 40: Adhesive; 40a, 40b: Filler Corners; 50, 50a: Pressing Part; 51: Adhesive Receptacle.

Claims

1. A component for connecting a silicon chip and an optical fiber integrated on a device substrate, comprising: A flat upper portion, and a first side portion and a second side portion that are substantially perpendicular to the upper portion; The recess is formed by the upper portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion, the second side portion having an opening; and A pressing portion is formed in the upper part of the recess and is substantially perpendicular to the upper part, and is formed at a position opposite to the opening.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein, The component also includes a sleeve that is mounted on the opening and has a hollow portion through which the optical fiber passes. The pressing portion is formed at a position where a part of the sleeve abuts against the optical fiber without contacting it.

3. The component according to claim 2, wherein, The pressing part is formed to abut against a portion of the sleeve at one point.

4. The component according to claim 2, wherein, The pressing portion is formed to abut against a part of the sleeve at two locations.

5. The component according to claim 4, wherein, A portion of the sleeve is connected to one side of the upper portion of the pressing part that abuts at both locations.

6. The component according to claim 2, further comprising: An adhesive receiving portion is formed between the pressing portion and the opening portion.

7. The component according to claim 6, wherein, The adhesive receiving portion is formed by further cutting the surface on which the pressing portion is formed.

8. An optical module, comprising: The component as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The device substrate; and Waveguides formed on the surface of the silicon chip The waveguide and the optical fiber are optically coupled to each other at the end face of the silicon chip.