Optical Waveguide Alignment on Glass Plate for Circuit Boards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical circuit board manufacturing methods face challenges in accurately forming reflection surfaces due to warping of the wiring board, which affects the alignment and precision of optical signal transmission and reception between the optical waveguide and electronic components.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming an optical waveguide with a core sandwiched between clad layers on a glass plate, including positioning marks for accurate alignment, and mounting this structure on a wiring board with corresponding positioning marks to ensure precise cutting and formation of a reflection surface perpendicular to the optical waveguide's extension direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the reflection surface is formed by cutting the core on a conventional wiring board, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the alignment precision deteriorates due to warping of the wiring board
Solution Approach 1:
A glass plate is introduced as an intermediary substrate to support the optical waveguide during the formation of the reflection surface. The glass plate provides a stable, non-warping surface that enables precise cutting and alignment of the reflection surface, while the optical waveguide is subsequently transferred to the final wiring board position using positioning marks for alignment.
2Device complexity
If the optical waveguide is formed directly on the wiring board, then the device structure is compact, but the reliability of optical signal transmission deteriorates due to misalignment from board warping
Solution Approach 1:
Positioning marks are formed in advance on both the glass plate (during optical waveguide fabrication) and the wiring board (before assembly). This preliminary positioning infrastructure enables precise alignment when the optical waveguide is transferred to the wiring board, ensuring reliable optical signal transmission despite the separation of fabrication and final assembly steps.
3Device complexity
If the reflection surface is formed after the optical waveguide is mounted on the wiring board, then the device assembly is simplified, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in accurate positioning
Solution Approach 1:
Positioning marks serve as copied reference features that are created on both the glass plate during optical waveguide fabrication and on the wiring board before assembly. These copied marks provide a consistent reference framework that enables precise positioning and alignment when the optical waveguide is transferred to the wiring board, maintaining high manufacturing precision throughout the process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing an optical circuit board includes: forming an optical waveguide having a structure that a core is sandwiched between a lower clad layer and an upper clad layer so as to extend along an upper surface of a glass plate; forming a glass plate-side positioning mark composed of the same material as the core, between the lower clad layer and the upper clad layer in a region other than the core; forming a reflection surface at a part of the core; preparing a wiring board having a board-side positioning mark; and mounting the glass plate having the optical waveguide formed thereon so that the glass plate-side positioning marks and the board-side positioning mark are superimposed on each other.