Optical Waveguide Protrusion Cutting for Blade Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of optical waveguide devices is hindered by the rapid wear of rotary blades due to cutting through cladding layers, leading to high costs and potential delamination at the interface between the wiring layer and cladding layer.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a structure with multiple cladding layers and protrusions with inclined faces, where the rotary blade cuts only the protrusions and not the lower cladding layer, reducing wear and preventing delamination by using the second cladding layers as a protective layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the rotary blade cuts through the lower cladding layer to form inclined faces on protrusions, then the optical path converting mirrors can be properly positioned, but the rotary blade wears out quickly and delamination may occur at the interface between the wiring layer and cladding layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cladding structure into multiple layers: a first cladding layer that is cut by the rotary blade to form inclined faces, and a second cladding layer that remains intact and covers the wiring layer. This segmentation allows the cutting operation to be performed only on the first cladding layer, preventing the rotary blade from reaching the wiring layer interface and causing delamination, while still achieving the required positioning accuracy for optical path converting mirrors on the inclined faces.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rotary blade cuts through all cladding layers, then the inclined faces are properly formed for mirror mounting, but the blade wears out quickly resulting in high manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The cladding structure is segmented into a first cladding layer designated for cutting and a second cladding layer that serves as a protective overlay. The rotary blade is configured to cut only the first cladding layer, forming inclined faces on protrusions without penetrating through the second cladding layer. This reduces blade wear and manufacturing costs while maintaining the necessary inclined face geometry for optical path converting mirror mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The second cladding layer is formed in advance as a protective layer before the cutting operation. This preliminary action of creating the protective overlay prevents the rotary blade from cutting through to the wiring layer, thereby reducing blade wear and extending blade life without affecting the quality of inclined face formation on the first cladding layer.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical waveguide device includes: a wiring board; a first cladding layer that is formed on the wiring board; a plurality of second cladding layers that are formed on the first cladding layer; a plurality of protrusions each of which is formed on a corresponding one of the second cladding layers and each of which is provided with an inclined face inclined to a front face of the corresponding second cladding layer; a plurality of optical path converting mirrors each of which is formed on a corresponding one of the inclined faces of the protrusions; a plurality of core layers each of which is formed on a corresponding one of the second cladding layers and each of which directly contacts the corresponding optical path converting mirror; and a third cladding layer that is formed on the second cladding layers and the core layers.