GB2328758A

GB2328758A - Optical fibre array having input and output arrays on one substrate

Info

Publication number: GB2328758A
Application number: GB9818410A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tai-Hyung Rhee; Hyung-Jae Lee; Byong-Gwon You
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-08-27
Filing date: 1998-08-25
Publication date: 1999-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2018-08-25
Also published as: GB9818410D0; CN1209555A; JPH11125752A; GB2328758B; KR19990018425A

Abstract

An optical fiber array module having an input 110 and output 120 optical fiber array on one planar substrate 100, wherein at least one optical fiber for inputting an optical signal and at least one optical fiber for outputting an optical signal, which are to be attached to an optical waveguide device, are positioned on the same planar substrate. It is preferable that the end of the optical fiber array module to be attached to the optical waveguide device is angled at between 0‹ and 20‹ with respect to a line which is orthogonal to the axes of the optical fibers. Preferably, the planar substrate for arranging the optical fiber array has grooves for arranging the optical fiber array.

Description

OPTICAL FIBER ARRAY MODULE HAVING INPUT AND OUTPUT OPTICAL FIBER ARRAY ON ONE PLANAR SUBSTRATE The present invention relates to an optical fiber array module, and more particularly, to an optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate, where only one optical fiber array module is attached to one end of an optical waveguide device.

There is a recent trend to manufacturing various types of optical waveguide devices on a planar substrate using planar waveguide technology and to increasing the integration of the function of the optical waveguide device. Also, much effort has been made to improve the connection between an optical fiber and an optical waveguide, but progress has been insignificant. An optical fiber array module (or an optical fiber block) having an optical fiber array on a planar substrate is used to easily attach the optical fiber to the optical waveguide, but further visible benefrts are not obtained. Roughly three technologies are required to manufacture optical waveguide devices: waveguide design, waveguide fabrication, and packaging. Here, the device packaging technology must be used in manufacturing final components to ensure good optical properties of the optical waveguide device. Also, the packaging technology is the most expensive part of manufacturing the optical components. Accordingly, technical developments are urgently needed to improve the optical characteristics of the device and simultaneously lower the price of the optical device.

In general, when an optical fiber array module to be attached to an optical waveguide device is manufactured, optical fiber array modules to be attached to input and output ports of the optical waveguide device are separately manufactured. Thus, the manufactured optical fiber array modules are individually attached to the input and output ports of the optical waveguide device. FIGS. 1A and 1B show the stnrcture view of an optical fiber array module manufactured by a conventional method. That is, FIG. 1A shows the typical structure of a four-core optical fiber array module for use as an input port, and FIG. 1B shows the typical structure of a four-core optical fiber array module for use as an output port. Here, reference numeral 100 denotes an optical fiber array module substrate, reference numeral 110 denotes input port optical fibers or waveguides arrayed on the optical fiber array module substrate 100, reference numeral 120 denotes output port optical fibers or waveguides arrayed on the optical fiber array module substrate 100, and reference numeral 130 denotes an optical fiber array module lead. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical fibers arrayed on the optical fiber array module are equally spaced. The optical fiber array module for the input port is limited to use only with the input port, and the optical fiber array module for the output port can only be used with the output port. Also, one input port optical fiber array module and one output port optical fiber array module always must be used in one optical waveguide device.

FIG. 2 shows a method of connecting an optical waveguide device to the conventional optical fiber array modules of FIG. 1. Here, reference numeral 160 is an optical waveguide device substrate, reference numeral 140 is an optical waveguide manufactured on the optical waveguide device substrate 160, reference numeral 150 is a signal processing area of the optical waveguide, manufactured on the optical waveguide device substrate 160, and reference numeral 170 is an optical waveguide device substrate lead. As shown in FIG. 2, when a waveguide device having four input ports and four output ports formed on different ends is attached to the input port optical fiber array module having four arrayed optical fibers and to an identical output port optical fiber array module, a process for attaching the optical fiber array modules must be repeated twice. That is, according to the conventional method, when the optical fiber array module is attached to the optical waveguide device, the optical fiber array module for the input port of the optical waveguide device and that for the output port are used separately. Also, end polishing or cleaving necessary for attachment must be performed on both the input and output ends of the optical waveguide to be attached1 and on a contact surface of each optical fiber array module. After the optical waveguide device and the optical fiber array module are arranged, when the output of the output port is maximum, the optical fiber array module is attached to the input port.

Also, in the same way, the optical fiber array module is arranged and attached to the output port of the optical waveguide device.

Such an attachment method is the most expensive among the processes for manufacturing the component parts of the optical waveguide. In general, attaching the optical fibers to the optical waveguide device costs at least about 60% of the total price of optical waveguide components.

According to the invention there issprovided an optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate, wherein at least one optical fiber for inputting an optical signal and at least one optical fiber for outputting an optical signal, which are to be attached to an optical waveguide device, are positioned on the same planar substrate.

It is preferable that the end of the optical fiber array module to be attached to the optical waveguide device is angled at between 0" and 20 with respect to a line which is orthogonal to the axes of the optical fibers.

Preferably, the planar substrate for arranging the optical fiber array has grooves for arranging the optical fiber array.

Further, advantageous features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Thus there is provided an optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array positioned on one planar substrate, by which an optical signal can be input and output via one optical fiber array module by attaching the optical fiber array module to only one end of an optical waveguide device, to reduce to half or less the number of processes required to attach the optical fiber array module to the ends of the optical waveguide device in contrast to a conventional method of attaching an optical fiber array module to each of the input and output ends of the device.

There now follows a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings in which: FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively show the structure views of input and output port optical fiber array modules manufactured by a conventional method; FIG. 2 shows an optical waveguide device connected to the conventional input and output port optical fiber array modules of FIG. 1; FIGS. 3A and 3B are horizontal and vertical cross-sections, respectively, of an optical fiber array module to be connected to an optical waveguide device, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 4A and 4B are horizontal and vertical cross-sections, respectively, of an optical fiber array module horizontally angled to reduce reflection loss, according to the present invention; FIGS. 5A and 5B are horizontal and vertical cross-sections, respectively, of an optical fiber array module vertically angled to reduce reflection loss, according to the present invention; and FIGS. 6A and 6B show the optical fiber array module of FIG. 3 or 5 connected to an optical waveguide device, and the optical fiber array module of FIG. 4 connected to the optical waveguide device, respectively.

In an optical fiber array module according to the present invention, at least one optical fiber for inputting an optical signal, and at least one output optical fiber are positioned on one planar substrate. The input-use and output-use optical fibers are attached to one end of an optical waveguide device. In order to use the optical fiber array rnodule according to the present invention, an optical waveguide having input and output ports both positioned on one end must be used.

FIGS. 3A and 38 are horizontal and vertical cross-sections of an optical fiber array module having four input ports and four output ports, which is manufactured according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Here, reference character S1 represents a distance (center-tocenter) between the innermost input port optical fiber and the innermost output port optical fiber, and reference character S2 represents a distance (center-to-center) between adjacent input port optical fibers and between adjacent output port optical fibers. S1 and S2 are each 125Lm or more.

The distances between the input port optical fibers and between the output port optical fibers can be equal, only some distances may be equal to each other, or the distances may be totally different from each other.

The planar substrate can be LiNbO3, a silicon wafer, Si3Nx, inorganic glass, a group Ill-V semiconductor substrate, or a flat substrate. It is preferable that the inorganic glass is silica glass and the group lll-V semiconductor is GaAs.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are horizontal and vertical cross-sections of an optical fiber array module horizontally angled to reduce reflection loss, according to the present invention. FIGS. 5A and 58 are horizontal and vertical cross-sections of an optical fiber array module vertically angled to reduce reflection loss, according to the present invention. The end of each of the optical fiber array modules is attached to an optical waveguide device having input and output ports both formed on the same end. It is preferable that the end of the optical fiber array module to be attached to the optical waveguide device has an angle of 0 to 20 with respect of a line orthogonal to the optical axes of the optical fibers. After arranging the optical fibers on the substrate of the optical fiber array module, a lid can cover the resultant stnrcture. Also, it is preferable that grooves are formed on the planar substrate to arrange the optical fibers.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show the optical fiber array module of FIG. 3 or 5 connected to an optical waveguide device, and the optical fiber array module of FIG. 4 connected to the optical waveguide device, respectively.

Accordingly, when the optical fiber array module is attached to the device, the optical fibers of the optical fiber array module are arrayed in accordance with the positions of the input port and output port waveguides of the optical waveguide device as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Therefore, the optical fiber array module can be attached to the optical waveguide device by undergoing only one arranging process and only one attaching process.

According to the present invention, the arrangement of the input and output optical fibers of the optical fiber array module is improved, and the thus-configured optical fiber array module is attached to the optical waveguide device. Thus, a process required to attach the optical fiber array module is simplified, and simultaneously, process costs can be reduced.

Claims

1. An optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate, wherein at least one optical fiber for inputting an optical signal and at least one optical fiber for outputting an optical signal, which are to be attached to an optical waveguide device, are positioned on the same planar substrate.

2. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as daimed in claim 1, wherein the space SI (center-to-center) between input-use and output-use optical fibers which are nearest to each other is 125m or more.

3. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the space S2 (center-to-center) between adjacent input-use optical fibers and between adjacent output-use optical fibers is 125clm or more.

4. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the planar substrate is one selected from the group consisting of LiNbO31 a silicon wafer, Si3N4, glass, a group Ill-V semiconductor, and a flat substrate.

5. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as claimed in any of claims I to 4, wherein the end of the optical fiber array rnodule to be attached to the optical waveguide device is angled at between 0 and 20 with respect to a line which is orthogonal to the axes of the optical fibers and parallel to the plane of the planar substrate1 and is parallel to a line which is orthogonal to the plane of the planar substrate.

6. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the optical fiber array module to be attached to the optical waveguide device is angled at between 0 and 20 with respect to a line which is orthogonal to the plane of the planar substrate, and is parallel to a line which is orthogonal to the axes of the optical fibers and parallel to the plane of the planar substrate.

7. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as claimed in any preceding claim, including a lid applied to cover the resultant structure after optical fibers of the optical fiber array are arranged on the same planar substrate.

8. The optical fiber array module having an input and output optical fiber array on one planar substrate as claimed in any preceding claim1 wherein the planar substrate for arranging the optical fiber array has grooves for arranging the optical fiber array.

9. An optical fiber array generally as herein described, with reference to or as illustrated in Figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.