OPTICAL FIBER ARRAY, OPTICAL COMPONENT AND OPTICAL SWITCH USING THE OPTICAL FIBER ARRAY

Abstract

An optical fiber array for insertion-positioning and arranging coated optical fibers in a substrate, in which a plurality of through-holes are formed, wherein a coating of a tip of the coated optical fiber is removed to expose a optical fiber, and wherein with the use of three substrates, the optical fiber of the coated optical fiber is inserted into through-holes of the first and second substrates and is positioned, and the coating of the coated optical fiber is inserted into a through-hole of the third substrate and is positioned.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cross section of an optical fiber array of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the optical fiber array of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a cross section of an optical fiber array of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a cross section of an optical fiber array of a comparative example.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a cross section of an optical fiber array of another comparative example.

FIG. 6 is a table showing the characteristics of optical fiber arrays of the embodiment of the present invention, and of the comparative examples.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a cross section of an optical fiber array of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A-8D are schematic front views of the substrates of optical fiber arrays of embodiments of the present invention, and of a reference example.

FIGS. 9A-9C are schematic views of the cross section of the substrates of optical fiber arrays of embodiments of the present invention, and of a reference example.

FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of an optical fiber array of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a cross section of an optical fiber array of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of the substrate of the optical fiber array of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a cross section of an array type optical switch of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a cross section showing a situation in which the optical paths of the array type optical switch of FIG. 13 are switched.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a cross section of an array type optical switch of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A, 16B are schematic views explaining a method of positioning an optical fiber array with a prism in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of a cross section of an array type variable attenuator of an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical fiber array, comprising: a plurality of coated optical fibers; anda first substrate, second substrate, and third substrate that have one or more through-holes for inserting said coated optical fiber;wherein said substrates are arranged in the order of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate so that the through-holes of the first substrate, the second substrate and the third substrates are opposed to each other,wherein each of said coated optical fibers is inserted into the through-holes of said opposingly arranged first substrate, second substrate, and third substrate, while a coating of a tip thereof is removed so as to expose an optical fiber, andwherein the through-holes of said first and second substrates support said coated optical fibers at the optical fiber portion thereof, and the through-hole of said third substrate supports said coated optical fiber at a coating portion thereof.

2. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said first substrate and second substrate is less than or equal to ten times the diameter of the optical fiber of the coated optical fiber to be inserted.

3. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said first substrate and second substrate is not less than two times the diameter of the optical fiber of the coated optical fiber to be inserted.

4. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said third substrate is larger than the diameter of the coating of the coated optical fiber to be inserted and not larger than ten times said diameter.

5. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the through-holes which said first substrate and second substrate have comprises:a parallel pore; anda taper portion connected to an end of said parallel pore and extended toward a substrate surface,wherein the depth of said parallel pore is in the range from two times to ten times of the diameter of the optical fiber of said coated optical fiber.

6. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the through-hole which said third substrate has comprises: a parallel pore; anda taper portion connected to an end of said parallel pore and extended toward a substrate surface,wherein the depth of said parallel pore is larger than the diameter of the coating of said coated optical fiber and not larger than ten times said diameter.

7. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the through-hole which said first substrate has or the diameter of the parallel pore of the through-hole is larger than the diameter of the optical fiber of said coated optical fiber by 0.1 to 30 μm.

8. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the through-hole which said second substrate has or the diameter of the parallel pore of the through-hole is larger than the diameter of the optical fiber of said coated optical fiber by 0.1 to 30 μm.

9. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the through-hole which said third substrate has or the diameter of the parallel pore of the through-hole is larger than the diameter of the coating of said coated optical fiber by 10 μm or more, and is smaller than two times the diameter of said coating.

10. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein at least one through-hole among the through-holes of said third substrate is a slit shaped through-hole, wherein said slit shaped through-hole is formed so that a plurality of through-holes provided in said second substrate may be opposingly arranged, and each of the coated optical fibers inserted into a plurality of through-holes of the second substrate is inserted into said slit shaped through-hole.

11. The optical fiber array according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of slit shaped through-holes which said third substrate has are formed spaced apart to each other on said third substrate.

12. The optical fiber array according to claim 11, wherein a minor axis of the slit shaped through-hole which said third substrate has is smaller than two times the diameter of the coating, and is larger than the diameter of the coating by 10 μm or more.

13. The optical fiber array according to claim 12, wherein a gap produced between the plurality of coated optical fibers inserted into said slit shaped through-hole is two times or less the diameter of the coating.

14. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein a space between said first substrate and second substrate is in the range from 1 mm to 10 mm.

15. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein in addition to said plurality of through-holes, a positioning pin is opposingly arranged in said first to third substrates so that a positioning pin may be inserted.

16. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the material of at least said first substrate is silicon, and a silicon oxide film is formed in the surface thereof.

17. The optical fiber array according to claim 1, wherein with the use of a holding member in which two opposing surfaces and a slit provided therebetween are formed, said first substrate and third substrate are fixed to the opposing surfaces of said holding member, and said second substrate is fixed to a inner-wall face of the slit.

18. An optical component using a plurality of coated optical fibers, wherein the optical fiber array according to claim 1 is used as said plurality of coated optical fibers.

19. An optical switch, comprising a plurality of coated optical fibers, the optical switch being for switching an optical path between said coated optical fibers, wherein the optical fiber array according to claim 1 is used as said plurality of coated optical fibers.