Optical waveguide module having waveguide substrate made of predetermined material and ferrule made of material different from that of waveguide substrate

Claim 2

An optical waveguide module comprising: a waveguide component having a waveguide substrate made of a first material and at least one optical waveguide for propagating light having a predetermined wavelength, said at least one optical waveguide provided on said waveguide substrate; a ferrule serving as a holder for holding one end of at least one optical fiber so as to optically couple said one end of said at least one optical fiber and one end of said at least one optical waveguide of said waveguide component, said ferrule being made of a second material and having at least one through hole having a continuous inner wall that defines a position where an end portion of said at least one optical fiber is to be placed, and said ferrule being fixed with an adhesive having a predetermined strength such that an end face thereof opposes an end face of said waveguide component while holding said one end of said at least one optical fiber, said first material being a different material than said second material, and said second material satisfying a relation |ΔL/(E 1 /E 2 )|<3.0×10 -6 (°C. -1 ) with respect to said first material forming said waveguide substrate, where ΔL is a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between said first material and said second material, E 1 is a modulus of elasticity of said first material, and E 2 is a modulus of elasticity of said second material.

Claim 3

A module according to claim 1, wherein said first material is a material selected from the group consisting of silicon and silica glass.

Claim 4

A module according to claim 1, wherein said second material is a plastic material.

Claim 5

A module according to claim 3, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 10×10 -6 (°C. -1 ).

Claim 6

A module according to claim 4, wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 90 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 7

A module according to claim 4, wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 85 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 8

A module according to claim 3, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 6×10 -6 (°C. -1 ).

Claim 9

A module according to claim 3, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a modulus of elasticity of not more than 5,000 (kg/mm 2 ) .

Claim 10

A module according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive used for fixing said end face of said optical waveguide and said end face of said ferrule with each other by adhesion is an ultraviolet-curing or thermoset adhesive having an adhesion strength of not less than 50 (kg/cm 2 ) with respect to silica glass.

Claim 11

A ferrule which can be utilized in an optical waveguide module used for optically coupling at least one optical fiber and an optical functional component that realizes a predetermined function, said ferrule being made of a plastic material and having at least one through hole having a continuous inner wall that defines a position where an end portion of said at least one optical fiber is to be placed, and said ferrule serving as a holding member of said at least one optical fiber, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 10×10 -6 (°C. -1 ), and wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 85 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 12

A ferrule which can be utilized in an optical waveguide module used for optically coupling at least one optical fiber and an optical functional component that realizes a predetermined function, said ferrule being made of a plastic material and having at least one through hole having a continuous inner wall that defines a position where an end portion of said at least one optical fiber is to be placed, and said ferrule serving as a holding member of said at least one optical fiber, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 10×10 -6 (°C. -1 ), and wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 85 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 13

A ferrule according to claim 10, wherein said optical functional component is made of a material different than said plastic material of said ferrule, and wherein said plastic material satisfies the relation |ΔL/(E 1 /E 2 )|<(3.0×10 -6 (°C. 31 1) with respect to said material of said optical functional component, where ΔL is a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between said material of said optical functional component and said plastic material, E 1 is a modulus of elasticity of said material of said optical functional component, and E 2 is a modulus of elasticity of said plastic material.

Claim 14

A ferrule according to claim 11, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 6×10 -6 (°C. -1 ).

Claim 15

A ferrule according to claim 11, wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 90 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 16

A ferrule according to claim 11, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a modulus of elasticity of not more than 5,000 kg/mm 2 .

Claim 17

A ferrule according to claim 10, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 6×10 -6 (°C. -1 ).

Claim 18

A ferrule according to claim 10, wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 90 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 19

A ferrule according to claim 10, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a modulus of elasticity of not more than 5,000 (kg/mm 2 ).

Claim 20

An optical communications system comprising: at least one optical fiber for propagating light having a predetermined wavelength; and an optical waveguide module to which said at least one optical fiber is optically connected, said optical waveguide module comprising: a waveguide component having a waveguide substrate made of a first material and at least one optical waveguide for propagating light having a predetermined wavelength, said at least one optical waveguide provided on said waveguide substrate; a ferrule serving as a holder for holding one end of said at least one optical fiber so as to optically couple said one end of said at least one optical fiber and one end of said at least one optical waveguide of said waveguide component, said ferrule being made of a second material and having at least one through hole having a continuous inner wall that defines a position where an end portion of said at least one optical fiber is to be placed, and said ferrule being fixed with an adhesive having a predetermined strength such that an end face thereof opposes an end face of said waveguide component while holding said one end of said at least one optical fiber, said first material being a different material than said second material, and said second material satisfying a relation |ΔL/(E 1 /E 2 )|<3.0×10 -6 (°C. -1 ) with respect to said first material forming said waveguide substrate, where ΔL is a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between said first material and said second material, E 1 is a modulus of elasticity of said first material, and E 2 is a modulus of elasticity of said second material.

Claim 21

An optical communications system comprising: at least one optical fiber for propagating light having a predetermined wavelength; and an optical waveguide module to which said at least one optical fiber is optically connected, said optical waveguide module comprising: a waveguide component having a waveguide substrate made of a first material and at least one optical waveguide for propagating light having a predetermined wavelength, said at least one optical waveguide provided on said waveguide substrate; a ferrule serving as a holder for holding one end of said at least one optical fiber so as to optically couple said one end of said at least one optical fiber and one end of said at least one optical waveguide of said waveguide component, said ferrule being made of a second material and having at least one through hole having a continuous inner wall that defines a position where an end portion of said at least one optical fiber is to be placed, and said ferrule being fixed with an adhesive having a predetermined strength such that an end face thereof opposes an end face of said waveguide component while holding said one end of said at least one optical fiber, said first material being a different material than said second material, and said second material satisfying a relation |ΔL/(E 1 /E 2 )|<3.0×10 -6 (°C. -1 ) with respect to said first material forming said waveguide substrate, where ΔL is a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between said first material and said second material, E 1 is a modulus of elasticity of said first material, and E 2 is a modulus of elasticity of said second material.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 19, wherein said second material is a plastic material.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 20, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 10×10 -6 (°C.).

Claim 26

A method according to claim 21, wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 85 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 27

A method according to claim 21, wherein said silica filler is contained in an amount of not less than 90 weight % and not more than 95 weight %.

Claim 28

A method according to claim 20, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a thermal expansion coefficient of not more than 6×10 -6 (°C. -1 ).

Claim 29

A method according to claim 20, wherein said plastic material is a phenol-based epoxy resin containing a predetermined amount of silica filler and having a modulus of elasticity of not more than 5,000 (kg/mm 2 ).

Claim 30

A method according to claim 19, wherein said first material is a material selected from the group consisting of silicon and silica glass.

Claim 31

A method according to claim 19, wherein said adhesive is an ultraviolet-curing or thermoset adhesive having an adhesion strength of not less than 50 (kg/cm 2 ) with respect to silica glass.