US5784509A — Waveguide-optical fiber connection structure and …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 190 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method for connecting an end portion of an optical fiber to an end portion of a waveguide, comprising the steps of: preparing a waveguide substrate having a waveguide integrally formed thereon and having a first guide groove formed thereon adjacent to an end portion of said waveguide for positioning said optical fiber therein and a fiber substrate for holding said optical fiber thereon; fixing a face portion of said waveguide substrate and an opposing face portion of said fiber substrate to each other in a condition wherein said optical fiber fixed to said fiber substrate is held in close contact with said first guide groove on said waveguide substrate; and wherein said optical fiber having a metal coating applied to an outer periphery of a clad thereof in advance is fixed by metal fixation to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate at which said fiber substrate is coated with a metal film to hold said optical fiber on said fiber substrate, and in this condition, said waveguide and said optical fiber are connected to each other using said fiber substrate with said optical fiber.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 190 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method for connecting an end portion of an optical fiber to an end portion of a waveguide, comprising the steps of: preparing a waveguide substrate having a waveguide integrally formed thereon and having a first guide groove formed thereon adjacent to an end portion of said waveguide for positioning said optical fiber therein and a fiber substrate for holding said optical fiber thereon; fixing a face portion of said waveguide substrate and an opposing face portion of said fiber substrate to each other in a condition wherein said optical fiber fixed to said fiber substrate is held in close contact with said first guide groove on said waveguide substrate; and wherein said optical fiber having a metal coating applied to an outer periphery of a clad thereof in advance is fixed by metal fixation to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate at which said fiber substrate is coated with a metal film to hold said optical fiber on said fiber substrate, and in this condition, said waveguide and said optical fiber are connected to each other using said fiber substrate with said optical fiber.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 87 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said waveguide and said optical fiber are connected to each other using said fiber substrate on which said optical fiber is held by fixing, by metal fixation, to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate said optical fiber having a metal coating applied only to an area of an outer periphery of a clad thereof necessary for metal fixation to said second guide groove while said optical fiber is mounted in said second guide groove.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 103 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical fiber is mounted into said second guide groove of said fiber substrate on which a solder supply groove for flowing in therethrough solder to be used for metal fixation to said optical fiber is formed in a communicating relationship with said second guide groove, and solder is flowed in through said solder supply groove to fix said optical fiber to said fiber substrate by metal fixation, and then said waveguide and said optical fiber are connected to each other using said fiber substrate to which said optical fiber is fixed.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 194 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method for connecting an end portion of an optical fiber to an end portion of a waveguide, comprising the steps of: preparing a waveguide substrate having a waveguide integrally formed thereon and having a first guide groove formed thereon adjacent to an end portion of said waveguide for positioning said optical fiber therein and a fiber substrate for holding said optical fiber thereon; fixing a face portion of said waveguide substrate and an opposing face portion of said fiber substrate to each other in a condition wherein said optical fiber fixed to said fiber substrate is held in close contact with said first guide groove on said waveguide substrate; and wherein each of a face portion of said fiber substrate and a face portion of said waveguide substrate which are opposed to each other when said,optical fiber fixed to said fiber substrate by a first metal closely contacted with said first guide groove of said waveguide substrate has a second metal film formed thereon, and said first and second metal films are fixed to each other by metal fixation to connect said waveguide and said optical fiber to each other.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 194 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method for connecting an end portion of an optical fiber to an end portion of a waveguide, comprising the steps of: preparing a waveguide substrate having a waveguide integrally formed thereon and having a first guide groove formed thereon adjacent to an end portion of said waveguide for positioning said optical fiber therein and a fiber substrate for holding said optical fiber thereon; fixing a face portion of said waveguide substrate and an opposing face portion of said fiber substrate to each other in a condition wherein said optical fiber fixed to said fiber substrate is held in close contact with said first guide groove on said waveguide substrate; and wherein each of a face portion of said fiber substrate and a face portion of said waveguide substrate which are opposed to each other when said,optical fiber fixed to said fiber substrate by a first metal closely contacted with said first guide groove of said waveguide substrate has a second metal film formed thereon, and said first and second metal films are fixed to each other by metal fixation to connect said waveguide and said optical fiber to each other.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 54 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a solder material used for the metal fixation between said fiber substrate and said waveguide substrate has a melting point set lower than the melting point of another solder material used for the metal fixation between said fiber substrate and said optical fiber.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 77 words

A waveguicle-optical fiber connection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said waveguide and said optical fiber are connected to each other using said waveguide substrate wherein a quartz waveguide and a first guide groove of a V-shaped cross section are formed on a silicon substrate and said fiber substrate wherein a second guide groove of a V-shaped cross section is formed on said silicon substrate and said optical fiber is held in said second guide groove.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 106 words

A waveguide-optical fiber connection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fiber substrate which is first constructed as a portion of said waveguide substrate on which said second guide groove for fixation of an optical fiber is formed as an extension of said first guide groove simultaneously upon production of said waveguide substrate and is thereafter formed as a separate member from said waveguide substrate by being cut from said waveguide substrate and on which said optical fiber is held is prepared, and said waveguide and said optical fiber are connected to each other using said fiber substrate on which said optical fiber is held.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 63 words

A waveguide substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection, comprising a substrate having a waveguide integrally formed thereon and having a first guide groove formed adjacent an end portion of said waveguide thereon for positioning an optical fiber, said waveguide and said first guide groove being formed using a single mask member having patterns for formation of a waveguide and a guide groove.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 63 words

A waveguide substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection, comprising a substrate having a waveguide integrally formed thereon and having a first guide groove formed adjacent an end portion of said waveguide thereon for positioning an optical fiber, said waveguide and said first guide groove being formed using a single mask member having patterns for formation of a waveguide and a guide groove.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 109 words

A method of producing a waveguide substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection, comprising the steps of: forming a low refraction index layer and a high refraction index layer on a silicon substrate; partially removing said high refraction index layer using a single mask member having patterns for formation of a waveguide and a guide way to form etching areas for a waveguide and a guide groove; and forming an upper low refraction index layer while the mask member on the opposite sides of the etching area for a guide groove is left as a fiber positioning etching mask, forming a guide groove and finally removing the etching mask.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 109 words

A method of producing a waveguide substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection, comprising the steps of: forming a low refraction index layer and a high refraction index layer on a silicon substrate; partially removing said high refraction index layer using a single mask member having patterns for formation of a waveguide and a guide way to form etching areas for a waveguide and a guide groove; and forming an upper low refraction index layer while the mask member on the opposite sides of the etching area for a guide groove is left as a fiber positioning etching mask, forming a guide groove and finally removing the etching mask.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 57 words

A method of producing a waveguide substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of forming an upper low refraction index layer on the etching mask includes the step of forming a thin film of a SiO 2 material between the upper low refraction index layer and the etching mask.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 78 words

An optical fiber with a fiber substrate for use for.waveguide-optical fiber connection, comprising: an optical fiber having, at an end portion thereof, a metal coating provided on an outer periphery of a clad thereof; and a fiber substrate having a second guide groove for fixation of an optical fiber formed thereon and coated with a metal film; said end portion of said optical fiber being fixed by metal fixation to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 78 words

An optical fiber with a fiber substrate for use for.waveguide-optical fiber connection, comprising: an optical fiber having, at an end portion thereof, a metal coating provided on an outer periphery of a clad thereof; and a fiber substrate having a second guide groove for fixation of an optical fiber formed thereon and coated with a metal film; said end portion of said optical fiber being fixed by metal fixation to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 109 words

An optical fiber with a fiber substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection as claimed in claim 11, wherein said end portion of said optical fiber at which said optical fiber is coated with the metal coating only in an area of the outer periphery of the clad thereof necessary for metal fixation of said optical fiber to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate is fixed by metal fixation to said second guide groove of said fiber substrate in a condition wherein it is mounted in said second guide groove of said fiber substrate to provide said fiber substrate at said end portion of said optical fiber.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 111 words

An optical fiber with a fiber substrate for use for waveguide-optical fiber connection as claimed in claim 11, wherein said fiber substrate is provided at said end portion of said optical fiber by fixing said end portion of said optical fiber to said fiber substrate by metal fixation by mounting said end portion of said optical fiber in said second guide groove of said fiber substrate on which a solder supply groove for flowing in therethrough solder to be used for metal fixation to said end portion of said optical fiber is formed in a communicating relationship with said second guide groove and flowing solder in through said solder supply groove.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-07-20	2002-01-19	2002-07-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-07-20	2006-01-19	2006-07-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-07-20	2010-01-19	2010-07-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Waveguide-optical fiber connection structure and waveguide-optical fiber connection method

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