MICROLENS ARRAY COUPLING SYSTEM, MICROLENS ARRAY, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the optical coupling efficiency when an optical fiber array is coupled with an optical waveguide.;SOLUTION: A microlens array 20 is constituted by forming lenses L₁ to L₅ on a thin light transmission plate 22 of ≤100 μm in thickness and forming a thick metallic frame-shaped reinforcing layer 24 which is thicker than the height of the respective lenses so that the lenses are surrounded and can easily and precisely be fabricated through a thin-film process. The array 20 is interposed and arranged between opposite end surfaces of the optical fiber array 10 and optical waveguide 30 and has one main surface bonded to the end surface of the array 10 through a light-transmissive adhesion layer 26 and the other surface bonded to the end surface of the optical waveguide 30 through a light- transmissive adhesion layer 36. The respective lenses of the array 20 optically couple the corresponding optical fibers of the array 10 with the corresponding cores of the optical waveguide 30. When the array 20 is provided with the frame-shaped reinforcing layer 24, the mechanical strength of the array 20 is improved and thickness control over the adhesion layer 36 is facilitated.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO