JP2011215495A - Optical communication module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical communication module that outputs an optical signal with high precision and is made to be low-cost by decreasing the number of components, when equipped with an end surface light emission type laser diode as a photoelectric element.SOLUTION: An OSA (Optical Sub-Assembly) 1 includes a translucent component 10 obtained by integrally molding a holding portion 11 for holding a conductor 30 and a lens 40 for condensing light with a translucent synthetic resin, wherein an EELD (Edge Emitting Laser Diode) 20 is connected to the conductor 30 held by the holding portion 11. A light beam emitted by the EELD 20 is made to be incident on a first incident surface 41 and a second incident surface 42 of the lens 40, and light beams entering the lens 40 from the respective incident surfaces are respectively emitted from a first emission surface 43 and a second emission surface 44 without crossing each other. The first emission surface 43 and second emission surface 44 are made to be discontinuous. The translucent component 10 has a recess formed between a light emission surface of the EELD 20 and the lens 40, and a portion of the first incident surface 41 is provided in the recess 12.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical communication module in which a light emitting element such as a laser diode for optical communication is packaged.

  Conventionally, optical communication using an optical fiber or the like has been widely used. In optical communication, an electrical signal is converted into an optical signal by a light emitting element such as a laser diode, the optical signal is transmitted and received via an optical fiber, and a received optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by a light receiving element such as a photodiode. (Hereinafter, these light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements are referred to as photoelectric elements). For this reason, optical communication modules are widely used in which photoelectric elements such as laser diodes and / or photodiodes are configured as one package together with peripheral circuit elements for operating the photoelectric elements. This optical communication module is called OSA (Optical Sub-Assembly). In recent years, various inventions related to optical communication and optical communication modules have been made.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, an output of a first photodiode for light reception and an output of a second light-shielded photodiode are input to a differential amplifier via a gain adjustment amplifier, and an optical power detection unit that detects optical power. There has been proposed a photodetector that can be applied to communication that requires high speed and a wide dynamic range by adopting a configuration in which a low-pass filter is interposed between the output terminal and the gain adjustment terminal of the gain adjustment amplifier.

  In Patent Document 2, a signal receiving photodiode, a light level detecting photodiode, a signal amplifying unit for amplifying a received signal, and a bias current control unit for controlling a bias current supplied to the signal amplifying unit are provided. By forming the bias current control unit to operate the signal amplification unit when the signal current output from the light level detection photodiode is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value formed on one substrate, There has been proposed an optical receiver capable of controlling the magnitude of the operating current / voltage to an amount as necessary and reducing power consumption. In addition, this optical receiver has a substantially circular light sensitive region in which the photodiode for signal reception is smaller than the spread of the signal light, and the photodiode for light level detection has the light sensitive region of the photodiode for signal reception. By adopting a configuration having a light-sensitive region that surrounds, signal light can be detected efficiently and reception capability can be improved.

  The inventions according to Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above relate to the peripheral circuit of the photoelectric element, and are intended to improve the communication capability of optical communication by improving the peripheral circuit. In the inventions according to Patent Documents 1 and 2, a substrate on which a photoelectric element and a peripheral circuit are mounted is fixed to a lead frame and sealed with a transparent resin to form a mold part, and a hemispherical surface is formed on the surface of the mold part. An optical communication module having a lens portion is used. This optical communication module is arranged so that the lens portion faces the emission end of the optical fiber.

  In Patent Document 3, a photoelectric element that transmits or receives an optical signal, a stem for fixing the photoelectric element, a cap for covering the photoelectric element, an electric signal applied to the photoelectric element, or from the photoelectric element A plurality of leads for transmitting electrical signals, and a plane portion is provided at one end of a predetermined lead located in a package constituted by a stem and a cap, and one end is connected to the photoelectric element on the plane portion. There has been proposed an optical-electrical conversion module that is excellent in high-frequency characteristics and can be miniaturized by providing an electric circuit component whose end is connected to a lead.

JP 2006-40976 A International Publication No. 01/015348 Pamphlet JP 2005-167189 A

  Many conventional optical communication modules have a configuration in which a photoelectric element (and peripheral circuit) is mounted on a lead frame, and the photoelectric element and the lead frame are sealed with a resin such as a transparent resin. Are often molded. In such a configuration, when the molding accuracy of the resin is low, there is a problem that the position of the lens and the photoelectric element is displaced, and the accuracy of optical communication is lowered. Further, since the photoelectric element is exposed to a high temperature environment at the time of resin sealing, it is necessary to select the resin in consideration of the heat resistance performance of the photoelectric element, and there is a problem that the selection range of the resin is narrow. Therefore, it is difficult to solve this problem by using a resin that can increase the accuracy of molding.

  Similarly, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the photoelectric element is sealed with a resin to form a mold part, and the lens part is provided on the surface of the mold part. When it is low, there is a risk that the position of the photoelectric element and the lens portion will be displaced, and the accuracy of optical communication may be reduced.

  The photoelectric conversion module described in Patent Document 3 is a configuration in which the photoelectric element is not resin-sealed, but the photoelectric element is fixed to the stem and covered with a cap, and the lens is integrally formed on the cap. The above problem can be solved. However, the photoelectric conversion module disclosed in Patent Document 3 includes a stem, a cap, and a lead as described above, and includes many components such as a heat sink for mounting a photoelectric element and a ceramic plate submount. Therefore, there are problems such as a large number of parts, a high cost, and a complicated assembly process.

  Laser diodes that convert electrical signals into optical signals include edge-emitting laser diodes (EELD (Edge Emitting Laser Diodes)) that emit light from the side of the element, and light emitted from the top of the element. And a surface emitting laser (VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser)).

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to output an optical signal with high accuracy particularly when an edge-emitting laser diode is provided as a photoelectric element. Another object is to provide an optical communication module capable of reducing the number of parts and reducing the cost.

  The optical communication module according to the present invention has a polyhedral shape having a connection surface provided with a connection terminal portion for connection with another member and a light emitting surface intersecting the connection surface, and converts an electrical signal into an optical signal. A light emitting element, a conductor to which the light emitting element is connected via the connection terminal portion, a holding portion for holding the conductor, and the light emitting element connected to the conductor held by the holding portion. A lens part that is provided at a position facing the light emitting surface and condenses the light emitted from the light emitting surface to a predetermined position, and a translucent component integrally molded with a translucent synthetic resin, and the lens part, Light emitted from the light emitting surface is incident, and a plurality of incident surfaces having different curvatures or inclinations with respect to the light emitting surface are provided corresponding to the plurality of incident surfaces. A plurality of exit surfaces that exit to a position Emitting surface of said plurality of not continuous, light to the exit plane from the corresponding respective incident surface passing through the lens portion, characterized in that you have not to cross each.

  The optical communication module according to the present invention is characterized in that the translucent component is molded using a plurality of molds, and each emission surface is molded using a different mold.

  In the optical communication module according to the present invention, the translucent component is a concave formed between the light emitting surface of the light emitting element connected to the conductor held by the holding portion and the lens portion. And at least one part of the entrance surface or the front part is provided in the recess.

  The optical communication module according to the present invention is characterized in that the lens unit guides light incident from the incident surface to the corresponding exit surface by totally reflecting the light in the lens unit. To do.

  The optical communication module according to the present invention is characterized in that light emitted from the plurality of emission surfaces interferes at the predetermined position in the same phase.

  The optical communication module according to the present invention further includes a cylindrical portion that fits into an optical communication line that transmits and receives an optical signal, and a connecting portion that connects the cylindrical portion and the translucent component. The light is condensed on the optical communication line fitted to the cylindrical portion.

  Moreover, the optical communication module according to the present invention is characterized in that the cylindrical portion and the connecting portion are integrally formed with the translucent component.

  Further, in the optical communication module according to the present invention, the cylindrical portion and the connecting portion are integrally molded, and one of the connecting portion or the translucent component has a convex portion or a concave portion that defines a connecting position. The other of the connecting part or the translucent component has a concave part or a convex part that engages with the convex part or the concave part.

  Further, in the optical communication module according to the present invention, the connecting portion is integrally formed with the translucent component, and one of the cylindrical portion or the connecting portion has a convex portion or a concave portion that defines a connecting position. The other of the cylindrical part or the connecting part has a concave part or a convex part engaged with the convex part or the concave part.

In the present invention, a light emitting element having a light emitting surface intersecting with a connection surface provided with a connection terminal portion, that is, a so-called edge emitting laser diode (hereinafter referred to as EELD) is packaged to form an optical communication module. The optical communication module includes a translucent component in which a holding unit and a lens unit are integrally formed of a translucent synthetic resin, and the connection terminal unit of the EELD is connected to a conductor held in the translucent component holding unit. The EELD is mounted on the optical communication module. The light emitted from the EELD is condensed at a predetermined position, for example, at a position where an optical fiber or the like is disposed, in the lens portion of the translucent component.
By integrally molding the holding portion for holding the conductor and the lens portion for collecting light to form a light-transmitting component, the number of components of the optical communication module can be reduced. In addition, the EELD is connected to the conductor held by the translucent component, and the translucent component and the EELD can be formed in separate processes, so that the translucent component can be transmitted without considering the heat resistance performance of the EELD. A synthetic resin for a part can be selected, and a synthetic resin that can be molded with high accuracy can be selected to increase the accuracy of the lens unit.

Moreover, in an optical communication module equipped with an EELD, a holding unit that holds a conductor on which the EELD is mounted and a lens unit that collects light emitted from the EELD are often arranged at intersecting positions. At least two or more molds are required for molding the translucent part. When the holding part and the lens part are integrally molded, in order to perform molding with as few molds as possible, the lens part is, for example, vertically It is necessary to mold with a plurality of molds by dividing. When the lens part is molded with a plurality of molds, so-called burrs are generated in the gaps between the molds, so the molding accuracy at the joint part of the mold is low, and the accuracy of the lens part at this part may decrease. is there.
Therefore, the optical communication module of the present invention allows light from the EELD to be incident on each of the plurality of incident surfaces of the lens unit having different curvatures or inclinations, and the corresponding exit surface without intersecting the light incident on the lens unit from each incident surface. Respectively. In addition, a plurality of exit surfaces of the lens unit are discontinuous. As a result, it is possible to form a plurality of discontinuous emission surfaces with different molds, and to prevent a decrease in accuracy at the joint portion of the mold.

  In the present invention, the plurality of exit surfaces of the lens portion are molded with different molds. Thereby, the precision fall in the joint part of a metal mold | die can be prevented as mentioned above.

  In the present invention, a recess is formed in the translucent component between the light emitting surface of the EELD connected to the conductor and the lens portion. Also, at least one incident surface part or front part of the lens part is provided in the recess. Thereby, the light emitted from the light emitting surface of the EELD connected to the conductor can be incident on the incident surface of the lens portion through the recess without entering the holding portion of the translucent component.

  In the present invention, the light incident from the entrance surface of the lens unit may be totally reflected in the lens unit and guided to the corresponding exit surface. Thereby, the freedom degree of the shape of a lens part improves, and a translucent component can be made into the shape suitable for integral molding of a holding | maintenance part and a lens part.

  Moreover, in this invention, the light radiate | emitted from the several output surface is made to interfere in the same phase in predetermined positions, such as a position where an optical fiber is arrange | positioned. Thereby, since the energy of light increases at a predetermined position, the accuracy of optical communication can be improved.

  In the present invention, the optical communication module further includes a cylindrical portion that fits into an optical communication line such as an optical fiber, and a connecting portion that connects the cylindrical portion to the translucent component, and the lens portion of the translucent component Is configured to condense EELD light onto an optical communication line fitted to the cylinder portion. Thus, the optical communication module can accurately transmit the optical signal via the optical communication line only by fitting the optical communication line to the cylindrical portion.

  Moreover, in this invention, a cylinder part and a connection part are integrally molded with a translucent synthetic resin with a translucent component. Thereby, the number of parts of the optical communication module can be further reduced.

  Moreover, in this invention, a cylinder part and a connection part are integrally molded separately from a translucent component. Thereby, a cylinder part and a connection part can raise the freedom degree of resin molding, such as shape | molding with a non-light-transmitting synthetic resin. Further, in order to accurately connect the connecting portion and the light transmitting component, a convex portion or a concave portion is provided on one of the connecting portion and the light transmitting component, and a concave portion or a convex portion that engages with the convex portion or the concave portion is provided on the other. In addition, the connection position is defined by the engagement of the recesses. Thereby, the cylinder part and connection part which were shape | molded separately, and a translucent component can be connected easily and accurately.

  Moreover, in this invention, a connection part and a translucent component are integrally molded with translucent synthetic resin, and a cylinder part is shape | molded separately from this. As a result, the cylindrical portion can be molded with a non-translucent synthetic resin, and the degree of freedom of resin molding can be increased. Further, in order to accurately connect the cylindrical portion and the connecting portion, a convex portion or a concave portion is provided on one of the cylindrical portion and the connecting portion, and a concave portion or a convex portion that engages with the convex portion or the concave portion is provided on the other side. The connection position is defined by the engagement. Thereby, the cylinder part shape | molded separately, a connection part, and a translucent component can be connected easily and accurately.

In the case of the present invention, the holding portion for holding the conductor and the lens portion are integrally molded with a light-transmitting synthetic resin to form a light-transmitting component, and the EELD is connected to the conductor held by the holding portion. Therefore, it is possible to select a synthetic resin for a light-transmitting part without considering the heat resistance performance of EELD, and to select a synthetic resin capable of high-precision resin molding to increase molding accuracy. Communication accuracy of the optical communication module can be improved. Moreover, since the number of parts can be reduced by integral molding of the holding portion and the lens, the cost of the optical communication module can be reduced.
In addition, the light from the EELD is made incident on each of the plurality of incident surfaces of the lens unit, and the light incident on the lens unit from each incident surface is emitted from the corresponding emission surface without intersecting, and the plurality of emission surfaces are not made. By making it continuous, it is possible to form a plurality of discontinuous emission surfaces with different dies, and to prevent a decrease in accuracy at the joint portion of the dies. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the cost reduction of the optical communication module by reducing the number of parts and the improvement of the communication accuracy of the optical communication module.

It is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of the optical communication module which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of an optical communication module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the condensing by a lens part. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the manufacturing method of OSA. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the manufacturing method of OSA. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating condensing by the optical communication module which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the structure of the optical communication module which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a typical top view which shows the structure of the optical communication module which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the structure of the optical communication module which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a typical top view which shows the structure of the optical communication module which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 2 of this invention.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the optical communication module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the optical communication module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an OSA in which the EELD 20 is packaged, and corresponds to the optical communication module according to the present invention. The OSA 1 is a component for converting an electric signal input via the conductor 30 into an optical signal by the EELD 20, condensing the optical signal to an optical fiber or the like, and outputting it.

  The OSA 1 includes a translucent component 10 molded with a translucent synthetic resin, a plurality of conductors 30 held in a manner embedded in the translucent component 10, and an EELD 20 that is a photoelectric element (light emitting element). It is prepared for. The EELD 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and one surface (the lower surface in FIG. 1) is a connection surface provided with the connection terminal portion 21, and one of the four side surfaces orthogonal to the connection surface ( The left side surface in FIG. 1 is a light emitting surface provided with a light emitting region 22. Although not shown, the EELD 20 also has a connection terminal portion on the surface opposite to the connection surface on which the connection terminal portion 21 is provided (the upper surface in FIG. 1). In other words, the EELD 20 is a two-terminal element having connection terminal portions on the upper and lower surfaces.

  The translucent component 10 has a shape in which a substantially rectangular parallelepiped holding portion 11 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and a lens portion 40 having a conical shape that tapers from the incident side to the emission side. That is, a portion corresponding to the bottom surface of the conical lens portion 40 is joined to one side surface (the left side surface in FIG. 1) of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped holding portion 11, and the tapered tip portion of the lens portion 40 is held. It is a shape that protrudes further to the side (left side in FIG. 1) of one side surface of the portion 11. The thickness (length in the vertical direction) of the holding portion 11 is smaller than the diameter (length in the vertical direction) of the portion corresponding to the conical bottom surface of the lens portion 40, and the lens portion 40 is joined to the holding portion 11. The lens part 40 protrudes upward from the holding part 11. The translucent component 10 is obtained by integrally molding the holding unit 11 and the lens unit 40 with a translucent synthetic resin.

  The holding part 11 of the translucent component 10 is held in such a manner that a plurality of conductors 30 are embedded in the upper surface thereof. The conductor 30 has a rectangular plate shape in plan view, and is embedded and held in the holding unit 11 such that the upper surface of the conductor 30 is exposed above the holding unit 11. One end (right end in FIG. 1) of the conductor 30 protrudes from the holding portion 11 to the outside, and this protruding portion is used as a terminal for connecting the OSA 1 to a circuit board or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the OSA 1 includes two conductors 30 a and 30 b having substantially the same length, and the two conductors 30 a and 30 b are held by the holding unit 11 in substantially parallel. The first conductor 30a is arranged in the center of the holding portion 11 in a plan view, and the EELD 20 is connected to the upper surface of the half body end (the left end in FIG. 1) of one end protruding outside the holding portion 11. Yes. The EELD 20 connected to the left end of the first conductor 30a emits light further leftward from the light emitting region 22 on the left side. The second conductor 30b is thinner than the first conductor 30a, and is disposed on the upper surface of the holding portion 11 substantially parallel to the first conductor 30a at a predetermined interval. The second conductor 30 b is electrically connected to the connection terminal portion on the upper surface of the EELD 20 via the wire 35.

  In addition, a recess 12 is formed on the upper surface of the holding portion 11 so as to be adjacent to the end portion (left end) of the first conductor 30a to which the EELD 20 is connected. The recess 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the four side surfaces are tapered so that the size of the bottom surface is smaller than the size of the opening. A part of the light from the light emitting region 22 of the EELD 20 connected to the first conductor 30 a is emitted into the recess 12. One side surface (the side surface facing the light emitting region 22 of the EELD 20, the left side surface in FIG. 1) is also a part of the first incident surface 41 of the lens unit 40.

  The lens part 40 of the translucent component 10 is positioned at a position facing the light emitting region 22 of the EELD 20 connected to the conductor 30 held by the holding part 11 (a part corresponding to the conical bottom surface of the lens part 40). An incident surface 41 and a second incident surface 42 are provided. A part of the light emitted from the light emitting region 22 of the EELD 20 is incident on the first incident surface 41, and the remaining portion is incident on the second incident surface 42. The first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface may each be a flat surface or a curved surface, but are surfaces having different shapes (specifically, different curvatures or inclinations). As described above, a part of the first incident surface 41 constitutes the side surface of the recess 12, and the second incident surface 42 is provided continuously to the upper side of the first incident surface 41.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the condensing by the lens unit 40, and the range of light emitted from the light emitting region 22 of the EELD 20 is illustrated by a region surrounded by a broken line. Since the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42 of the lens unit 40 have different shapes, the incident light is refracted in different directions. The light incident from the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42 is transmitted through the lens unit 40, and the first emission surface 43 and the first emission surface 43 provided on the opposite side (tapered portion) of the lens unit 40. To the two exit surfaces 44. At this time, the light incident from the first incident surface 41 and the light incident from the second incident surface 42 do not intersect within the lens unit 40, and the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface, respectively. To plane 44. That is, the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42 separate the light from the EELD 20 within the lens unit 40, and the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface provided on the opposite side of the lens unit 40. It can be guided to the exit surface 44.

  The first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 of the lens unit 40 are provided to be spaced apart from each other with the tapered tip portion of the lens unit 40 interposed therebetween. Specifically, the first emission surface 43 is provided below the tapered tip portion of the lens unit 40, and the second emission surface 44 is provided above the taper tip portion of the lens unit 40. Further, the tapered tip portion of the lens unit 40 is not included in the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44, and the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 are not continuous. .

  The lens unit 40 is configured to focus the light emitted from the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 at a predetermined position at a predetermined distance (for example, a position where the end of the optical fiber 9 is disposed). The shapes of the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 are respectively determined. That is, the lens unit 40 separates the light emitted from the EELD 20 into two at the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface, and separates the separated light into the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44. Can be combined by condensing each at a predetermined position.

  4 and 5 are schematic diagrams for explaining the manufacturing method of OSA1, and the manufacturing steps of OSA1 are shown in time series from FIG. 4 to FIG. In the manufacturing process of OSA 1 according to the present embodiment, first, a conductor 30 having a desired shape is formed by processing a metal plate (illustration of this process is omitted). Next, the light-transmitting component 10 is molded by placing the conductor 30 in the molds 71 and 72 for injection molding and pouring a liquid transparent resin into the molds 71 and 72 and curing them (FIG. 4). reference).

  In order to mold the translucent component 10, two molds 71 and 72 are used as shown in FIG. The lower mold 71 is for molding the holding part 11 of the translucent component 10 and the lower part of the lens part 40. The first emission surface 43 of the lens unit 40 is molded by the lower mold 71. The upper mold 72 is for molding the upper part of the lens part 40 of the translucent component 10. The second exit surface 44, the first entrance surface 41, the second entrance surface 42, and the recess 12 of the lens unit 40 are molded by the upper mold 72.

  Next, an image is taken from the upper surface side of the translucent component 10 with the camera 7 or the like, and a position of a predetermined position (for example, an end portion of the recess 12) of the translucent component 10 is confirmed. The connection terminal portion 21 of the EELD 20 is connected to the conductor 30a at a position predetermined with respect to the reference position (see FIG. 5). Thereafter, although illustration is omitted, the connection terminal portion provided on the upper surface of the EELD 20 and the conductor 30b are connected by the wire 35 to complete the manufacture of the OSA1.

  The OSA 1 according to the first embodiment having the above configuration includes the translucent component 10 in which the holding unit 11 that holds the conductor 30 and the lens unit 40 that collects the light are integrally molded with a translucent synthetic resin. By adopting a configuration in which the EELD 20 is connected to the conductor 30 held by the holding unit 11, the number of parts of the OSA 1 can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. In addition, since the molding of the translucent component 10 and the connection of the EELD 20 can be performed in separate processes, a synthetic resin for the translucent component 10 can be selected without considering the heat resistance performance of the EELD 20 and high accuracy. By selecting a synthetic resin capable of resin molding, the molding accuracy of the translucent component 10 can be increased, and the accuracy of optical communication by the OSA 1 can be increased.

  In addition, the light emitted from the EELD 20 is incident on the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42 of the lens unit 40, and the first light is emitted without intersecting the light incident into the lens unit 40 from each incident surface. The first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 are configured to be emitted from the surface 43 and the second emission surface 44, respectively, and the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 are discontinuous. Since the surface 44 can be formed by separate molds 71 and 72, it is possible to prevent a decrease in accuracy at the joint portion of the molds 71 and 72.

  In addition, the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42 of the lens unit 40 are inclined with respect to the optical axis of the EELD 20, so that the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42 have the same structure. The OSA 1 can also be designed so that the reflected light does not return to the EELD 20. In general, a light emitting element such as the EELD 20 may become unstable when its outgoing light returns by reflection. However, the EELD 20 is configured such that the reflected light does not return to the EELD 20 as described above. Can be prevented from becoming unstable.

  Further, in the translucent component 10 of the OSA 1, a recess 12 is formed between the light emitting surface of the EELD 20 provided with the light emitting region 22 and the lens portion 40, and a part of the first incident surface 41 is formed in the recess 12. With the configuration provided inside, the lens unit 40 passes through the recess 12 without causing the light emitted from the light emitting surface of the EELD 20 connected to the conductor 30 to enter the part other than the lens unit 40 of the translucent component 10. It can be made to enter.

  In the present embodiment, the shape of the illustrated lens unit 40 is an example and is schematic, and is not limited to these shapes. The characteristic of the synthetic resin used for the translucent component 10 or the EELD 20 What is necessary is just to design the optimal shape of the lens part 40 according to a characteristic etc. The EELD 20 may be sealed not only by connecting to the conductor 30 but also by covering with a lid (not shown).

(Modification 1)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the light collection by the optical communication module according to the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the distribution of the energy (light quantity) of the emitted light together with the OSA 1 is graphed. It is shown.

  The lens unit 40 of the OSA 1 according to Modification 1 collects the light emitted from the first emission surface 43 and the second emission surface 44 at a predetermined position such as a position where the end of the optical fiber 9 is disposed. . At this time, the shape of the lens unit 40 of the OSA 1 is determined so that the phases of the light emitted from the respective emission surfaces are aligned at a predetermined position, and the light emitted from the respective emission surfaces interfere with each other at the predetermined position. It has been.

  As the outgoing light from each outgoing surface interferes with the same phase, the energy distribution of the light at a predetermined position has a larger energy at the center of the interference position and a smaller energy at the periphery. Therefore, by aligning the center position where the energy is maximum with the center of the optical fiber, it is possible to efficiently make light incident even on a thinner optical fiber.

  Note that the OSA 1 according to the modified example 1 is configured to divide the light of the EELD 20 into two by the first incident surface 41 and the second incident surface 42, the first emission surface 43, and the second emission surface 44. Therefore, the interference of the emitted light can be performed only in the vertical direction of FIG. For example, in order to divide and interfere with light in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, a configuration may be adopted in which four light incident surfaces and four light emission surfaces are provided to divide the light so that light from the upper, lower, left, and right sides interfere with each other. Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which divides | segments light into three or five or more and makes it interfere.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the optical communication module according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The OSA 1 according to the modification 2 is different from the OSA 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 described above in the shape of the lens unit 40. The lens unit 40 of the OSA 1 according to the modified example 2 has a shape in which light incident from the first incident surface 41 is reflected (totally reflected) by the bottom surface portion of the lens unit 40 and guided to the first emission surface 43. Yes. Light incident from the second incident surface 42 is guided directly to the second emission surface 44 in the lens unit 40.

  As described above, the lens unit 40 of the OSA 1 may have a configuration in which the light from the EELD 20 is reflected once or more and then emitted, and the total freedom of design of the lens unit 40 can be achieved by utilizing the total reflection of light. It becomes possible to increase the degree. Similarly, the light incident from the second incident surface 42 may be reflected from the lens unit 40 and then emitted from the second emission surface 44.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the optical communication module according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The OSA 1 according to the second embodiment is configured to include a cylindrical portion 250 for mounting an optical communication line such as an optical fiber. The cylindrical portion 250 has a substantially disc shape, and a substantially circular fitting hole 251 for fitting the optical communication line is formed at the center thereof. The fitting hole 251 is a through hole in which a hole having a large diameter and a hole having a small system are provided concentrically and formed stepwise in a cross-sectional view, and an optical communication line is fitted into the hole having a large diameter. The hole having a small diameter of the fitting hole 251 is for positioning the optical communication line by locking the tip portion of the optical communication line fitted in the fitting hole 251.

  The OSA 1 according to the second embodiment is flat on the two side surfaces (the side surface provided with the lens unit 40 and the side surface different from the side surface on which the conductor 30 protrudes outside) of the holding unit 11 of the translucent component 10. The tongue pieces 213 having a substantially rectangular shape are provided so as to extend in opposite directions. Each tongue piece 213 is provided with a substantially cylindrical connecting portion 255 projecting in a direction substantially the same as the direction of the tapered tip portion of the lens portion 40. The two connecting portions 255 have one side connected to the tongue piece 213 and the other side connected to the tube portion 250, and connect the translucent component 10 and the tube portion 250.

  In the translucent component 10 and the cylindrical portion 250 of the OSA 1, the tapered tip portion of the lens portion 40 and a hole having a small system of the fitting hole 251 are opposed to each other, and the central axis of the lens portion 40 and the center of the fitting hole 251 are arranged. The shafts are connected via a connecting portion 255 so that the axes substantially coincide with each other. The lens unit 40 condenses light emitted from the EELD 20 at the center of the fitting hole 251 and at the boundary between the hole having a large diameter and the small hole in the axial direction. In other words, the position of the cylindrical portion 250 is set so that the lens portion 40 collects the light emitted from the EELD to the tip portion of the optical communication line fitted in the fitting hole 251 of the cylindrical portion 250. ing.

  Further, the translucent component 10 (including the tongue piece portion 213), the cylindrical portion 250, and the connecting portion 255 of the OSA1 are integrally formed of translucent synthetic resin.

  In the OSA1 according to the second embodiment having the above configuration, the optical communication line is fitted to the OSA1 by connecting the cylindrical part 250 into which the optical communication line is fitted to the translucent component 10 by the connecting part 255. The OSA 1 can transmit the optical signal through the optical communication line with high accuracy only by combining them. Moreover, the number of parts of OSA1 can be reduced by integrally molding the cylindrical part 250 and the connecting part 255 with the translucent part 10.

  In addition, in this Embodiment, although it was set as the structure which connects the translucent component 10 and the cylinder part 250 using the two substantially cylindrical connection parts 255, it is not restricted to this, The shape of the connection part 255 is the shape. Other than a cylindrical shape, one or three or more connecting portions 255 may be provided. Moreover, although the cylindrical part 250 was made into the substantially disc shape, it is not restricted to this, Other shapes, such as a rectangular or triangular plate shape, may be sufficient.

(Modification 1)
Although OSA1 which concerns on the above-mentioned Embodiment 2 is the structure which integrally molds the translucent component 10, the cylinder part 250, and the connection part 255, it is not restricted to this. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the optical communication module according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The OSA 1 according to the modified example 1 has a configuration in which the cylindrical portion 250 and the connecting portion 255 are separated from the translucent component 10.

  The connecting portion 255 of the OSA 1 according to Modification 1 has a round bar-like guide pin (convex portion) 256 projecting from one end face, and the other end side connected to the cylindrical portion 250. The cylinder part 250 and the connection part 255 are integrally molded by a non-translucent (or translucent) synthetic resin. A guide hole (concave portion) 214 into which the guide pin 256 of the connecting portion 255 is inserted is formed in the tongue piece portion 213 of the translucent component 10. By inserting the guide pin 256 into the guide hole 214, the tube portion 250 and the connection part 255 can be positioned with respect to the translucent component 10.

  OSA1 which concerns on the modification 1 of the above structure integrally forms the cylinder part 250 and the connection part 255 as a separate body from the translucent component 10, and thereby makes the cylinder part 250 and the connection part 255 non-translucent synthetic resin. The degree of freedom of resin molding can be increased. Further, a guide pin 256 is provided in the connecting portion 255, a guide hole 214 is provided in the tongue piece portion 213 of the translucent component 10, and the connecting position is positioned by inserting the guide pin 256 into the guide hole 214. Thus, the cylindrical part 250 and the connecting part 255 molded separately and the light transmitting component 10 can be easily and accurately connected.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the optical communication module according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. OSA1 which concerns on the modification 2 is the structure which made the cylinder part 250 a different body from the translucent component 10 and the connection part 255. FIG. One end side of the connecting portion 255 of the OSA 1 according to the modification 2 is connected to the tongue piece portion 213 of the translucent component 10, and a round bar-like guide pin (convex portion) 257 is protruded from the other end surface. The translucent component 10 and the connecting portion 255 are integrally formed of a translucent synthetic resin, and the cylindrical portion 250 is a non-translucent (or translucent) composite as a separate body. Molded with resin.

  The cylindrical portion 250 is formed with a guide hole (concave portion) 252 into which the guide pin 257 of the connecting portion 255 is inserted. By inserting the guide pin 257 into the guide hole 252, the translucent component 10 of the cylindrical portion 250 is formed. And it is set as the structure which can position with respect to the connection part 255. FIG.

  The OSA 1 according to the modified example 2 having the above-described configuration is formed by molding the cylindrical portion 250 with a non-translucent synthetic resin by molding the cylindrical portion 250 as a separate body from the translucent component 10 and the connecting portion 255. The degree of freedom of resin molding can be increased. In addition, by integrally molding the translucent component 10 and the connecting portion 255, the number of components of the OSA 1 can be reduced. In addition, the guide pin 257 is provided in the connecting portion 255, the guide hole 252 is provided in the cylindrical portion 250, and the connecting position is positioned by inserting the guide pin 257 into the guide hole 252, thereby forming a separate body. It is possible to easily and accurately connect the cylindrical portion 250, the translucent component 10 and the connecting portion 255.

  Further, the configuration of the cylindrical portion 250 shown in the modified example 2 is substantially the same as the configuration of an MT (Mechanically Transferable) connector or an MT ferrule that is a connector part of the optical fiber 9, and an OSA1 corresponding to the MT connector is realized. be able to. In this case, the configuration may be such that the OSA 1 itself does not include the cylindrical portion 250.

1 OSA (Optical communication module)
7 Camera 9 Optical fiber 10 Translucent component 11 Holding part 12 Recess 20 EELD (light emitting element)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Connection terminal part 22 Light emission area 30, 30a, 30b Electric conductor 35 Wire 40 Lens part 41 1st entrance surface 42 2nd entrance surface 43 1st exit surface 44 2nd exit surface 71, 72 Mold 213 Tongue One part 214 Guide hole 250 Tube part 251 Fitting hole 252 Guide hole 255 Connecting part 256, 257 Guide pin

Claims (9)

A light emitting element that forms a polyhedron shape having a connection surface provided with a connection terminal portion for connection with other members and a light emitting surface intersecting the connection surface, and converts an electrical signal into an optical signal;
A conductor to which the light emitting element is connected via the connection terminal portion;
A holding portion that holds the conductor, and a light emitting surface of the light emitting element connected to the conductor held by the holding portion, is provided at a position facing the light emitting surface, and collects light emitted from the light emitting surface to a predetermined position. The light-transmitting lens part is integrally formed with a light-transmitting synthetic resin.
The lens part is
Light emitted from the light emitting surface is incident, and a plurality of incident surfaces each having different curvature or inclination with respect to the light emitting surface,
A plurality of exit surfaces provided corresponding to the plurality of entrance surfaces, each of which exits light incident from each entrance surface to the predetermined position, and
The plurality of exit surfaces are not continuous,
An optical communication module, wherein light from each incident surface passing through the lens portion to a corresponding exit surface does not cross each other. The translucent component is molded using a plurality of molds,
The optical communication module according to claim 1, wherein each emission surface is molded by a different mold. The translucent component has a recess formed between the light emitting surface of the light emitting element connected to the conductor held by the holding portion and the lens portion,
3. The optical communication module according to claim 1, wherein a part or front part of at least one of the incident surfaces is provided in the recess. 4. The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the lens unit guides light incident from the incident surface to the corresponding exit surface by totally reflecting the light within the lens unit. 5. The optical communication module according to one. The optical communication module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein light emitted from the plurality of emission surfaces interferes with the same phase at the predetermined position. A cylindrical portion that fits into an optical communication line that transmits and receives an optical signal;
A connecting portion for connecting the cylindrical portion and the translucent component;
The optical communication module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lens unit collects light onto an optical communication line fitted to the cylindrical unit. The optical communication module according to claim 6, wherein the cylindrical portion and the connecting portion are integrally formed with the light transmitting component. The cylindrical portion and the connecting portion are integrally molded,
One of the connecting part or the translucent component has a convex part or a concave part that defines a connecting position,
The optical communication module according to claim 6, wherein the other of the coupling part or the translucent component has a concave part or a convex part that engages with the convex part or the concave part. The connecting portion is integrally molded with the light transmitting component,
One of the cylindrical part or the connecting part has a convex part or a concave part that defines a connecting position,
The optical communication module according to claim 6, wherein the other of the cylindrical portion or the connecting portion has a concave portion or a convex portion that engages with the convex portion or the concave portion.

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