JPH085876A - Optical transmission module and lens holder member used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a lens holder member which does not generate misalignment at the time of laser welding and is capable of precisely setting a lens holder to a desired position during assembling operation and a module for light transmission using the member. CONSTITUTION:A semiconductor optical element, an optical fiber optically coupled to the semiconductor optical element by a ball lens 1, a stem for holding the semiconductor optical element and the ball lens 1, etc., are included in the module for light transmission of a package type which permits taking out of the optical fiber from one end to the outside. The lens holder member consists of a first part 2 for holding the lens 1 and a second part 3 for adjusting and fixing the same. The side face part 13 of the second part 3 is elastically deformable so as to come into close contact with the side face of the first part 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical transmission module for coupling an optical semiconductor device used for optical fiber communication and an optical fiber, and a lens holder used for the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the practical application of an optical fiber communication system, an optical module in which an optical waveguide element such as a light source, a receiver, an optical amplifier and an optical fiber as an information transmission medium are optically coupled is used. ing. In such a module, it is necessary that the module has high reliability, the optical waveguide and the optical fiber are efficiently coupled (high efficiency), and the cost is low. Moreover, it is also important that the bond is formed so that it does not change with time. The optical module which is important for practical use of the optical communication system will be described below.

There are various methods for connecting the optical waveguide element and the optical fiber that have been conventionally used. An example thereof is shown in FIG. In the conventional technique as shown in FIG. 4, the output light of the semiconductor laser 105 is made incident on the optical fiber 109 by two-lens coupling. In FIG. 4, a semiconductor laser 105, a ball lens holder 102, a stem 101,
The holder receiver 103, the thermistor 111, and the photo detector 106 are fixed. Further, 104 is a ball lens which is a first lens, 107 is a ray axis, and 110 is a first lens.
A through hole for passing the laser light collimated by the lens 104, and a second hole 108 for forming an image on an optical fiber.
A lens and 109 are optical fibers. Peltier elements and modules are not shown.

With such a configuration, the entire module is housed in a module. At this time, in the above-described configuration, there are the following methods for aligning the ball lens 104 for converting the semiconductor laser light into a parallel beam on the optical axis 107 and fixing it to the stem 101. A description will be given also with reference to FIG.

1. The semiconductor laser device 105 is mounted on the stem 10.
Fixed to 1. 2. The semiconductor laser element 105 is electrically connected to an external electrode (not shown because it is in a module). 3. The laser element 105 emits laser light. 4. The ball lens holder 102 and the holder receiver 103 are integrated and finely moved using a manipulator (not shown). 5. The parallelism of the laser light by the ball lens 104 is measured. 6. Laser welding of holder holder 103 to stem 101 11
2 (see laser weld 5 in FIG. 5). 7. Ball lens holder 102 using a manipulator
Then, the laser welding 6 is performed again by adjusting the z-axis direction.

Through the above steps, the semiconductor laser 10
5 and the first lens 104 are optically coupled under the optimum condition and fixed to the stem 101.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when the lens holder 102 and the holder receiver 103 are fixed by laser welding 6 between the holder receiver 103 and the lens holder 102, as shown in FIG. When the gap 120 is generated, it is often displaced from the optimum position due to heat shock during welding. In order to avoid this problem, the dimensions of the fitting parts must be machined with high precision. However, in the actual production of the parts, the yield becomes worse, and if the dimensional accuracy is slightly different, a deviation occurs after fixing due to the process of irradiation, melting, shrinkage and solidification at the time of laser welding, or the lens holder 102 is placed in the holder receiving 103 There are drawbacks that it is difficult to enter the lens holder, and the lens holder 102 pushes the holder receiver 103 to widen it, thereby creating a gap in the fixed portion.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the side surface of the lens holder is always provided so that the side surface of the lens holder is fixed so that the side surface of the lens holder receiver for fixing the lens holder is curved and is folded inward. The structure is in contact with the side of the receiver. With such a structure, even if a large error occurs in the dimensional accuracy of the fitting parts, the error is absorbed and no gap is generated between the lens holder and the holder receiving part.

That is, the optical transmission module of the present invention comprises a semiconductor laser element, a lens for optically coupling the semiconductor laser element to an optical fiber, a lens holder member for holding the lens, and the lens. A package type optical transmission module including the above five elements of a stem for mounting a holder member and an electronic cooling element for controlling the temperature of the stem, wherein the optical fiber can be taken out from one end, The lens holder member is composed of a first component for holding the lens and a second component for adjusting and fixing the lens, and the side face of the second component can be elastically deformed so as to contact the side face of the first component without a gap. Is characterized by.

The optical transmission module of the present invention has a semiconductor optical element, a lens for optically coupling the semiconductor optical element to an optical fiber, and a lens holder member for holding the lens. In the package type optical transmission module that can take out the optical fiber from one end to the outside,
The lens holder member is composed of a first part for holding the lens and a second part for adjusting and fixing the lens, and is elastic so that the opposite side surfaces of the second part come into contact with the side surface of the first part without a gap. Characterized by the ability to transform.

Further, the lens holder member of the present invention is a lens holder member for holding a lens forming a part of an optical module in which an optical waveguide element and an optical fiber as an information medium are optically coupled. And a second part for adjusting and fixing the first part, which is formed so that the opposite side surfaces of the second part can be elastically deformed so as to contact the side surface of the first part without any gap. It is characterized by

More specifically, the central parts of the both side surfaces of the second component are curved inward and fall down, and the upper and lower parts of the side surface are expanded, or the second part is formed.
The curved central portion of the component may be flattened, or an iron / chromium alloy may be used as the material of the second component.

According to the optical communication network of the present invention, a plurality of terminals are arranged on the optical network, and the optical transmission module is incorporated in the plurality of terminals.

[0014]

First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a ball lens, 2
Is a ball lens holder that is the first part, 3 is a holder receiver that is the second part, 4 is an overhanging portion for fixing the holder receiver 3 to the stem, 5 is welded fixing the holder receiver 3 and the stem Indicates the location. In this embodiment, the ball lens 1 is used as the first lens, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a rod lens, an aspherical lens, or the like can be used in the same manner.

Next, a method of fixing the lens holder 2 and the holder receiver 3 when this embodiment is used will be described with reference to FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the lens holder 2 and the holder receiver 3 are separate parts. 2. As shown in FIG. 2B, the lens holder 2 and the holder receiver 3 are fitted to each other and temporarily assembled. In this state, holder holder 3
Both side surface portions 13 of the lens spread in the direction of the arrow 10 in the figure so that the lens holder 2 is sandwiched. 3. The semiconductor laser device 105 is fixed to the stem 101 (see FIG. 4). 4. The external electrode and the laser 105 are electrically connected (not shown). 5. The semiconductor laser 105 emits laser light. 6, the lens holder 2 and the holder receiver 3 which are temporarily assembled as shown in FIG. 2 (b) are attached to the stem 1 by using a manipulator (not shown).
On 01, finely move on the X, Y, and Z axes (see FIG. 4). 7. The parallelism of the laser beam by the ball lens 1 is measured. 8. In this state, the laser welding head (not shown) set in the Z-axis direction is scanned in the optical axis direction (Y-axis) to fix the portion of the overhanging portion 4 that contacts the stem 101 (see FIG. 4). ). 9. The lens holder 2 is again adjusted with respect to the Y and Z axes to measure the parallelism of the laser light. 10. In this state, the lens holder 2 and the holder receiver 3 are fixed by laser welding the constricted portion of the holder receiver 3, that is, the arrow portion 16 shown in FIG.

Although the present embodiment has been described above, the effects thereof are as follows. 1. By providing the constricted portions 16 on both side surface portions 13 of the holder receiver 3, when the lens holder 2 is pushed down in the Z-axis direction, the constricted portions 16 open, and thereby the height (( It became possible to adjust the Z axis). 2, because the holder receiver 3 has a constricted portion 16,
No gap is formed between the lens holder 2 and the lens holder 2. 3. Since the constricted portion 16 of the lens holder receiver 3 is fixed by laser welding 6, it is possible to prevent the lens holder 2 from being displaced or rotated due to heat shock. 4. The laser welding alignment to the lens holder receiver 3 can be performed by adjusting the position of the constricted portion 16, so that the alignment time is shortened.

[0017]

Second Embodiment Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment, both side surface portions 13 of the holder receiver 3
The constriction of the ball is a convex arc and the ball lens holder 2
However, in this embodiment, the constricted portion 16 is a flat surface, and the lens holder 2 is pressed by the surface, so that the holding becomes more solid. In addition, the position of the welding point 6 can be more easily aligned even during laser welding, and the positional shift due to heat shock can be easier than in temporary assembly
There is an effect that it is less likely to occur. Others are first
Same as the embodiment.

[0018]

The effects obtained by the present invention having the structure described above are as follows. (1) Even if there is a manufacturing dimensional tolerance in the lens holder and the holder receiver, no gap is generated, and a deviation during laser welding does not occur. (2) Since the lens holder can be precisely set to a desired position during the assembling work, workability is also improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the manner of assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a conventional two-lens coupling system.

FIG. 5 is an assembly view of a conventional lens holder and holder holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 104: 1st lens (ball lens) 2, 102: Lens holder 3, 103: Lens holder receiving 4: Weld fixing part of holder receiving 5: Laser welding fixing point of stem and lens holder 6: Lens holder and holder receiving Laser welding fixing point 10: Opening direction of holder holder 13: Side surface of lens holder holder 16: Constriction of holder holder 101: Stem 105: Laser chip 106: Photodetector 107: Ray axis 108: Second lens (rod lens) 109: Optical fiber 110: Through hole for laser light 111: Thermistor 120: Gap between lens holder and holder receiver

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 8, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 4]

FIG.

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 5]

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor laser element, a lens for optically coupling the semiconductor laser element to an optical fiber, a lens holder member for holding the lens, a stem for mounting the lens holder member, and a stem. In the package type optical transmission module including the above-mentioned five elements including the electronic cooling element for controlling the temperature of the above, and the optical fiber can be taken out from one end, the lens holder member holds the lens. Second part for adjusting and fixing parts and this
A module for optical transmission, comprising a component and being capable of elastically deforming so that the side surface of the second component comes into contact with the side surface of the first component without a gap. 2. The module for optical transmission according to claim 1, wherein the central parts of both side surfaces of the second component are curved inward and fall down, and the upper portions of the side surfaces are expanded. -Le. 3. A module for optical transmission according to claim 2, wherein the curved central portion of said second component is flattened. 4. A semiconductor optical device, a lens for optically coupling the semiconductor optical device to an optical fiber, and a lens holder member for holding the lens, and the optical fiber can be taken out from one end. In a package-type optical transmission module, the lens holder member includes a first component for holding a lens and a second component for adjusting and fixing the lens, and the opposing side surfaces of the second component are the first component. An optical transmission module characterized by being elastically deformable so that it can contact the side surface without any gap. 5. The light according to claim 4, wherein central portions of both side surface portions of the second component are curved inward and fallen down, and upper and lower portions of the side surface portions are expanded. Module for transmission. 6. The optical transmission module according to claim 5, wherein a curved central portion of the second component is flattened. 7. The optical transmission module according to claim 4, wherein an iron / chromium alloy is used as a material of the second component. 8. A lens holder member for holding a lens forming a part of an optical module in which an optical waveguide element and an optical fiber as an information medium are optically coupled, and a first part for holding the lens and the lens holder member. And a second part for adjusting and fixing the lens, and the side surfaces of the second part facing each other are elastically deformable so as to come into contact with the side surface of the first part without a gap. Holder member. 9. The lens according to claim 8, wherein central portions of both side surface portions of the second component are curved inward and fall down, and upper and lower portions of the side surface portion are expanded. Holder member. 10. The lens holder member according to claim 9, wherein a curved central portion of the second component is flattened. 11. The lens holder member according to claim 8, wherein an iron / chromium alloy is used as a material of the second component. 12. An optical communication network in which a plurality of terminals are arranged on an optical network, and the optical transmission module according to claim 1 is incorporated in the plurality of terminals.