Ferrule structure, ferrule structure with fiber, and method for manufacturing ferrule structure with fiber

A ferrule structure with a fiber comprising:

• an optical fiber;
• a ferrule body comprising:
• a guide hole that accepts insertion of a guide pin;
• and
• a fiber hole in which the optical fiber is inserted and that is disposed in an opening surface of the ferrule body;
• and
• a lens plate comprising:
• a guide hole that accepts insertion of the guide pin;
• a lens;
• and
• an abutment surface that abuts an endface of the optical fiber, wherein
• a recess is disposed in at least one of the ferrule body and the lens plate,
• a refractive index matching material fills a matching material filling gap formed with the recess, between the opening surface of the ferrule body and the abutment surface of the lens plate, and
• the recess is formed from an upper surface to a lower surface of the at least one of the ferrule body and the lens plate such that the matching material filling gap is opened in an upper surface and a lower surface of the ferrule structure.

A method for manufacturing a ferrule structure with a fiber, wherein the ferrule structure comprises:

• a ferrule body comprising a guide hole that accepts insertion of a guide pin and a fiber hole that accepts insertion of an optical fiber and that is disposed in an opening surface of the ferrule body;
• and a lens plate comprising a guide hold that accepts insertion of the guide pin, a lens, and an abutment surface that abuts an endface of the optical fiber, the method comprising:
• forming, with a recess disposed in at least one of the ferrule body and the lens plate, a matching material filling gap between the opening surface of the ferrule body and the abutment surface of the lens plate by bringing the ferrule body into contact with the lens plate while aligning the ferrule body with the lens plate via the guide pin;
• causing an endface of the optical fiber to abut the abutment surface of the lens plate by inserting the optical fiber into the fiber hole;
• and
• filling the matching material filling gap with a refractive index matching material, wherein
• the recess is formed from an upper surface to a lower surface of the at least one of the ferrule body and the lens plate such that the matching material filling gap is opened in an upper surface and a lower surface of the ferrule structure.