# US 2017/0285284 A1 · Opto-electric hybrid board and method of manufacturing same

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- Number: US 2017/0285284 A1
- Document ID: US20170285284A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/516,737
- Filed: 2015-10-09
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-24
- Assignees: Nitto Denko Corporation
- Applicants: Nitto Denko Corporation
- Inventors: Yuichi Tsujita; Naoyuki Tanaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285284A1

## CPC

- G02B 6/43: Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
- G02B 6/13: Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
- G02B 6/4214: {the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence)}
- G02B 6/4281: {the printed circuit boards being flexible (in general H05K1/147)}
- G02B 6/4231: {with intermediate elements, e.g. rods and balls, between the elements}
- H05K 1/02: Details
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

An opto-electric hybrid board includes: an electric circuit board including electrical interconnect lines formed on the front surface of an insulation layer; a metal reinforcement layer formed partially on the back surface of the electric circuit board; an optical waveguide W configured to partially overlap the back surface of the electric circuit board E; and an second reinforcement layer formed on the back surface of the electric circuit board E. The second reinforcement layer allows the opto-electric hybrid board to have improved rigidity in a specific region and excellent handleability without incurring optical losses during optical coupling.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An opto-electric hybrid board comprising:
an electric circuit board including an insulation layer and an electrical interconnect line provided on a front surface of the insulation layer;
an optical waveguide; and
a metal reinforcement layer,
wherein the metal reinforcement layer is formed on a portion of on a back surface side of the electric circuit board,
wherein the optical waveguide is configured to overlap a portion of the back surface side of the electric circuit board, and
wherein the opto-electric hybrid board further comprises a second reinforcement layer formed on the back surface side of the electric circuit board.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The opto-electric hybrid board according to claim 1, wherein the second reinforcement layer is formed in an area where the optical waveguide is not formed on the back surface side of the electric circuit board.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The opto-electric hybrid board according to claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide includes an under cladding layer, a core layer and an over cladding layer; and
wherein the second reinforcement layer is made of the same material as the under cladding layer and the over cladding layer of the optical waveguide.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The opto-electric hybrid board according to claim 1, wherein the second reinforcement layer is made of a metal plate or a fiber reinforced resin plate.

### Claim 5

A method of manufacturing an opto-electric hybrid board, comprising the steps of:
forming an insulation layer on a front surface of a metal reinforcement layer and forming an electrical interconnect line on a front surface of the insulation layer to provide an electric circuit board;
removing an unnecessary portion of the metal reinforcement layer to partially uncover a back surface of the electric circuit board in the removed portion;
forming an optical waveguide configured to overlap a portion of the back surface side of the electric circuit board; and
forming a second reinforcement layer on the back surface side of the electric circuit board.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of manufacturing an opto-electric hybrid board according to claim 5, wherein the second reinforcement layer is formed in an area where the optical waveguide is not formed on the back surface side of the electric circuit board.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of manufacturing an opto-electric hybrid board according to claim 6,
wherein the step of forming the optical waveguide includes steps of forming an under cladding layer, a core layer and an over cladding layer in the order named in a stacked manner;
wherein a lower portion of the second reinforcement layer is formed on the back surface side of the electric circuit board of a same material as the under cladding layer when the under cladding layer is formed; and
wherein an upper portion of second reinforcement layer is formed on the lower portion of the second reinforcement layer of a same material as the over cladding layer when the over cladding layer is formed, whereby the second reinforcement layer is provided.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of manufacturing an opto-electric hybrid board according to claim 5, wherein the second reinforcement layer is provided by affixing a metal plate or a fiber reinforced resin plate to the back surface side of the electric circuit board after the step of forming the optical waveguide is completed.