# US 2025/0093586 A1 · Method for connecting optical waveguide and optical waveguide connection device

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- Number: US 2025/0093586 A1
- Document ID: US20250093586A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/964,616
- Filed: 2024-12-01
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-16
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: JUNICHI KAMATANI; TATSURO SHIRAISHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250093586A1

## CPC

- G02B 6/30: for use between fibre and thin-film device
- G02B 6/3616: {Holders, macro size fixtures for mechanically holding or positioning fibres, e.g. on an optical bench (supporting carriers of a microbench type G02B6/3648; micromanipulators B25J7/00; cassettes, bobbins G02B6/4439)}
- G02B 6/4225: {by a direct measurement of the degree of coupling, e.g. the amount of light power coupled to the fibre or the opto-electronic element}
- G02B 6/4239: {Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A method for connecting an optical waveguide includes supplying adhesive (3) to near a light input unit on an optical circuit board, aligning optical fiber block (2) holding optical fiber (2a) with respect to the optical circuit board to maximize intensity of light emitted from the optical circuit board, starting curing of the adhesive, measuring a curing degree of the adhesive and an adhesive curing time during the curing of the adhesive, and repeating the alignment of the optical fiber block holding the optical fiber with respect to the optical circuit board to maximize the intensity of the light emitted from the optical circuit board in a state where the degree of curing is less than or equal to a certain threshold value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for connecting an optical waveguide comprising:
supplying an adhesive to near a light input unit on an optical circuit board;
aligning an optical fiber block holding an optical fiber with respect to the optical circuit board to maximize intensity of light emitted from the optical circuit board;
starting curing of the adhesive;
measuring a degree of curing of the adhesive;
measuring an adhesive curing time during the curing of the adhesive; and
aligning the optical fiber block holding the optical fiber with respect to the optical circuit board to maximize the intensity of the light emitted from the optical circuit board while referring to the degree of curing of the adhesive and the adhesive curing time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the aligning of the optical fiber block in the curing of the adhesive is repeatedly executed in a case where the degree of curing is less than or equal to a certain threshold value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the measuring of the degree of curing, the degree of curing is measured by measuring a resistance value applied to the optical fiber block when the optical fiber block is aligned.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the measuring of the degree of curing, the degree of curing is measured by measuring a ratio between an unreacted material and a reacted material from a spectral change of the adhesive in the curing of the adhesive.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein, in the measuring of the degree of curing, the degree of curing of the adhesive is constantly measured until the curing of the adhesive is completed.

### Claim 6

An optical waveguide connection device comprising:
an adhesive supply unit that supplies an adhesive to near a light input unit provided in an optical circuit board;
a light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the optical circuit board;
an optical fiber aligning mechanism that aligns an optical fiber block holding an optical fiber with respect to the optical circuit board to maximize intensity of light received by the light receiving unit in a state where the adhesive is supplied;
an adhesive curing unit that cures the adhesive;
an adhesive curing time detection mechanism that detects a curing time of the adhesive when the adhesive is cured;
a degree-of-curing measurement unit that measures a degree of curing of the adhesive; and
a controller that controls the optical fiber aligning mechanism,
wherein the optical fiber block holding the optical fiber is aligned with respect to the optical circuit board by the optical fiber aligning mechanism to maximize the intensity of the light emitted from the optical circuit board while referring to the degree of curing of the adhesive and the curing time of the adhesive by control of the controller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The optical waveguide connection device according to claim 6, wherein, when the adhesive is cured, in a case where the degree of curing measured by the degree-of-curing measurement unit is less than or equal to a certain threshold value, the optical fiber aligning mechanism aligns the optical fiber block with the optical circuit board to maximize the intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The optical waveguide connection device according to claim 6, wherein the degree-of-curing measurement unit measures the degree of curing by measuring a resistance value applied to the optical fiber block when the optical fiber aligning mechanism aligns the optical fiber block.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The optical waveguide connection device according to claim 6, wherein the degree-of-curing measurement unit measures the degree of curing by measuring a ratio between an unreacted material and a reacted material from a spectral change of the adhesive when the adhesive curing unit cures the adhesive.