Optical waveguide device and method for fabricating the same

A method for fabricating an optical waveguide device configured to be connected with an optical fiber array connector, comprising the steps of:

• preparing two substrates;
• etching each of the substrates in such a fashion that the substrate is formed at a main surface thereof with at least two grooves each extending throughout the substrate in a direction corresponding to a coupling direction of the optical waveguide device to the optical fiber array connector;
• forming an optical waveguide portion at the main surface of one of the substrates within a region defined between the grooves;
• mounting, on one of the substrates, tubes each having an insertion hole adapted to receive an alignment pin therein in such a fashion that each of the tubes are partially received in an associated one of the grooves of the substrate while being partially protruded from the associated groove;
• bonding the substrates to each other in such a fashion that the protruded portions of the tubes are received in respective grooves of the other substrate while bonding the tubes to the substrates;
• and
• grinding end surfaces of the resulting structure obtained after completion of the bonding step.

An optical waveguide device, comprising:

• a rectangular lower substrate having a surface having two parallel grooves extending lengthwise from one side of the lower substrate to the opposite side of the lower substrate;
• an optical waveguide portion disposed on the surface of the lower substrate between said two grooves, and extending from said one side of the substrate to said opposite side of the lower substrate;
• a first hollow tube disposed in one of said grooves, the ends of the first hollow tube being flush respectively with the one side and opposite side of said lower substrate;
• a second hollow tube disposed in the other of said grooves, the ends of the second hollow tube being flush respectively with the one side and opposite side of said lower substrate;
• and
• an upper substrate of the same length as said lower substrate, said upper substrate having a surface having two parallel grooves spaced the same distance apart as said grooves of the lower substrate, and extending lengthwise from one side of the upper substrate to the opposite side of the upper substrate, said first and second hollow tubes disposed in the grooves of the upper substrate such that the ends of the hollow tubes are respectively flush with the one side and opposite side of said upper substrate.

A method of manufacturing an optical waveguide device, comprising the steps of:

• etching two parallel grooves in a longitudinal direction on a surface of a lower substrate;
• etching two parallel grooves in the longitudinal direction on a surface of an upper substrate, the parallel grooves of the upper substrate spaced apart by the same distance as the grooves of the lower substrate;
• forming an optical waveguide portion on the surface of the lower substrate between the two parallel grooves;
• mounting a tube in each of the grooves of the lower substrate;
• bonding the upper substrate to the lower substrate such that the grooves of the upper substrate contact the two tubes;
• and
• polishing the longitudinal ends of the bound upper and lower substrates.