Optical waveguide probe and its manufacturing method

A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide probe, comprising:

• a process of forming a mold for embedding an optical waveguide in a substrate;
• a process of depositing a material in the mold to form the optical waveguide on the substrate in a probe shape;
• a process of partially separating the optical waveguide probe from the substrate so that the optical waveguide is formed integrally with and supported by the substrate.

An optical waveguide probe, comprising:

• a substrate as a support member;
• a columnar optical waveguide having a rectangular cross section formed on and supported by the substrate and having a resilient portion projecting from the substrate and being bent away from the substrate in a direction toward a sample or a medium to be inspected, and a sharpened tip at a terminal portion of the resilient portion;
• and a light reflective layer formed over said optical waveguide except for an aperture formed at the sharpened tip.

An optical waveguide probe, comprising:

• a substrate as a support member;
• a columnar optical waveguide having a rectangular cross section formed on and supported by the substrate and having a resilient portion projecting from the substrate and having a sharpened tip at an apex thereof;
• and a light reflective layer formed over the optical waveguide except for an aperture formed at the sharpened tip.

In a process for manufacturing an optical waveguide probe comprising a substrate serving as a support member, a columnar optical waveguide formed on the substrate and having a resilient portion projecting from the substrate, the resilient portion being bent away from the substrate and toward a sample or a medium to be inspected and having a sharpened tip at a terminal end thereof, and a light reflective layer formed over the optical waveguide except for an aperture at the tip, a method for bending the optical waveguide comprising the steps of:

• overlaying a material having a different thermal coefficient of expansion from the material forming the optical waveguide on one surface of the resilient portion of the optical waveguide projecting from the substrate;
• and
• heating the material and the optical waveguide to cause the optical waveguide to bend.

In a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide probe having an optical waveguide overlaid on a substrate such that a portion thereof projects from the substrate, a tip of the projecting portion of the optical waveguide is sharpened, and a light reflective layer is formed over the optical waveguide except for an aperture at the tip, a method for bending the resilient portion such that the tip extends away from the substrate, comprising:

• a process of forming a material having a different thermal coefficient of expansion than a material forming the optical waveguide on one surface of the optical waveguide;
• and
• a process of heating the material and the optical waveguide to bend the optical waveguide.

In a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide probe comprising an optical waveguide overlaid on a substrate such that one part of the optical waveguide probe projects from the substrate and has tip that is sharpened, and a light reflective layer formed over the optical waveguide except for an aperture formed at the tip, the steps of:

• heating the optical waveguide probe;
• and
• during heating of the optical waveguide probe, forming a material having a different thermal coefficient of expansion from the material forming the optical waveguide on one surface of the optical waveguide.

In a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide probe comprising an optical waveguide overlaid on a substrate such that a resilient portion of the optical waveguide projects from the substrate and terminates in a tip that is sharpened, and a light reflective layer formed over the optical waveguide except for an aperture at the tip, the step of:

• bending the optical waveguide by heating a surface of the optical waveguide.

An optical waveguide probe assembly comprising:

• a substrate;
• and an optical waveguide probe formed on the substrate and comprising a plurality of films deposited on the substrate and patterned to have an elongate waveguide portion and a tip portion.