Optical waveguide production method

摘要

An optical waveguide production method, employs a light-transmissive mold having higher dimensional accuracy for formation of an over-cladding layer. The mold for the formation of the over-cladding layer is unitarily produced by molding a light-transmissive resin with the use of a mold component having the same shape as the over-cladding layer. A recess formed in the mold by removing the mold component in the production of the mold serves as a cavity for the formation of the over-cladding layer. For the formation of the over-cladding layer, a photosensitive resin for the over-cladding layer is injected into the cavity of the mold, and exposed through the mold to be cured while a core formed in a predetermined pattern on a surface of an under-cladding layer is immersed in the photosensitive resin.

主权项

1. An optical waveguide production method, comprising:
forming a core in a predetermined pattern on a surface of an under-cladding layer; and forming an over-cladding layer to cover the core using a mold, said mold including a cavity having a mold surface conformable to a shape of the over-cladding layer; wherein the mold is a light-transmissive resin mold produced by placing a mold component having the same shape as the over-cladding layer in a mold production container, filling the container with a light-transmissive resin, curing the light-transmissive resin, taking out the cured resin from the container and removing the mold component from the cured resin, and the cavity for the formation of the over-cladding layer is defined by a recess formed in the mold by the removal of the mold component; and wherein the over-cladding layer forming step includes placing the mold with the cavity of the mold positioned upwards, filling the cavity of the mold with a photosensitive resin as an over-cladding layer material, and, after the filling, immersing the core in the photosensitive resin and exposing the photosensitive resin through the mold.