THREE-DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional optical waveguide for which even a three-dimensionally bent and refracted optical waveguide is easily manufactured in a plastic material with excellent workability.

SOLUTION: The three-dimensional optical waveguide is manufactured by forming an inducing structure part in a three-dimensional shape so as to surround a part where the inducing structure is not formed by the irradiation of a laser whose pulse width is≤10-12second in the plastic material. It is preferable that a refractive index difference between the refractive index of the inducing structure part and the refractive index of the part other than the inducing structure part in the plastic material is≥0.0005. It is suitable that the plastic material has the transmissivity of≥10% in the visible light wavelength region of 400-800 nm. Either one of the inducing structure part and the part other than the inducing structure part in the plastic material may be selectively removed by etching action from the outside.

COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO