Patent ID: 7290328
Filing Date: 2007-11-06
Classification: G02F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing an optical modulator, comprising the steps of: forming an optical waveguide directly beneath a principal surface of a substrate made of a material having an electro-optic effect; forming modulation electrodes for modulating light guided though said optical waveguide, on said principal surface of said substrate; applying said principal surface of said substrate to a base substrate with said modulation electrodes interposed therebetween; performing a first machining process on a reverse side of said substrate while said base substrate is being fixed in position, thereby processing said substrate in its entirety into a thin plate; performing a second machining process on said reverse side of said substrate which is processed into a thin plate to process a portion of said substrate which includes said optical waveguide into a thin-wall portion; performing a laser machining process on said thin-wall portion of said substrate to process said portion of said substrate which includes said optical waveguide into a first thin-wall portion and to process a portion adjacent to said first thin-wall portion into a second thin-wall portion which is thinner than said first thin-wall portion; and applying said reverse side of said substrate to a principal surface of a support substrate, and thereafter removing said base substrate from said substrate.