Abstract:
A method for creating a mold for an optical connector includes a main body and a film, the film is a compound of aluminum oxide and hexamethyldisilazane providing a non-stick and hard surface. The main body defines a cavity therein and the surfaces of the cavity are coated with the film.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to molds, and particularly to a mold for molding an optical fiber connector and a method for manufacturing the mold. 
         [0003]    2. Background 
         [0004]    Optical fiber connectors are usually molded by an injection molding process. A molding material of the optical fiber connector is typically polyetherimide (PEI) with a high viscosity coefficient. In the injection molding process, melted PEI is injected into a mold to form the optical fiber connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0005]    The components of the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a mold, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of part II of the mold of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of method for manufacturing a mold, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” The references “a plurality of” and “a number of” mean “at least two.” 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a mold  100 . The mold  100  includes a main body  10 . The main body  10  defines a cavity  11 . The mold  100  includes a film  12  compounded with aluminum oxide and hexamethyldisilazane (HDMS). The film  12  is formed on a side surface of the cavity  11 . 
         [0011]    A HDMS material has a low surface energy, and an aluminum oxide material has a high hardness. Therefore, the film  12  has non-stick properties and scratch resistance. In this embodiment, a thickness of the film  12  is about 100 nanometers. 
         [0012]    The mold  100  can be manufactured by a method illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The method includes the following steps: 
         [0013]    A first chamber  20  is provided. The first chamber  20  includes a first valve  30  and a second valve  40 . Air in the first chamber  20  can be exhausted through the first valve  30  and the second valve  40 , and a predetermined gas(s) can be injected into the first chamber  20  through the first valve  30  and the second valve  40 . 
         [0014]    The main body  10  is positioned in the first chamber  20 . Air is evacuated from the first chamber  10 , and a pressure in the first chamber  20  is kept at about 10−3-10−5 torrs. 
         [0015]    The main body  10  is heated to about 250° C., trimethyl aluminum (TMA) material and oxygen gas are alternately injected into the first chamber  20 . In detail, the TMA is firstly injected into the first chamber  20  for a predetermined time, and when the TMA is dispersed in the first chamber  20 , the oxygen is then injected into the first chamber  20  for another predetermined time. In this embodiment, the TMA is injected into the first chamber  20  for about 1-2 milliseconds, and the oxygen is injected into the first chamber  20  for about 1-2 milliseconds. The TMA and the oxygen react with each other in the first chamber  20  to form aluminum oxide and the aluminum oxide deposits on a side surface of the cavity  11  to form an aluminum oxide film. The aluminum oxide film is formed by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. A reaction time in the first chamber  20  can be controlled to generate a required thickness of the aluminum oxide film. In this embodiment, the thickness of the aluminum oxide film is about 100 nanometers. 
         [0016]    Because the TMA is injected into the first chamber  20  before the oxygen, an oxicracking of the TMA is avoided before reaching the main body  10 , therefore a uniformity thickness of the aluminum oxide film is ensured. 
         [0017]    The main body  10  with the aluminum oxide film is immersed into a deionized liquid with a temperature of 100° C. to increase a density of hydroxyls (—OH) on a surface of the aluminum oxide film. The solution is deionized water or alcohol. In this embodiment, the main body  10  is immersed into the deionized water for about 1-5 minutes. 
         [0018]    A second chamber  70  is provided. The second chamber  70  contains a HDMS material  60  therein. 
         [0019]    The main body  10  is positioned in the second chamber  70 , the main body  10  and the HDMS material  60  are heated to about 100° C.-110° C., the temperature of the HDMS material  60  and the main body  10  is maintained for about five hours. A functional group of HDMS of a vapor of the HDMS material  60  is bonded to the hydroxyls on the aluminum oxide film, then a HDMS film is formed on the surface of the aluminum oxide film. Therefore, a film  12  compounded by aluminum oxide and HDMS is generated. In other words, the film  12  is the aluminum oxide film modified by the HDMS. The film  12  has both high hardness of aluminum oxide and hydrophobic property of silicane. 
         [0020]    The functional group of the HDMS is bonded to the hydroxyls on the aluminum oxide film by self-forming molecules. 
         [0021]    According to different requirements of the hydrophobic property, the above described steps can be repeated several times. 
         [0022]    It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.