Abstract:
An optical fiber coupling system is provided which minimizes beam loss. The system includes a substrate with a laser beam emitting unit attached at one end, a first fine lens which focuses or collimates a vertical beam emitted by the laser beam emitting unit, a set of second fine lenses which focus or collimate a horizontal beam emitted by the laser beam emitting unit, and a beam output unit which outputs the beam focused or collimated by the first and second fine lenses. This arrangement reduces an alignment error associated with this type of optical system and improves a degree of beam focus. Additionally, the optical fiber coupling system can be made compact and available for mass-production.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an optical fiber coupling system and, more particularly, to an optical fiber coupling system with a compact size capable of minimizing a beam loss and suitable for a mass production, and its manufacturing method. 
   2. Description of the Background Art 
   Recently, as demands on a high output laser light are increasing and a new application field is extended, researches on a high output semiconductor laser are actively ongoing. 
   The application field is extended to a display using laser such as a CD-RW or a DVD-RAM, optical recording medium, or a large-screen projector, a laser wireless communication, a material processing using laser (welding, cutting and fine processing related to a semiconductor, or the like), an optical amplifier and a pumping light source used for a medical use or a military use. 
   In the case of the pumping light source of a solid state laser, the material processing and the medical laser, a high laser output more than a few Watt level is required. Especially, the pumping of the solid state laser is a critical and big application field for a high output diode laser. 
   One method for obtaining such a high laser output is that a high output laser diode is formed in an array type for use. In this method, in order to heighten an efficiency of the laser diode array, several laser beams radiated from the laser diode array are coupled to each optical fiber corresponding to each laser diode, and the optical fiber array is bundled to be used as a light source for pumping, whereby a high laser output can be obtained with the beam emitted from the laser diode array. 
   The high output semiconductor laser is used as an optical fiber coupling system according to applications, and the optical fiber coupling system includes an optical fiber array having a suitable numerical aperture (NA) and a core diameter, and a refractive optical lens serving to collimate the diode array beam. 
   The existing optical fiber coupling system including the refractive optical lens is a device designed for a beam form of a multi-mode high output diode laser. In order to reduce radiation of the laser optical source and couple the optical fiber, the existing optical fiber coupling system requires a complicate three-dimensional shaped lens structure and an optical system with a high performance. 
   A spread angle of light radiated from the laser diode is determined depending on a structure of the laser diode. In case of the high output laser diode, generally, an light-spread angle is in the range of about 32˜44 in a vertical direction, and about 8˜12 in the horizontal direction. This is because the size of a transversal section of a semiconductor laser oscillation region is a few micrometer (μm), that is, so small that the output light is radiated at a wide angle owing to a diffraction effect. 
   At this time, having different horizontal and vertical angles, an overall distribution of the horizontal mode of the output light is oval. 
   In order to reduce the loss of the laser beam made incident on the optical fiber of the output terminal due to such unbalance of the light spread angle, preferably, a laser beam spread angle is to be reduced. In this case, by coupling the optical system utilizing predetermined lenses providing a focusing performance corresponding to each spread direction, the light spread angle can be reduced to obtain a high efficiency for the output terminal optical fiber. 
   As to the optical connection between the laser diode and the optical fiber of the output terminal, the light spread angles are different at the horizontal and vertical directions, so two lens surfaces are required. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show beam paths from a lens to an optical fiber of the output terminal according to a difference in the light spread angle in the horizontal and vertical directions of the general laser diode in a coupling optical system using a three-dimensional shaped lens in accordance with a conventional art. 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , a lens R 1  serves to collimate the laser beam with a wide light-spread angle radiated from the laser diode in a horizontal direction, and with reference to  FIG. 2 , a lens R 2  focuses laser beam radiated from the laser diode  10  in a side direction and makes it incident on a core, or a waveguide, of the optical fiber  20  of the output terminal. 
   By using the three-dimensional lens, the optical fiber coupling system converts the form of beam radiated from the laser diode. Consequently, the lens R 1  having a high numerical aperture collimates from an axis with a wide light-spread angle while the second-dimensional lens R 2  projects an expanded light source to an axis with a smaller light-spread angle of the laser diode. 
   A beam forming function of the optical fiber forms an almost circular spot at an inlet part of the optical fiber of the output terminal and can be used to pump laser mode. An efficiency of the structure is dependent upon the diode laser and the optical fiber as well as the optical system. 
   In order for the optical fiber coupling system to have a maximum performance, the laser spread angle needs to be small as possible while the aperture of the optical fiber needs to be large, and the lenses of the optical system should be accurately aligned according to size. Light coming into the optical fiber with a small angle is totally, internally reflected from a core-cladding interface, and at this time, a portion of the totally-reflected light is absorbed, causing an output reduction. 
   Thus, the optical fiber coupling optical system needs to be designed to accomplish a maximum coupling efficiency, and a light source including the optical fiber needs to be optimized. Lenses serving for collimation reduce a spread angle of laser beam radiated from the laser diode, and the smaller the diameter of the collimated beam is, the easier a laser pumping is at a solid state laser medium, which makes the number of the optical devices reduce and the energy density for pumping increase. 
   In case of the optical fiber used by being optically connected to the high output laser diode array, its numerical aperture is 0.16˜0.39, and its core size is 100˜600 um. Especially, the laser diode emitting light with the optical fiber having a small numerical aperture is significantly used for a medical, solid state laser pumping. A coupling optics used for such usage is fabricated as a product by molding a lens made of glass and replicating it. 
   In these methods, a high-priced lens is aligned with and attached to the laser diode, the collimated beam coming out through the lens is focused to the optical fiber after passing through several lenses or respectively focused to the optical fiber array positioned at regular intervals, to obtain a high output beam. 
   However, the two methods are to use a high-priced lens having a complicate three-dimensional shape or a series of lens array, and in this respect, the three-dimensional lens are can be favored for a mass-production because it is fabricated in an injection form using a precisely-processed high-priced metal mold. But fabrication of the metal mold is difficult and costly, and in addition, since the minimum size of the lens is limited to the minimum size of a tool for processing a curved surface of the lens of the metal mold, it is very difficult to make the coupling optical system very small (slim). 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical fiber coupling system which is able to minimize beam loss, compact and suitable for a mass-production, and its manufacturing method. 
   To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an optical fiber coupling system including: a substrate  110  having a predetermined area; a laser beam emitting unit  120  attached at one side of the substrate  110  and emitting beam; a first fine lens  130  insertedly fixed at a first mounting groove  111  formed on the substrate  110  and focusing or collimating vertical beam emitted from the light radiating unit  120 ; second fine lenses  140  protrusively formed on the substrate  110  and focusing or collimating horizontal beam emitted from the light radiating unit  120 ; and a beam output unit  150  insertedly fixed to a second mounting groove  112  formed on the substrate  110  and outputting beam focused or collimated by the first and second fine lenses. 
   To achieve the above objects, there is also provided a method for manufacturing an optical fiber coupling system including: forming mounting grooves with a predetermined shape on a substrate  110  having a predetermined area; coating a thick film photosensitizer with a predetermined thickness on the substrate  110  and forming second fine lenses for focusing or collimating horizontal beam by photolithography; bonding a first fine lens for focusing or collimating vertical beam and an output terminal optical fiber for pumping beam into the mounting grooves of the substrate  110 ; and aligning and bonding laser diodes on the substrate  110 . 
   The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are plane views showing coupling optical system using three-dimensional shaped lens in accordance with a conventional art; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an optical fiber coupling system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are plane view and front view showing the optical fiber coupling system; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing an optical fiber coupling system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are plane view and front view showing the optical fiber coupling system; and 
       FIGS. 9A to 9D  are front views sequentially showing a method for manufacturing the optical fiber coupling system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an optical fiber coupling system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention the present invention, and  FIGS. 4 and 5  are plane view and front view showing the optical fiber coupling system. 
   As illustrated, the optical fiber coupling system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate  110  having a predetermined area; a laser beam emitting unit  120  attached at one side of the substrate  110  and emitting beam; a first fine lens  130  insertedly fixed at a first mounting groove  111  formed on the substrate  110  and focusing or collimating vertical beam emitted from the light radiating unit  120 ; second fine lenses  140  protrusively formed on the substrate  110  and focusing or collimating horizontal beam emitted from the light radiating unit  120 ; and a beam output unit  150  insertedly fixed to a second mounting groove  112  formed on the substrate  110  and outputting beam focused or collimated by the first and second fine lenses. 
   The first fine lens  130  and the second fine lenses  140  are positioned between the light radiation unit  120  and the beam output unit  150 , and the first fine lens  130  is positioned at the side of the light radiating unit  120  while the second fine lenses  140  are positioned at the side of the beam output unit  150 . 
   The substrate  110  is formed with a predetermined thickness and an area with a square form. The substrate  110  is a silicon substrate  110 . A first mounting groove  111  is formed at one side of the substrate  110 , and a second mounting groove  112  is formed at the other side of the substrate  110 . The first and second mounting grooves  111  and  112  have a predetermined length and an inverse triangular form in its section. 
   The first mounting groove  111  is formed vertical to a longitudinal direction of the substrate  110  and the second mounting groove  112  is formed in a vertical direction of the first mounting groove  111 , that is, in a longitudinal direction of the substrate  110 . A plurality of second mounting grooves  112  are formed at regular intervals. 
   The second fine lenses  140  are second-dimensional disk-type lenses  141  with predetermined thickness and shape. That is, the disk-type lens  141  has a rectangular shape with a predetermined thickness and one side there is formed in a semicircular shape. The semicircular side is positioned in a longitudinal direction of the substrate  110 . 
   The second fine lenses  140  are arranged at predetermined intervals at an upper surface of the substrate  110 , protrusively formed at the upper surface of the substrate  110 , and positioned in parallel next to the first mounting groove  111 . 
   The beam output unit  150  includes a plurality of output terminal optical fibers  151  positioned at the same line as the disk-type lenses  141 . The second mounting grooves  112  are formed as many as the number of output terminal optical fibers  151  which are as many as the number of the second fine lenses  140 . 
   The plurality of output terminal optical fibers  151  are can be aligned to be bound to two or more-fold. 
   The first fine lens  130  has a cylindrical form with a predetermined length and diameter, and is inserted into the first mounting groove  111  of the substrate  110  and fixed by an adhesive. 
   The laser beam emitting unit  120  includes a plurality of laser diodes  121 . The laser diodes  121  are arranged in a row parallel to the first fine lens  130 , and attached to be fixed by an adhesive. 
   The operation of the optical fiber coupling system will now be described. 
   First, the laser diode array  121 , laser beam emitting unit, emits laser beam. The beam is an ovally emitted beam with different horizontal and vertical spread angles, which passes through the cylindrical lens, the first fine lens  130 . The first fine lens  130  focuses the vertical beam with a wide spread angle in a spot form. The focused beam passes through the second fine lenses  140 , that is, the second-dimensional lenses, and is respectively focused to the output terminal optical fibers  151 . The second fine lenses  140  serve to collimate the horizontal beam and the collimated beam is focused to the output terminal optical fiber  151 . The angle of the laser beam focused to the output terminal optical fiber  151  is controlled by adjusting a lens curvature of the second fine lens  140 . 
   Passing through the output terminal optical fibers  151 , the laser beam is collected to be used as a high output pumping source of solid state laser. 
   The optical fiber coupling system as described above has such a structure that is able to heighten a focusing degree of laser beam as well as minimize an alignment error of an overall optical system. 
   In addition, the substrate  110  and the second fine lenses  140  of the optical fiber coupling system can be manufactured by a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology which applies a lithographic technology and a micromachining technology. Accordingly, the optical fiber coupling system can be compact and can be fabricated by a mass-production structurally. 
     FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing an optical fiber coupling system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and  FIGS. 7 and 8  are plane view and front view showing the optical fiber coupling system. 
   The same reference numerals are given to the same elements as in the optical fiber coupling system of the former embodiment. 
   As illustrated, the optical fiber coupling system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate  110  having a predetermined area; a laser beam emitting unit  120  attached at one side of the substrate  110  and emitting beam; a first fine lens  130  insertedly fixed at a first mounting groove  111  formed on the substrate  110  and focusing or collimating vertical beam oscillated from the light radiating unit  120 ; second fine lenses  140  protrusively formed on the substrate  110  and focusing or collimating horizontal beam oscillated from the light radiating unit  120 ; and a beam output unit  150  insertedly fixed to a second mounting groove  112  formed on the substrate  110  and outputting beam focused or collimated by the first and second fine lenses. 
   The laser beam emitting unit  120  and the first fine lens  130  fixed to the first mounting groove  111  of the substrate  110  have the same construction as those of the optical fiber coupling system of the former embodiment of the present invention. 
   The second fine lenses  140  includes a second-dimensional disk-type lenses  141  having predetermined thickness and shape and a focusing lens  142  having predetermined thickness and oval shape. 
   The second-dimensional disk-type lens  141  has a rectangular shape with a predetermined thickness and a semicircular shape in its side, and the semicircular side is positioned in a longitudinal direction of the substrate  110 . 
   The disk-type lenses  141  are arranged at predetermined intervals at an upper surface of the substrate  110 , protrusively formed at the upper surface of the substrate  110 , and positioned in parallel next to the first mounting groove  111 . 
   The focusing lens  142  is formed with two circular curved faces with a predetermined curvature, and the length of the circular curved face corresponds to the overall length of the disk-type lenses  141 . The focusing lens  142  is positioned adjacent in parallel to the arrangement of the disk-type lenses  141 , and extendedly protruded on the substrate  110 . 
   The beam output unit  150  is one output terminal optical fiber  151  positioned at a predetermined distance from the focusing lens  142 . The output terminal optical fiber  151  is fixedly coupled to the second mounting groove  112  by an adhesive. 
   The second mounting groove  112  in which the output terminal optical fiber  151  is mounted has a predetermined length and an inverse-triangular form in its section. The second mounting groove  112  is formed in a longitudinal direction of the substrate  110  and positioned at a central line of the focusing lens  142 . 
   The operation of the optical fiber coupling system constructed as described above will now be explained. 
   First, the laser diode array  121 , that is, the laser diode emitting unit  120 , emits laser beam. The beam is an ovally emitted beam with different horizontal and vertical spread angles, which passes through the cylindrical lens, the first fine lens  130 . The first fine lens  130  focuses the vertical beam with a wide spread angle in a spot form. The focused beam passes through the second fine lenses  140 , that is, the disk-type lenses  141 , and the focusing lens  142 , and is respectively focused to the output terminal optical fibers  151 . 
   The disk-type lenses  141  serve to collimate the horizontal beam and the beams collimated respectively from the disk-type lenses  141  is focused as one beam to the output terminal optical fiber  151 . The angle of the laser beam focused to the output terminal optical fiber  151  is controlled by adjusting a lens curvature of the second fine lens  142 . 
   The optical fiber coupling system as described above has such a structure that is able to heighten a focusing degree of laser beam as well as minimize an alignment error of an overall optical system. 
   In addition, the substrate  110 , the disk-type lenses  141 , that is, the second fine lenses  140 , and the focusing lens  142  constituting the optical fiber coupling system can be manufactured by a MEMS technology which applies a lithographic technology and a micromachining technology. Accordingly, the optical fiber coupling system can be compact and can be fabricated by a mass-production structurally. 
     FIGS. 9A to 9D  are front views sequentially showing a method for manufacturing the optical fiber coupling system. 
   As illustrated, a method for manufacturing an optical fiber coupling system includes: forming mounting grooves  111  and  112  with a predetermined shape on a substrate  110  having a predetermined thickness and area; coating a thick film photosensitizer with a predetermined thickness on the substrate  110  and forming second fine lenses  140  for focusing or collimating horizontal beam by photolithography; bonding a first fine lens for focusing or collimating vertical beam and an output terminal optical fiber  151  for pumping beam into the mounting grooves  111  and  112  of the substrate  110 ; and aligning and bonding laser diodes  121  on the substrate  110 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 9A , the substrate  110  is formed such that a silicon wafer having a crystal orientation is subjected to a cleaning process and then an etch mask for the mounting grooves is patterned through photolithography. 
   The mounting grooves are respectively formed in a trench form. The mounting groove is formed in a trench by anisotropic wet etching with a chemical etching solution such as KOH, and subsequently, fine-processed by using a dry etching method such as a silicon deep reactive ion etching (RIE). 
   The depth of the mounting grooves  111  and  112  is determined depending on an outer diameter and length of the lenses mounted therein and an outer diameter of the output terminal optical fiber  151 . 
   The second fine lenses  140  are fabricated such that a thick film photosensitizer such as SU-8 or the like is coated with a predetermined thickness on the silicon substrate  110  and a photolithography process is performed thereon. 
   As shown in  FIG. 9B , the second fine lenses  140  includes a disk-type lens  141  having a predetermined height and formed with three plane faces and one curved face at its sections, and one focusing lens  142  having a predetermined height and an oval form. The disk-type lenses  142  and the focusing lens  142  are second-dimensional lenses with the same height and are adjacently positioned. The disk-type lenses  141  are formed in a row. 
   In a different embodiment, the second fine lenses  140  may consist of the disk-type lenses  141  having a predetermined height and formed with three plane faces and one curved face at its sections, The disk-type lenses  141  are two-dimensional lenses with the same height and are arranged in a row. 
   The second fine lenses  140  can be constructed in various forms. 
   The second fine lenses  140  are fabricated by one time photolithography, and alignment of lenses are automatically made by the photolithography process. 
   After forming the second fine lenses  140 , as shown in  FIG. 9C , an anti-reflection coating layer (L) is formed on the second fine lenses  140 . The anti-reflection coating layer (L) is formed entirely by a thin film deposition method such as a sputtering process or an evaporation process. 
   And then, as shown in  FIG. 9D , the first fine lens  130  and the optical fiber  151  are positioned in the mounting grooves  111  and  112 , respectively, and aligned and bonded by using a ultraviolet hardening resin adhesive or a thermosetting adhesive. The first fine lens  130  is a cylindrical lens having a predetermined length and outer diameter. The first fine lenses  130  and the output terminal optical fibers  151  are respectively positioned in the mounting grooves by a pick-and-place method. 
   The laser diodes  121  are aligned and bonded to the silicon substrate  110  by using a silicon bulk micromachining process and a solder bonding technique. In this case, additionally, an intermediate layer made of Cu or the like having a high thermal conductivity can be inserted to a portion of the substrate  110  where the laser diodes  121  are mounted, in order to quickly release heat generated from the laser diode  121  in operation. 
   In the method for manufacturing the optical fiber coupling system, the coupling optics focusing beams coming out of the laser diode array to one output terminal optical fiber  151  is integrated by using the lithography technology and the micromachining technology, so that an alignment error of the optical system can be reduced and beam focusing degree can be heightened. In addition, the optical fiber coupling system can be made compact, the number of assembly processes can be reduced, and a mass-production can be made. 
   As so far described above, the optical fiber coupling system and its manufacturing method of the present invention have the following advantages. 
   That is, because the alignment error of the optical system is reduced and the beam focusing degree is heightened, beam loss can be reduced and an efficiency of the output terminal optical fiber  151  can be improved. 
   In addition, because the number of assembly processes is reduced and the mass-production is available with a high uniformity, a manufacture cost can be considerably reduced. 
   Moreover, because the optical fiber coupling system is made slim, its application coverage can be extended. 
   As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.