Patent ID: 7235774

Claim:
An optical module, comprising: an optical waveguide array comprising plural optical transmission lines; a photoelectric element array comprising plural photoelectric elements for respectively receiving or transmitting optical signals from or to the optical transmission lines of the optical waveguide array; and a lens component interposed between the photoelectric element array and the optical waveguide array for discretely transmitting or receiving the optical signals between the optical transmission lines of the optical waveguide array and the corresponding photoelectric elements of the photoelectric element array, wherein the lens component comprises: a first convex lens placed opposite the optical waveguide array and having an effective diameter larger than the distance between the respective optical axes of the mutually most-distant two optical transmission lines of the optical waveguide array; and a second convex lens placed opposite the photoelectric element array and having an effective diameter larger than the distance between the respective optical axes of the mutually most-distant two photoelectric elements of the photoelectric element array, and wherein the first convex lens is formed to cause the respective optical signals from the optical transmission lines of the optical waveguide array to form parallel light, or collect the optical signals passed through the lens component into the optical transmission lines respectively, the second convex lens is formed to cause the respective optical signals from the photoelectric elements of the photoelectric element array to form parallel light, or collect the optical signals passed through the lens component into the photoelectric elements respectively, and the optical signals that have respectively formed the parallel light through the lens component cross each other substantially in one area.