Patent ID: 7212743

Claim:
An optical switch device comprising: a plurality of optical switches for ON/OFF switching of beams by means of voltage that is applied to liquid crystal; one optical fiber installed on each side of each of said optical switches; a voltage application switching element for switching the optical switch of each of said plurality of optical switches to which voltage is applied; a plurality of switching lines and voltage application lines that are disposed in rows and columns for applying voltage to said voltage application switching element; a driver for switching between applying or not applying voltage to said switching lines and voltage application lines; and a substrate on which said optical switches are arranged that includes one or more holes that are formed for installing an end of one or more optical fibers, wherein each of said optical switches comprises: a first electrode that is formed over the substrate on which said switching element is formed; a liquid crystal layer that is formed over said first electrode; a second electrode that is formed over said liquid crystal layer wherein said substrate has a plurality of through holes that allow said first electrode to be in contact with said switching element; and a plate that is formed over said second electrode; wherein said one or more holes for installing ends of one or more optical fibers are formed in said plate.