Patent ID: 7781236

Claim:
An optical element mounting method that mounts an optical element structured so as to include at least one of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element to a polymer optical waveguide device having a waveguide core that guides light and a cladding portion surrounding the waveguide core, the method comprising: illuminating ultraviolet light onto the polymer optical waveguide device; under the ultraviolet light illumination, capturing, by an image pickup device, an image of a portion of the polymer optical waveguide device including a light incident/exiting position of the waveguide core; and judging, from a difference between bright and dark in the captured image, that a portion brighter than other portions or a portion darker than other portions is the light incident/exiting position of the waveguide core, placing at least one of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element at the light incident/exiting position of the waveguide core, and mounting the optical element.