New chip device with built-in optical outlet rod for easy assembly and high optical coupling in optical interconnection

New chip devices - designed with an optical outlet rod surrounded by cladding - have been proposed to realize easy assembly, high-efficiency optical interconnection. Prototypes have been fabricated using a photomask transfer method employing a VCSEL (vertical cavity emitting laser) and two kinds of UV (ultraviolet) curable resin. Observation of the NFP (near-field pattern), I-L (current vs. light output power) characteristics, the eye pattern for signal transmission and positional tolerance shows that outlet rods with a diameter of 30 mum efficiently confine the laser beam as an optical waveguide. In addition, the ray tracing simulation indicates that transmission loss and crosstalk can be substantially reduced by choosing suitable resins.