Connector component for optical fiber, manufacturing method thereof and optical member

Abstract

A connector component for optical fibers has good dimensional accuracy and parallelism. The connector component includes a base material. The base material is provided with at least two holes for inserting and fixing optical fibers therein. The base material is made of quartz glass. Inner components are arranged for forming holes for inserting optical fibers in a die for forming an outer form of the connector component with a dimensional accuracy equal to or less than 2 μm. Slurry is poured into the die, the slurry including quartz powder, a resin binder, a dispersant, water and a curing agent. The poured slurry is cured and heated under vacuum so as to vitrify the cured slurry to obtain the quartz glass.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A connector component for optical fibers, said connector component comprising a base material provided with at least two holes for inserting and fixing optical fibers therein, 
 wherein said base material is made of quartz glass.    
     
     
         2 . The connector component for optical fibers as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the quartz glass is high purity quartz glass containing equal to or more than 99.9% SiO 2 , equal to or less than 10 ppm Al 2 O 3 , equal to or less than 1 ppm Li 2 O, equal to or less than 10 ppm MgO, equal to or less than 10 ppm TiO 2 , equal to or less than 10 ppm ZrO 2  equal to or less than 10 ppm K 2 O, equal to or less than 10 ppm Na 2 O, equal to or less than 10 ppm ZnO, equal to or less than 10 ppm CaO, and equal to or less than 10 ppm BaO.  
     
     
         3 . The connector component for optical fibers as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the quartz glass is within a range of 0.45˜0.6×10 −7 /° C.  
     
     
         4 . The connector component for optical fibers as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the quartz glass has equal to or more than 90% transmission rate for an ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 356 nm.  
     
     
         5 . A manufacturing method for a connector component for optical fibers, said connector component comprising a base material made of quartz glass and provided with at least two holes for inserting and fixing optical fibers, said manufacturing method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) arranging a plurality of inner components for forming holes for inserting optical fibers in a die for forming an outer form of the connector component with a dimensional accuracy equal to or less than 2 μm;    (b) pouring slurry into said die, said slurry including quartz powder, a resin binder, a dispersant, water and a curing agent;    (c) curing the poured slurry; and    (d) heating the cured slurry under vacuum so as to vitrify the cured slurry to obtain the quartz glass.    
     
     
         6 . An optical member, comprising: 
 optical fibers; and    a connector component for optical fibers, said connector component including a base material made of quartz glass and provided with two or more holes for inserting and fixing the optical fibers,    wherein said connector component is fixed to ends of the optical fibers using epoxy thermosetting type adhesive or ultraviolet curing type adhesive.    
     
     
         7 . The optical member as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein polarized wave holding fibers are used for the optical fibers, so that an extinction rate is equal to or greater than 25 dB.  
     
     
         8 . The optical member as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein each of the thermosetting type adhesive and the ultraviolet curing type adhesive has equal to or less than 0.2 dB insertion loss, equal to or more than 55 dB reflection loss, and equal to or more than 10 N tensile strength.