Plastic Optical Fiber

1
Plastic Optical Fiber
Edited by Sun Hyun, Choi
2
Communication Materials
3
Introduction

• You hear about fiber-optic cables whenever people
  talk about the telephone system, the cable TV
  system or the Internet.
• Fiber-optic lines are strands of optically pure
  glass as thin as a human hair that carry digital
  information over long distances.
• They are also used in medical imaging and
  mechanical engineering inspection.

4
What are Fiber Optics?

• Fiber optics (optical fibers) are long, thin
  strands of very pure glass about the diameter of
  a human hair.
• They are arranged in bundles called optical
  cables and used to transmit light signals over
  long distances.
• If you look closely at a single optical fiber,
  you will see that it has the following parts
• Core - Thin glass center of the fiber where the
  light travels
• Cladding - Outer optical material surrounding the
  core that reflects the light back into the core
• Buffer coating - Plastic coating that protects
  the fiber from damage and moisture

5
History
Year Organization Core Cladding Class Attenuation(dB/km) Wavelength
1968 DuPont PMMA Fluoropolymer SI 500 650
1972 Toray PS PMMA SI 1100 670
1977 DuPont PMMA-d8 SI 180 790
1978 Mitsubishi PMMA Fluoropolymer SI 300 650
1982 NTT PMMA Fluoropolymer SI 55 568
1982 NTT PS SI 114 670
1982 Keio Univ. P(MMA-VPAc) PMMA GI 1070 670
1983 NTT PMMA-d8 SI 20 650
1983 Mitsubishi PMMA Fluoropolymer SI 110 570
1985 Asahi Chemical PMMA Fluoropolymer SI 80 570
1986 Fujitsu PC Polyolefin SI 450 770
1986 NTT P(5F3DSt) Fluoropolymer SI 178 850
1987 Hitachi Thermoset resins Fluoropolymer SI 600 650
1990 Keio Univ. P(MMA-VB) PMMA GI 130 650
1991 Hoechst PMMA Fluoropolymer SI 130 650
1992 Keio Univ. PMMA-d8 PMMA-d8 GI 56 688
1996 Keio Univ. Cytop GI 40 1310
1999 Keio Univ. Cytop GI 8 1310
2000 Lucent Cytop GI 1310
P(MMA-VPAc) Copolymer of MMA Vinyl Phenyl
Acetate P(5F3DSt) Pentafluorotrideuterostylene
Polymer P(MMA-VB) Copolymer of MMA Vinyl
Benzoate
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Fiber Optics
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
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What are Fiber Optics?
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Core, Cladding, Protective Layers

• BASIC LAYERS
• Core
• medium for light transmission.
• glass, plastic, or plastic-clad glass, fluoride
  compounds, etc.
• Cladding
• maximizes internal reflection inside core.
• refraction index less than core.
• Plastic layers
• to protect the fiber from physical and
  environmental damage and degradation.
• thickness and composition of these layers depend
  on the type of fiber and application use.

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Large Core with good flexibility
Glass Optical Fiber ? Small Core Up to
62.5mm ? Small Connecterization Tolerance ?
Polishing ? Brittle Fragile ? Low N.A.
Plastic Optical Fiber ? Large Core Up to 1mm ?
Large Connecterization Tolerance ?
Polishing-Free ? Flexible ? High N.A.
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Principle of Transmission Total Internal
Reflection
Total Reflection
Reflection
i2
n2ltn1
n2gtn1
n2
n2
n1
n1
i1
i1
ilim
Total Internal Reflection n1sin i1 n2 sin
i2
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Light Propagation
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Modes
single mode
55km range
cladding
10?
core
20km range
50?
multi mode - step index
125?
multi mode - gradient index
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Single-Mode Step Index

• Advantages
• Minimum dispersion (one path only)
• Larger bandwidth
• Disadvantages
• Difficult to couple light (small core)
• Small source needed
• Expensive and difficult to manufacture

14
Multi-Mode Step Index

• ADV
• Inexpensive to manufacture, and simple
• Easy to couple light into

• DIS
• Different paths, more dispersion
• Info rate and BW is less

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Advantages of Polymer Optical Fibres

• High flexibility
• Easy handling and processing
• EMI immunity
• Low cost components
• High bandwidth
• Low attenuation
• ATM requirements

Alternative to copper based cable system
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Disadvantages of Polymer Optical Fibres

• Higher initial cost in installation
• Interfacing cost
• Strength Lower tensile strength
• Remote electric power
• More expensive to repair/maintain
• Tools Specialized and sophisticated

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Some Basic Properties
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State of POF Availability
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Industrialization of POF Cables 1
a. PMMA GI-POF

• PMMA( Poly methyl methacrylate) based GI-POF
  developed
• by Mutsubishi Rayon, Asahi Chemical, Toray
  and Fuji Film
• Core Diameter 980um
• Difficulty to transmit over 100m
• Theoretical attenuation 108dB/Km _at_ 650nm
  wavelength

? Atsushi Kondo. Yasuhiro Koike, Keio Univ.,
Perdeuterated Graded-Index POF, 11th
International POF Conference 2002
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Industrialization of POF Cables 2
b. PF GI-POF

• Perfluorinated POF based GI-POF developed by
  Prof. Koike
• at Keio Univ. Japan
• Manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
• Attenuation 1050dB/Km
• - Wavelength range from 800 to 1300nm
• - Bandwidth-length products 5GHzKm
• 11Gbit/s over 100m
• - 2.5 Gbit/s over 550m
• - 1.25Gbit/s within 990m
• Small bending radius
• - In the order of 2mm without excessive
  losses
• (for 0.125um outer diameter fiber)

? G.Widawski, Cable Designs for POF
applications, Nexans Research Center, 11th
International POF Conference 2002
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Industrialization of POF Cables 3
c. PF GI-POF
CYTOP (Asahi Glass Company1988)
(CF2-CF-CF-CF2) n
O CF2 CF2
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Industrialization of POF Cables 4
d. Production of PF GI-POF in Korea

• Domestic manufacturing by LG Cable Ltd.
• Raw material imported from Asahi Glass Co.,
  Ltd.
• - Basic mutual agreement(2003.4.21)
• Schedule of POF manufacturing
• - 1st step (2003)
• Import POF bare cable from Asahi
• Jacketing cable by LG
• - 2nd step (2004)
• Import POF preform from Asahi
• Drawing bare cable/Jacketing cable by LG
• - 3rd step (2005)
• Import raw material from Asahi
• Preform/Drawing bare cable/Jacketing
  cable by LG

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Teflon AF 1

• Monomer Synthesis

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Teflon AF 2

• Polymerization

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Teflon AF 3

• Monomer Synthesis

Scheme
HFPO
FCOCF2CF2CF2OF
FCOCF(CF3)O(CF2)4COF
XY
CF2 CFO(CF2)4COF
CF2XCFYO(CF2)4COF

Zn
CF2XCFYOCF2CF2CF CF2

CF2 CFOCF2CF2CF CF2


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Physical Properties of Teflon AF
Property Value Test Method
Effective Transmission, gt 95 ASTM D-1003
Refractive Index 1.29 1.31 ASTM D-542
Tensile Modulus, Mpa 950 2150 ASTM D-638
Elongation, 3 40 ASTM D-638
Tensile Strength, MPa 24.6 27 ASTM D-638
Water Absorption, lt 0.01 ASTM D-570
Dielectric Constant 1.89 1.93 ASTM D-150
Linear Thermal Expansion, ppm/C 80 -100 ASTM E-831
Thermal Stability, C 360
Critical Surface Energy, dynes / cm 15.6 15.7 -
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Cytop 1

• Monomer Synthesis

Scheme
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Cytop 2

• Polymerization

• Characteristics

- High Transmittance DUV 200nm NIR 2.0 µm gt 95 - Low Refractive Index, nD1.34
- Electrical Properties Dielectric Constant2.1, Volume Resistivelygt1017 ohm meter - Thin Film Coating Soluble in perfluoro solvent Film Thickness beyond 0.1 µm
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Physical Properties of Cytop
Property Cytop PMMA Remarks
Glass Transition Temperature (C) 108 105 120 DSC
Melting Point (C) Not observed iso 160 syn 200 DSC
Density (g/cm3) 2.03 1.19 1.20 25 C
Contact Angle of Water (degree) 110 80 25 C
Critical Surface Tension (dyn/cm) 19 39 25 C
Water Absorptivity () lt 0.01 0.3 60 C in water
Linear ExpansionCoefficient(cm/cm/C) 7.4 10 -5 8.0 10 -5 TMA ( 40 100 C )
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Materials for POF Systems
Attenuation minima at 520 nm, 580 nm and 650
nm GaAlAs wavelength 660 nm,efficiency up to
15 AlInGaP wavelength 650 nm, efficiency up to
10 AlInGaP wavelength 590 nm, efficiency up to
5 GaAsP wavelength 580 nm, efficiency up to
0,5 AlInGaP wavelength 570 nm, efficiency up
to 1 GaP wavelength 555 nm, efficiency up to
0,1 InGaN wavelength 520 nm, efficiency up to
5 InGaN wavelength 500 nm, efficiency up to 8
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Basic Materials for Optical Transmitters
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Trend of Plastic Optical Fiber 1
Organization Core Materials Cladding Materials Class Minimum Attenuation (dB/Km) Wavelength Year Comment
DuPont Toray DuPont Mitsubishi Rayon NTT NTT Keio University NTT Mitsubishi Rayon Asahi Chemical PMMA PS PMMA-d8 PMMA PMMA PS P(MMA-VPAc) PMMA-d8 PMMA PMMA Fluoropolymer PMMA Fluoropolymer Fluoropolymer PMMA Fluoropolymer Fluoropolymer SI SI SI SI SI SI GI SI SI SI 500 1100 180 300 55 114 1070 20 110 80 650 670 790 650 568 670 670 650 570 570 1968 1972 1977 1978 1982 1982 1982 1983 1983 1985
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Trend of Plastic Optical Fiber 2
Organization Core Materials Cladding Materials Class Minimum Attenuation (dB/Km) Wave length Year Comment
Fujitsu NTT Hitachi Keio University Hoechst Celanese Keio University Bridgeston Keio University Keio University POF Consortium Japan PC P(5F3DSt) Themaoset Resin P(MMA-VB) PMMA PMMA-d8 Silicon Perfluoropolymer Cytop Perfluoropolymer Polyolefin Fluoropolymer Fluoropolymer PMMA Fluoropolymer PMMA-d8 Silicon SI SI GI SI GI SI GI GI GI GI 450 178 600 130 130 56 800 50 40 40 770 850 650 650 650 688 650 1310 1310 1310 1986 1986 1987 1990 1991 1992 1993 1995 1996 1997 Highly Themal Resistant Highly Themal Resistant High Bandwidth (2GHz-Km) For Near-IR For Near-IR High Bandwidth (2.5Gbps/200m)
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Fabrication 1
1. Make preform glass cylinder (blank)
Glass made by modified chemical vapor deposition
(MCVD)
Gas vapors from MCVD are conducted onto the lathe
to yield the fiber.
howstuffworks.com
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Fabrication 2
2. Draw the fibers from the preform.

• Preform heated so a drop falls by gravity
  yielding a single fiber.
• Drawing rate regulated by a laser micrometer to
  yield a consistent diameter.
• Fibers typically drawn at a rate of 1020 m/s.

howstuffworks.com
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Fabrication 3
3. Testing

• Tensile strength
• Refractive index
• Fiber geometry
• Attenuation
• Bandwidth
• Dispersion
• Operating temperature

1.4 miles (2.2 km) of fiber.
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POF Roadmap
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Applications 1

• Communications
• A pair of copper wires can handle up to 2 dozen
  simultaneous conversations
• TAT-8 (first fiberoptic transatlantic cable) can
  carry 40,000 conversations over 2 fibers
• Medicine
• Bundled fibers can be used to deliver light to
  small cavities within the body
• Fibers can also relay real-time video to a screen
  to aid in delicate surgeries
• Fibers can emit strong laser light to destroy
  blockages in arteries

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Applications 2

• Security
• The dielectric nature of optical fiber makes it
  impossible to remotely detect the signal being
  transmitted within the cable.
• Accessing the fiber requires intervention that is
  easily detectable by security surveillance.
• Very good for governmental bodies, banks, and
  others with major security concerns.

http//www.corningcablesystems.com/web/college/fib
ertutorial.nsf/introfro?Openform
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Applications 3

• Decoration and Art Design

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Applications 4

• Decoration and Art Design

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Conclusion

• Commercial available
• Standard- and Low-NA POF , POF-Systems at 650 nm
  for bitrates up to 155 Mbps over 50 m or 100
  Mbps over 70 m.
• Standard ATM Forum specifications
• New developments
• Use of green and yellow LED for PMMA-Fibre
• Increasing bandwidth by using GI-POF (up to 2,5
  Gbit/s)
• Increasing distance by using fluorinated POF (up
  to 2 km)
• High speed transmitter by VCSEL

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Reference
1. NASA-STD-8739.5, para 7-3, page 7-1
2. Koike, POF96, Paris "Status of POF in
Japan", pp. 1-4
3. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy,
Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2006, Pages 51-60
4. Microelectronics Journal, Volume 36, Issue 11,
November 2005, Pages 963-968
5. Optical Fiber Technology, Volume 7, Issue 2,
April 2001, Pages 101-140
6. Optical Fiber Technology, Volume 3, Issue 2,
April 1997, Pages 162-167
7. Polymer, Volume 38, Issue 20, September 1997,
Pages 5137-5147
8. Semiconductor Lithography Principles, practice
and materials, Wayne M. Moreau, 1988 Plenum
press, New York.
9. Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology
Taken in part from Chapters 15 by Michael Quirk
and Julian Serda
10. Streetman, Chapter 9 Solid State Electronic
Devices
11. Digital Integrated Circuits 2nd Edition by
Jan Rabaey et al.
44
Reference
12. ???, ???, ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? Plastic
Optical Fiber ?? ? IEEE 1394 ??? ?? ??
(Recent Trends for Development of Plastic Optical
Fiber for Short Distance High Speed
Communication and Standardization of IEEE 1394)
13. ???, ???, ???, et al. ?? ??? ????
???(POF) ?? (Materials for Low Loss Plastic
Optical Fibers (POF)) Polymer Science and
Technology, 13(2), pp. 195-201 (2002)
14. ???, ??? ?? ??? ????? ???????? ???????
???? (Bandwidth Enhancement Future Prospect
of the Plastic Optical Fiber for the Gigabit
Data Transmission) Polymer Science and
Technology, 13(2), pp, 202-209 (2002)
45
Reference
15. ???, ???, ??? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??
(Characterization of Plastic Optical Fiber)
Polymer Science and Technology, 13(20, pp.217-225
(2002)
16. ???, ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??
(Characteristics and Technologies of Plastic
Optical Fibers) Polymer Science and
Technology, 7(2), pp. 179-192 (1996)
17. ???, ???, ??? ?? ?? POF ??? ??
(Heat Resistant POF and Its Application)
Polymer Science and Technology, 13(2), pp.
180-186 (2002)

• 18. http//electronics.howstuffworks.com/fiber-opt
  ic7.htm
• 19. http//www.commspecial.com/fiberguide.htm
• 20. http//www.thefoa.org/
• 21. http//www.fiber-optics.info/fiber-history.htm