Abstract
A novel epoxy-functionalised sol-gel material system for use in photonic waveguiding applications has been developed for use in short-range optical interconnect applications. The sol-gel material is deposited by spin coating to form a thin-film up to 25μm in thickness. The resulting film is selectively cross-linked using photo-lithography, as part of a UV-thermal curing process. A tunable film refractive index over the range 1.481.515 is demonstrated. The near-field images of transmitted radiation (633nm) from fabricated waveguide structures shows both waveguiding and efficient light confinement within the UV-thermally produced core regions. A thermal stability analysis of the waveguides following "Telcordia" environmental testing protocols for passive devices is presented. It is concluded that this materials system has the potential for use in waveguiding applications in environments where enhanced themio-mechanical stability is required.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | EE13.20 |
| Pages (from-to) | 39-44 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | MRS Advances |
| Volume | 847 |
| Publication status | Published - 2005 |
| Event | 2004 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting - Boston, MA, United States Duration: 29 Nov 2004 → 2 Dec 2004 |