Paper #: 3469-26
Self-aligned ormosil waveguide devices, pp.58-65
Author(s): Kewen K. Li, NZ Applied Technologies, Woburn, MA,
USA;
Edward J. Salley, NZ Applied Technologies, Andover,
MA, USA;
Paul Melman, NZ Applied Technologies, Waltham, MA,
USA;
Marvin J. Tabasky, NZ Applied Technologies, Waltham,
MA, USA;
Jing Zhao, NZ Applied Technologies, Woburn, MA, USA;
Chia-Yen Li, MicroTouch Systems, Inc., Methuen, MA,
USA.
Abstract: This paper describes a method to passively align
optical fibers with on-chip ormosil waveguide devices.
One objective is to demonstrate that photosensitive
sol-gel (ormosil) materials can be applied to fabricate
a family of low-cost, high-quality, self-aligned
microchip couplers. Feasibility of forming sol-gel
waveguide couplers on silicon chips with on- chip
V-grooves for passive alignment of ribbon fibers is
studied. The optical waveguide material is deposited
onto silicon wafers on which high precision alignment
grooves are fabricated to support the input or output
optical fibers. By forming V-grooves and wave-guides on
the same substrate with precise dimensional control,
passive optical alignment can be achieved. This passive
alignment scheme can result in a large cost reduction
for integrated optics' devices. Several cost- and
labor-intensive manufacturing processes would be either
eliminated or simplified. This scheme can be used for
both single- and multi-mode applications. The method is
particularly useful for interconnecting on-chip
waveguiding devices with optical fiber ribbons, in
which multi-fiber alignment is difficult by
conventional active methods. !10
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Dr Li of Microtouch now DR. Li of Lumenon. |
