Method of fabricating electro-optic polymer waveguide devices incorporating electro-optically active polymer clads

Abstract

A method of fabricating a polymer waveguide, comprising (a) forming a first polymer film in proximity to a substrate, the first polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore; (b) poling and crosslinking the first polymer film to provide a crosslinked first electro-optic polymer film; (c) forming a second polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore in proximity to the first electro-optic polymer film; and (d) poling the second polymer film to provide a second electro-optic polymer film.

1 . A method of fabricating a polymer waveguide, comprising (a) forming a first polymer film in proximity to a substrate, the first polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore; (b) poling and crosslinking the first polymer film to provide a crosslinked first electro-optic polymer film; (c) forming a second polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore in proximity to the first electro-optic polymer film; and (d) poling the second polymer film to provide a second electro-optic polymer film.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second electro-optic polymer film is crosslinked.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the second electro-optic polymer film is lower than the refractive index of the first electro-optic polymer film.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first electro-optic film is dry etched to form a rib or quasi rib before the forming a second polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore in proximity to the first electro-optic polymer film.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein dry etching comprises using a metal hardmask.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the metal hardmask comprises titanium or platinum.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the rib or quasi rib is a Mach-Zehnder modulator, directional coupler, or micro-ring resonator.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the substrate comprises a crosslinked electro-optic polymer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising (e) forming a polymer buffer clad in proximity to the second electro-optic polymer film.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first electro-optic polymer film has a thickness of about 2.4 to about 3.8 μm and a refractive index of about 1.54 to about 1.62; the second electro-optic first polymer film has a thickness of about 1.0 to about 3.0 μm and a refractive index of about 1.53 to about 1.61; and the polymer buffer clad has a thickness of about 2.2 to about 2.8 μm and a refractive index of about 1.445 to about 1.505.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polymer buffer clad is crosslinked.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first electro-optic polymer film is formed as a rib quasi rib, quasi-trench, or trench be methods comprising laser ablation, bleaching, positive tone photolithography, negative tone photolithography, or embossing.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first electro-optic polymer film forms a trench or quasi-trench.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the substrate comprises a crosslinked electro-optic polymer.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein crosslinking the first polymer film occurs above about 160° C.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the film is crosslinked during poling.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the film is crosslinked before poling.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming a first polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore comprises spin coating, dip coating, or brushing.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the forming a second polymer film comprising a nonlinear optical chromophore comprises spin coating, dip coating, or brushing.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the first electro-optic polymer is lower than the refractive index of the second electro-optic polymer.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising (e) dry etching the second electro-optic film to form a rib or quasi rib and (f) forming a polymer buffer clad in proximity to the second electro-optic polymer film.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the polymer buffer clad is crosslinked.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the second electro-optic polymer film forms a quasi-trench or trench.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising (e) forming a first polymer buffer clad in proximity to the second electro-optic polymer film.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the polymer buffer clad is crosslinked.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the second electro-optic polymer film is formed as a rib quasi rib, quasi-trench, or trench be methods comprising laser ablation, bleaching, positive tone photolithography, negative tone photolithography, or embossing.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a a polymer, an organically modified sol-gel, or an electro-optic polymer.