A PSQ-L Polymer Microring Resonator Fabricated by a Simple UV-Based Soft-Lithography Process

Photonic integrated circuits based on polymer waveguides have great potential as low-cost optical devices. A novel inorganic-organic hybrid polymer polysiloxane-liquid (PSQ-L) is introduced for defining the waveguides and for use as both core and cladding layer for the waveguides. The waveguide circuits are replicated by a simple ultraviolet-based soft lithography method consisting of two steps. All-polymer microring resonators are fabricated by this approach and characterized. About 6-dB extinction ratio at the through port and 18-dB extinction ratio at the drop port is demonstrated. A Q-factor of 4.2 times 10⁴ is obtained. Extracted from the measured spectrum, the scattering loss of the ring waveguides is estimated to be about 1.6 dB/cm. This easy fabrication technique can be easily extended to fabricate other devices.