Fabrication of Waveguide Splitters Using Sol-Gel Hybrid Materials

Multi-layer buried channel waveguides were fabricated using sol-gel derived photopatternable organic-inorganic hybrid materials through multi-step spin coating and photolithography. A single mode circular waveguide at 1550 nm was designed and fabricated using core and cladding coatings with refractive indices of 1.508 and 1.504, respectively. Waveguide thermal stability and thermo-optic coefficient were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively. Waveguide Y splitters with different opening angles were fabricated showing good splitting effect and low propagation losses. The obtained waveguiding results suggest that the sol-gel hybrid material is a favorable candidate in developing waveguide devices such as Y and MMI type splitters, directional couplers and thermal optic switches