Polymeric optical waveguides [materials, packaging and applications]

Polymer materials offer a number of interesting features for the fabrication of optical waveguides when compared with other materials such as silica glass. Organic polymers have attracted a lot of attention due to their ease of fabrication and structural flexibility. These are important factors with regard to their use as packaging and optical interconnects. In addition, the thermo-optic (TO) coefficient of polymers is an order of magnitude larger than that of silica glass and some non-aromatic polymers have very low birefringence. These are desirable characteristics in terms of their application to such optical integrated devices as TO switches. Polymeric waveguide applications are therefore divided into two categories. The first comprises optical packaging and interconnects and the second, optical integrated devices. Nevertheless, polymeric materials have certain disadvantages. An optical waveguide must retain its optical and physical properties under a variety of environmental conditions including high temperature and high humidity. However, polymer materials do not have sufficient reliability and thermal stability except for polyimide and the like. To solve these problems, we have worked to develop new materials, processes and packaging.