• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.258-265
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• 1992

A low loss optical waveguide of $P_{2}O_{5}-SiO_{2}$on Si substrate is produced by using the chemical vapour deposition method of $SiO_2$ thin films used in Si technology. Propagation loss of the waveguide layer was 1.65 dB/cm as produced and reduced down to 0.1 dB/cm after heat treatment at $1100^{\circ}C$. By using laser lithography and reactive ion etching method $P_{2}O_{5}-SiO_{2}$ waveguide was produced and subsequently annealed at $1100^{\circ}C$.As a result of this annealing the shape of the waveguide core was changed from rectangular to semi-circular form, and the propagation loss was reduced as down to 0.03 dB/cm at 0.6328$\mu$m and 0.04dB/cm at 1.53$\mu$m. We think that the mechanism of the reduction in propagation loss during the heat treatment is the following: 1) The hydrogen bonding in waveguide layer, which causes absorption loss, is dissociated and diffused out. 2) The roughness of the interface and the micro-structure of the waveguide layer is removed. 3) The irregularities in the cross-sectional shape of the waveguide which was induced during the lithographic process were disappeared by flowing of the waveguide core.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2009

There has been a rapid progress for flexible polymer-based MEMS(Microelectromechanical Systems) technology. Polycarbonate (PC) and Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA), so-called acrylic, have many advantages for optical, non-toxic and micro-device application. We studied dry etching of PC and PMMA as a function of % gas ratio in the $O_2/SF_6/CH_4$ temary plasma. A photoresist pattern was defined on the polymer samples with a mask using a conventional lithography. Plasma etching was done at 100 W RIE chuck power and 10 sccm total gas flow rate. The etch rates of PMMA were typically 2 times higher than those of PC in the whole experimental range. The result would be related to higher melting point of PC compared to that of PMMA. The highest etch rates of PMMA and PC were found in the $O_2/SF_6$ discharges among $O_2/SF_6$, $O_2/CH_4$ and $SF_6/CH_4$ and $O_2/SF_6/CH_4$ plasma composition (PC: ${\sim}350\;nm/min$ at 5 sccm $O_2/5$ sccm $SF_6$, PMMA: ${\sim}570\;nm/min$ at 2.5 sccm $O_2/7.5$ sccm $SF_6$). PC has smoother surface morphology than PMMA after etching in the $O_2/SF_6/CH_4$ discharges. The surface roughness of PC was in the range of 1.9$\sim$3.88 nm. However, that of PMMA was 17.3$\sim$26.1 nm.