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Hard-molded 51 cm long waveguide array with a 150 GHz bandwidth for board-level optical interconnects
Xiaolong Wang1, Li Wang, Wei Jiang
1Microelectronic Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, 78758, USA.
Optics Letters
|February 20, 2007
Summary
We fabricated a 51 cm long polymer waveguide array using silicon hard-molding. This method achieved low surface roughness, minimal insertion loss, and excellent adjacent channel crosstalk for optical communication applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Nanofabrication
Background:
- Waveguide arrays are crucial for integrated optics and optical communication systems.
- Fabrication challenges include achieving smooth surfaces and low signal loss in polymer waveguides.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a long-polymer waveguide array using silicon hard-molding technology.
- To characterize the optical performance, including insertion loss, crosstalk, and bandwidth.
Main Methods:
- Silicon hard-molding technology was employed to fabricate a 51 cm waveguide array on a poly(methyl methacrylate) sheet.
- A wet-oxidation and buffered oxidation etchant etching process reduced silicon sidewall roughness to 1.2 nm.
Main Results:
- The fabricated waveguide array exhibited a total insertion loss of -15.1 dB.
- Adjacent channel crosstalk was measured to be below -31 dB.
- The 3 dB optical bandwidth was determined to be 150 GHz.
Conclusions:
- Silicon hard-molding is a viable technique for fabricating long polymer waveguide arrays.
- The demonstrated device shows promising performance for optical interconnects and communication.
