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CO2 laser induced refractive index changes in optical polymers.

Qing Liu¹, Kin Seng Chiang, Laurence Reekie

¹Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, China.

|January 26, 2012

Summary

This study shows carbon dioxide (CO2) laser processing can alter the refractive index of benzocyclobutene (BCB) polymers. This photothermal modification offers new methods for creating polymer waveguide devices.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Optoelectronics
Polymer Chemistry

Background:

Optical polymers are crucial for photonic devices.
Developing new processing techniques for polymers is essential for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the infrared photosensitivity of benzocyclobutene (BCB) and OPTOCAST 3505 epoxy using a 10.6 μm CO2 laser.
To explore the potential of CO2 laser processing for modifying polymer optical properties.

Main Methods:

Exposure of BCB and epoxy samples to 10.6 μm CO2 laser radiation.
Measurement of refractive index changes using optical techniques.
Analysis of chemical bond modifications using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

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Main Results:

CO2 laser radiation reduced the refractive index of BCB by up to 5.5 × 10(-3).
No significant refractive index change was observed in the OPTOCAST 3505 epoxy.
FTIR confirmed photothermal modification of chemical bonds in BCB due to CO2 laser exposure.

Conclusions:

CO2 laser radiation induces photothermal modification in BCB, altering its refractive index.
This laser-based processing method shows promise for polymer waveguide fabrication.
Potential applications include post-processing and direct-writing of polymer optical devices.