Enhancement of the evanescent field using polymer waveguides fabricated by deep UV exposure on mesoporous silicon

Abstract

Polymer integrated reverse symmetry waveguides on porous silicon substrate fabricated by using deep ultraviolet radiation in poly(methyl methacrylate) are presented. The layer sequence and geometry of the waveguide enable an evanescent field extending more than 3 microm into the upper waveguide or analyte layer, enabling various integrated optical devices where large evanescent fields are required. The presented fabrication technique enables the generation of defined regions where the evanescent field is larger than in the rest of the waveguide. This technology can improve the performance of evanescent-wave-based waveguide devices.