Fabrication of single-mode ridge SU-8 waveguides based on inductively coupled plasma etching

Abstract

In this paper, a systematic study has been performed for the etching of negative photoresist SU-8 2005 using inductively coupled plasma. The etching rate, vertical profile, surface and sidewall roughness of the waveguide were investigated as a function of the chamber pressure, the bias power, the antenna power, the ratio of flow rate of Ar to O2, and the etching time. The etching parameters were studied in detail and optimized to minimize the surface roughness in etched areas. Ridge MZI waveguides with SU-8 2005 were fabricated under the optimized etching conditions, resulting in smooth and almost vertical patterns. The waveguides showed single-mode propagation at 1550 nm wavelength and low propagation loss of less than 1.565 dB/cm, which was similar to the waveguides fabricated by the wet-etching technique.