<title>Low-temperature PECVD optical waveguide and device development in Australia</title>

Abstract

Existing optical fiber and fiber-device fabrication techniques have been complemented recently by the development of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes for the fabrication of buried channel waveguides and associated devices. These processes rely on new forms of plasma reactors and diagnostic systems, which allow in-situ control of optical parameters such as refractive index, and are also being complemented by the direct writing of waveguides into photosensitive PECVD materials. Both the plasma and direct-write processes allow the fabrication of optical devices which are not readily feasible in fiber technology. The low-temperature PECVD process reported here offers the potential to integrate photonic devices with semiconductor sources and detectors to realize a compact, hybrid photonic-optoelectronic chip, complete with fiber pig-tailing. Because of their compactness and potential low cost, these types of photonic chips are attractive components for future high-capacity optical telecommunications and other networks now being planned as part of the information superhighway.