Abstract
We demonstrate a printable Thermo-Optic (TO) switch utilizing imprinting and ink-jet printing techniques. The material system, optical and thermal designs are discussed. Imprinting technique is used to transfer a 2 × 2 switch pattern from a flexible mold into a UV15LV polymer bottom cladding. Ink-jet printing is further used to deposit a SU-8 polymer core layer on top. Operation of the switch is experimentally demonstrated up to a frequency of 1 kHz, with switching time less than 0.5 ms. The printing technique demonstrates great potential for high throughput, roll-to-roll fabrication of low cost photonic devices.
Highlights
Polymer photonics is an important branch in modern integrated optics. It is compatible with Si and GaAs fabrication technologies [1], and provides a good platform for integrating various active and passive devices, including polymer DBF lasers [2], optical bus waveguides [3], optical switches [4, 5], optical modulators [6,7,8], etc
Ink-jet is a digital printing method which has a good potential for complementing imprinting method for the development of photonic devices
Please note that we have found the gold heater electrode fabrication process incompatible with the printed UV15LV layer
Summary
Polymer photonics is an important branch in modern integrated optics. It is compatible with Si and GaAs fabrication technologies [1], and provides a good platform for integrating various active and passive devices, including polymer DBF lasers [2], optical bus waveguides [3], optical switches [4, 5], optical modulators [6,7,8], etc. Extensive research has been conducted on using various kinds of molds to pattern basic optical components such as micro-lens array [12, 13], polymer gratings [11, 14, 15], optical waveguides with different dimensions [16,17,18,19,20], micro-ring resonators [21]etc., work demonstrating complete functional devices using imprinting method have been limited [10, 22,23,24] Another less explored method for fabricating polymer photonic devices is ink-jet printing. The potential R2R imprinting method, together with ink-jet printing process, could provide great potential solution for the development of flexible and low cost integrated photonic devices with high yield
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