Researches on Design Simulation and Fabrication Process of Hafnium Oxide and Niobium Oxide Arrayed Waveguide Gratings

Abstract

The contents of this research mainly included hafnium oxide and niobium oxide arrayed waveguide gratings (AWG's) design simulation, fabrication process and optical films investigation. In the design aspects, reasonable rib-type planar waveguide with refractive index contrast, geometries, and device layout by using the adjustable refractive index characteristic of hafnium oxide and niobium oxide films. In this study, the geometries of rib waveguides and star couplers were designed suitably, and the hafnium oxide and niobium oxide refractive index difference (∆) were chosen to the values of 26% and 35% respectively. The transmission spectrum of hafnium oxide and niobium oxide AWG's device indicated the insertion loss, crosstalk and side-lobe were -4.14dB, -23.26dB, -54.5dB and -5.12dB, -15.04dB, -53.25dB, respectively, by using 3D beam propagation method. In fabrication process and optical films investigation aspects, the effects of different deposition rates on the microstructure, the surface roughness, the refraction coefficient and the extinction coefficient for choosing optimum fabrication parameters to perform real AWG's devices.