For Optical Integrated Optical Waveguide Fabrication And Measurement Methods

The optical communication is developing at very fast speed these years. More and more attention is drawn to integrated optics. Integrated optical waveguide is one of the most important basal devices in the optical communication. The optical waveguide film is the basis for integrated optical devices and its optical properties affect greatly the performances of the device. Negative-index materials are novel composite meta-materials. Although negative index materials are not yet available in the visible and infrared spectral regions, they have great potential value in the field of optics.This PhD thesis focuses on the optical parameters measurements and fabrication of the integrated optical waveguide.The transfer matrix of the slab waveguide made up of a negative-refractive-index material is solved using the rigorous electromagnetic wave theory at the first time which is suitable both for the negative-refractive-index material and the positive-refractive -index material. The dispersion relations of the layered slab waveguide which are the theoretical basis of the prism coupling method and leakage waveguide method are investigated by the transfer matrix method.Among the various optical parameter measurement methods of integrated waveguide, this thesis focuses on the prism coupling method and leakage method. The theoretical errors of normal prism coupling and leakage methods are given. More accurate measuring models of the prism coupling method and leakage method are presented at the first time which are proved both by propagating matrix method simulatively and by experiment. The parameters of silica waveguide films on silicon substrate by a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition and Su-8 waveguide films on glass substrate by spinning coating are measured, respectively, by the improved prism coupling method and leakage waveguide method.Measuring optical parameters of a negative-refractive-index film with a prismcoupler is presented theoretically at the first time, if corresponding negative refractive index film someday can be realized in the visible and infrared spectral regions. The measuring setup, principle and parameter calculating method are given. If the width of negative-refractive-index film is thick enough to support at least three modes, the permittivity, permeability and width of a negative-refractive-index film can be calculated simultaneously. The present method is simulated by the propagating matrix method.In the field of fabrication of the optical waveguide, this thesis focuses on the deposition of silica waveguide film on Si substrates with a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD). The refractive index of the deposited film is controlled by changing technical factors of PECVD with gas mixtures of SiH₄ and N₂O without using the doping of Ge. Various factors affecting the refractive and the deposition rate of the deposited film are studied to optimize the growth conditions of the films. The results show that thick films which are suitable for integrated optical waveguide can be rapidly deposited by the PECVD technology with the refractive index controlled accurately.