Method for fabricating low loss crystalline silicon waveguides by dielectric implantation
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsJoseph P. Lorenzo, Richard A. Soref
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Abstract
A method of fabricating low loss silicon optical waveguides by high energy ion implantation which converts a buried region into dielectric material. The top silicon surface can them be etched or formed into waveguides that are isolated by the buried dielectric. Annealing of the top silicon layer can be used to improve optical quality and additional silicon can be added to the top surface waveguides by epitaxial growth.
Claims22
A method of fabricating a silicon optical waveguide comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a crystalline silicon substrate with suitable doping for optical propagation;
- (b) subjecting a surface of said silicon substrate to ion implantation to form a dielectric layer below the silicon substrate surface;
- (c) etching said silicon substrate at a surface to provide an exposed waveguide rib bounded by said dielectric layer;
- and
- (d) forming a passivating layer on top of said waveguide rib.
A method of fabricating a silicon optical waveguide comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a crystalline silicon substrate with suitable doping for optical propagation;
- (b) etching said silicon substrate at a surface to provide an optical waveguide pattern;
- (c) defining an optical waveguide from said optical waveguide pattern by ion implantation which provides a bounding dielectric layer beneath said optical waveguide;
- and
- (d) forming a protective passivating layer on top of said waveguide.
A method of fabricating a silicon optical waveguide comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a crystalline silicon substrate with suitable doping for optical propagation;
- (b) forming an insulating layer on top of said crystalline silicon substrate;
- (c) patterning said insulating layer for use as an implant mask on said substrate;
- (d) subjecting said silicon substrate to ion implantation to form a dielectric layer within said substrate, said dielectric layer conforming to the topographical pattern of said insulating layer in order to form optical waveguides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.