Optical waveguide devices, elements for making the devices and methods of making the devices and elements

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• and
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide, wherein the hardening step comprises heating the layers and film at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. C. through 150.degree. C.

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• and
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide, wherein the hardening step further comprises:
• creating the matrix substantially homogenous in composition and refractive index except in and near the waveguide.

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide;
• and
• directing, before the hardening step, at least two coherent light beams to intersect in an area selected from the group consisting of at least part of the region, at least part of one of the layers near the region, and combinations thereof to provide a resultant light intensity that spatially varies in such a way as to produce a holographic diffraction volume phase grating comprising regions of varying refractive index for directing light.

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide;
• and
• directing, before the hardening step, a coherent light beam through a hologram of a grating and then through an area selected from the group consisting of at least part of the region, at least part of one of the layers near the region, and combinations thereof to form a holographic diffraction grating in the device.

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide;
• and
• flooding, between the exposing and first laminating steps, the film with light.

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide;
• and
• flooding, between the first laminating step and the removing step, the film and layer with light.

A substantially dry method of making an optical waveguide device with at least one buried channel waveguide in a laminated and hardened matrix, comprising the steps of:

• exposing to light at least a first region of a substantially dry photohardenable film having first and second surfaces, with a support removably adhered to the first surface, polymerizing at least one monomer in the film and changing the refractive index of the region to form at least a first optical waveguide;
• laminating a first surface of a first substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the first layer;
• after the exposing step and then the first laminating step, removing the support from the film first surface;
• laminating a first surface of a second substantially dry photohardenable layer to the film first surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the second layer;
• after the second laminating step, hardening the layers and film forming a hardened matrix, substantially fixing the indexes of refraction of the layers and the film, and forming at least one buried waveguide;
• between the second laminating step and the hardening steps, the steps of:
• removing the support from one of the layer second surfaces;
• laminating a first surface of another substantially dry photohardenable layer on the one layer second surface, with a support removably adhered to a second surface of the another layer;
• and
• repeating the second removing and the third laminating steps until a predetermined number of layers are in the matrix;
• immediately before at least one of the second removing step and any repetition thereof, exposing to light at least a first region of one of the layers adhered to one of the supports to be removed in a subsequent step, polymerizing at least one monomer in the one layer and changing the refractive index to form at least another optical waveguide;
• and
• flooding, between at least one of the exposing and removing steps, the film and the layers with light forming a photohardened matrix.