Optical waveguide device fabricating method

A method of fabricating an optical waveguide device, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a coefficient of thermal expansion and top and bottom surfaces;
• forming on the top surface of said substrate, a lower clad layer to act as an undercladding;
• depositing on said lower clad layer a metal layer;
• irradiating a light beam on the metal layer via a mask to form a metal pattern corresponding to a waveguide core;
• depositing a polymer layer on the metal layer in accordance with the metal pattern;
• irradiating said light beam onto the bottom surface of said substrate to cure the polymer layer deposited on the polymer layer in accordance with the metal pattern for forming said waveguide core;
• removing the uncured polymer layer and the metal layer;
• and
• forming an upper clad layer on the waveguide core and the lower clad layer to act as an uppercladding.

A method of making an optical waveguide device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a lower clad layer, made of a transparent glass, on a substrate;
• depositing a metal layer on the lower clad layer;
• depositing a photoresist layer on the metal layer;
• irradiating the photoresist and metal layer through a mask for forming a pattern in the metal layer;
• developing the photoresist and metal and removing the photoresist to leave a patterned metal layer with exposed lower clad;
• depositing a layer of photocurable optical polymer, of refractive index greater than that of the lower clad, on the metal layer and exposed lower clad;
• irradiating with UV light from the substrate side for curing the optical polymer to form a waveguide in the pattern masked by the metal film;
• removing the uncured optical polymer;
• etching the metal to remove the metal layer;
• and
• forming an upper clad layer, made of material of lower refractive index than the optical polymer, on the lower clad layer and optical polymer waveguide.