Use of deuterated gases for the vapor deposition of thin films for low-loss optical devices and waveguides

A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

• forming a silicon oxide layer on a substrate;
• and
• forming a silicon-oxynitride thin film on the silicon oxide layer using a vapor precursor comprising deuterium
• wherein the thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

• forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;
• wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium;
• and
• wherein forming the non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique includes:
• obtaining a vapor from a deuterated liquid, the deuterated liquid being selected from a group consisting of deuterated tetraethoxysilane, deuterated tetraethylorthosilicate, deuterated hexamethyldisiloxane, deuterated hexamethyldisilazane, deuterated tetramethoxysilane, and deuterated tetramethyldisiloxane, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

• forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;
• and
• wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a primary reactant comprising deuterium, the primary reactant being selected from a group consisting of SiD4, Si2D6, SiDCl3, SiD2Cl2, ND3, GeD4, PD3, AsD3, CD4, and D2S, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

• forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon, oxygen, and deuterium;
• and
• wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a primary reactant selected from a group consisting of SiD4, Si2D6, SiDCl3, ND3, GeD4, SiD2Cl2PD3, AsD3, CD4, and D2S, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

• forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;
• wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium;
• and
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon, deuterium, and at least one selected from a group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, germanium, phosphorus, arsenic, carbon, and sulfur, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

A method for making integrated optical components, comprising:

• forming a non-polymeric thin film using a vapor deposition technique on a cladding;
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film comprises silicon;
• wherein the vapor deposition technique includes using a precursor comprising deuterium;
• wherein the non-polymeric thin film exhibits a low absorptive loss over a wavelength region of interest between about 1.45 and 1.65 microns, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.

An optical device, comprising:

• a cladding;
• and
• at least one low absorptive-loss optical waveguide formed on the cladding, the waveguide being formed from a wafer using vapor deposition, wherein the waveguide exhibits a low optical absorptive loss over a wavelength region of interest between about 1.45 and 1.65 microns;
• and
• wherein the wafer comprises a non-polymeric thin film containing deuterium, wherein the non-polymeric thin film contains deuterium, the atomic density of the deuterium in the non-polymeric thin film being between about 0.1% and 30% of the atomic density of the thin film.