采用溶胶凝胶法合成ZrO2-SiO2有机无机复合光波导材料,通过改变其中ZrO2的含量来调节材料的折射率,使材料分别适用于平面光波导的导光层(ng≈1.497)和衬底层、包层(nb=nc≈1.479)。采用旋转涂膜工艺和相应的热处理,在单晶硅基片上制备衬底层、导光层和包层等薄膜,其中导光层介质因具有感光性而可通过紫外光刻来制备光路图案。所得有机无机复合ZrO2-SiO2板型平面光波导(衬底层+导光层),用棱镜耦合截断法测试其光损耗在632.8 nm波长处约为0.8 dB/cm。对板型平面波导的导光层薄膜进行紫外光刻和异丙醇淋洗,制备出脊状光波导通道,在覆盖包层后,即获得埋层沟道式平面光波导。采用端耦合截断法测试了埋层沟道式平面光波导的光损耗(小于0.1dB/cm),并观察了其近场图像以及导光材料在近红外窗口的吸收光谱。

ZrO2-SiO2 organic-inorganic hybrid optical waveguide materials were synthesised by the sol-gel process. Refractive index of the hybrid films was adjusted with different amounts of ZrO2 for the use as guiding layers (refractive index ng≈1.497), buffer laters and clading layers (nb=nc≈1.479). The hybrid films were deposited on single-crystal silicon wafers (?肌?10 cm) by sol-gel spin-coating. The guiding layers were UV-photosensitive and so UV-patternable. Optical propagation loss in the slab waveguides was measured to be about 0.8 dB/cm at 632.8 nm, by the cut-back method, using prism-coupling. The buried channel waveguides were also prepared by patternning the guiding layers of the slab waveguides with UV-curing and rinsing with isopropanol. Propagation loss in the buried channel waveguides was also measured by the cut-back method, using butt-coupling. The loss was lower than the measurement error, or less then 0.1 dB/cm at 632.8 nm. The near-field patterns were observed, and absorption spectrum of the hybrid material for the guiding layers was measured.