Abstract

Low-loss GeO₂ thin-film optical waveguides have been prepared using rf reactive sputtering with a GeO₂ target, and the propagation properties of the waveguides prepared over a wide range of fabrication conditions have been investigated. We have found that the waveguide attenuation dramatically decreased when a very low deposition rate of rf reactive sputtering in an argon–oxygen atmosphere was used in conjunction with appropriate annealing. In particular, 3800-Å thick GeO₂ thin-film optical waveguides have been prepared with propagation losses <0.7 dB/cm for the TE₀ mode at a wavelength of 0.63 μm. The average refractive index of the GeO₂ films was measured to be 1.6059 at λ = 5461 Å by an ellipsometer technique in good agreement with measurement on bulk materials. Propagation losses have also been measured at different wavelengths, which shows that GeO₂ thin-film optical waveguides could be used over a very wide wavelength range from the visible to the near infrared.

© 1982 Optical Society of America

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