Expand this Topic clickable element to expand a topic
Skip to content
Optica Publishing Group
  • Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • Vol. 31,
  • Issue 9,
  • pp. 1482-1487
  • (2013)

Fabrication of Smooth Ridge Optical Waveguides in LiNbO3 by Ion Implantation-Assisted Wet Etching

Open Access Open Access

Abstract

Very smooth relief microstructures were fabricated in X-cut Lithium Niobate by using an improved ion implantation-assisted wet etching technique. The substrates were implanted with 5 MeV Cu ions at a fluence of 1 × 1015 cm-2 through a masking layer. Three kinds of layers were patterned and tested: Au, positive photoresist and SU-8 negative photoresist. The damaged regions were then etched with a HF solution at a rate of 100 nm/s. The process can be repeated to obtain higher aspect ratios. The relief structures fabricated with this technology are presented and discussed. In order to explore a possible application of our technique optical waveguides were created in the best quality structures by means of a multi-step carbon ion implantation process with ten different energies followed by an annealing at 280°C for 30 minutes. In this way a step-like enhanced extraordinary refractive index profile was obtained inside the ridges extending from surface to a depth of 2.75 μm. Optical characterization @ 660 nm of the waveguides yielded a propagation loss of 0.23 ± 0.09 dB/cm. The very good results of the best structures make them very promising for integrated optics and acousto/opto-fluidics.

© 2013 IEEE

PDF Article
More Like This
Quasi-phase-matched frequency conversion in ridge waveguides fabricated by ion implantation and diamond dicing of MgO:LiNbO3 crystals

Lei Wang, Christian E. Haunhorst, Martin F. Volk, Feng Chen, and Detlef Kip
Opt. Express 23(23) 30188-30194 (2015)

Depth profile of the nonlinear susceptibility of LiNbO3 ridge waveguides fabricated by ion implantation and dicing

Lin Ai, Lei Wang, Xintong Zhang, Chen Chen, and Feng Chen
Opt. Mater. Express 7(11) 3836-3843 (2017)

Cited By

Optica participates in Crossref's Cited-By Linking service. Citing articles from Optica Publishing Group journals and other participating publishers are listed here.


Select as filters


Select Topics Cancel
© Copyright 2024 | Optica Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved