Abstract

GaAs optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) technology is having an increasing impact in the areas of communications and signal processing, with applications such as high speed broad-band switching, high-speed interconnects for multiprocessor local area networks (LANs) and optically controlled phased-array antennas. A major component of the production of OEICs is the low cost, robust and reliable integration of optoelectronic devices for generating, amplifying and detecting optical signals. Recently, there has been considerable interest in the integration of photodetectors with optical waveguide circuits. Monolithic integration of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) detectors with semiconductor optical waveguides has been achieved by evanescent coupling from a waveguide layer into an absorbing detector layer grown epitaxially on top of the waveguide¹,². In this paper we examine the potential of polyimide waveguides as integrated light distribution systems in monolithic OEICs. Polymer guides can be formed on top of complex semiconductor circuitry by spin coating and photolithography. Polymer waveguides offer the advantages of ease of processing, low cost, and low optical losses. As well, vertical coupling facilitates alignment of light sources and detectors without additional components such as gratings or 45° facets.

© 1995 Optical Society of America