Abstract

The integration of optoelectronic functions on a common substrate can offer significant advantages in terms of size, weight, cost, and performance over traditional hybrid approaches. Given the advantages of NLO polymers over other material systems for integrated photonics applications (flexible fabrication, low dielectric constant, etc.)¹,², it is advantageous to develop a processing technology for the integration of polymer waveguide devices on an active semiconductor substrate. The approach reported here allows for optimization of the semiconductor for source, detector, and electronic circuit functions, while relying on a flexible, multilayered spin-cast fabrication technology for passive waveguide and electro-optic modulator functions. Among those applications which may benefit from this integration are sensors such as the fiber optic gyroscope³. Reported here is the integration of NLO polymer waveguides with InGaAs p-i-n photodiodes on an InP substrate for operation at 1.3 μm, with special emphasis placed on the use of existing low-cost, low-risk fabrication processes.

© 1995 Optical Society of America