Fabrication of low loss optical waveguides using a novel photosensitive polyimide

Fabrication of optical waveguides by a simple patterning process using photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) is described. Light waveguide based on PSPI was fabricated by photolithographic processing without use of dry etching process. The PSPI varnish is comprised of polyamic acid (PAA) which was made from fluorinated diamine and fluorinated tetracarboxylic dianhydride, and photosensitizer. The PSPI has the following characteristics: glass transition temperature (Tg) of 330 °C, coefficient of thermal expansion of 40 ppm/K. Moreover the PSPI is colorless, and posses low absorption at 1.3 and 1.55μm. The sidewalls and the surfaces of the fabricated waveguide are very smooth, which is essential for the low loss optical mode propagation and lower scattering of the mode due to the imperfections. Single and multimode buried ridge waveguides on quartz glass substrate were fabricated and tested. Optical propagation losses were measured by standard cut back method and found to be as low as 0.4 dB/cm @ 1.55 μm. This fabrication process would be expected to contribute to low cost production for high performance opto-electronic devices.