Two layer vertical coupling photonic structures can be directly fabricated on a standard SOI wafer using a combination of reactive ion etching (RIE) and proton beam irradiation followed by electrochemical etching. The top layer structures are defined by RIE on the device layer, while the bottom layer structures are defined by proton beam irradiation on the substrate. Light coupling between the structures in the two layers has been demonstrated via vertical coupling waveguides. According to simulations, the coupling efficiency mainly depends on the thickness of the two layer structure and the gap between them. In this process, the thickness of the top layer structures is fixed by the device layer thickness of the SOI wafer, which is typically 200-300 nm. The gap depends on the thickness of the oxide layer of the SOI wafer, and it can be shifted due to the natural bending of the top layer structures. The bottom layer structure thickness can vary due to different energies of proton beam. Furthermore we show the fabrication of tapered bottom waveguides, which are thin at the coupling region for higher coupling efficiency, and thick at the end for easily coupling light from an optical fiber or a focused lens.

Date Published: 14 March 2013
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 8629, Silicon Photonics VIII, 86290G (14 March 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2002922

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8629:
Silicon Photonics VIII
Joel Kubby; Graham T. Reed, Editor(s)