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Presentation
Tailorable polymer waveguides for miniaturized bio-photonic devices via two-polymer microtransfer molding
Proceedings of SPIE
  • Jae-Hwang Lee, Iowa State University
  • Zhuo Ye, Iowa State University
  • Kristen P. Constant, Iowa State University
  • Kai-Ming Ho, Iowa State University
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Conference
Fabrication, Properties, Optics, and Devices III
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
8-31-2006
DOI
10.1117/12.681174
Conference Date
August 13, 2006
Geolocation
(32.715738, -117.16108380000003)
Abstract
Traditional optical fibers have been developed to achieve novel characteristics for both macro- and micro-applications. Inorganic optical waveguides using two-dimensional photonic crystals and silicon-on-insulator technology are examples of recent trends for macro- and micro-scale optical applications, respectively. As bio-photonics devices operate mostly with visible light, visible-transparent materials such as metal oxides and polymers are preferred as the guiding medium. Although polymers have tremendous potential because of their enormous variation in optical, chemical and mechanical properties, their application for optical waveguides is limited by conventional lithography. We present a non-optical lithographic technique, called two-polymer microtransfer molding, to fabricate polymer nano-waveguides, on-chip light sources and couplers. Micro-sources using quantum dots emitting red light (625nm) are successfully embedded in a waveguides array as the on-chip light sources. Fabrication of a grating coupler is also attempted for various external light sources including lasers and white light. We have quantified propagation losses of the waveguides using CCD photometry. The guiding loss is approximately 1.7dB/mm. We also demonstrated that the surface roughness of the fabricated waveguides can be reduced by chemical etching. We demonstrate that low cost, high yield, high fidelity, and tailorable fabrication of bio-photonic devices are achievable by the combination of the presented techniques.
Comments

This proceeding is published as Jae-Hwang Lee ; Zhuo Ye ; Kristen Constant and Kai-Ming Ho "Tailorable polymer waveguides for miniaturized bio-photonic devices via two-polymer microtransfer molding", Proc. SPIE 6327, Nanoengineering: Fabrication, Properties, Optics, and Devices III, 63270J (August 31, 2006); doi:10.1117/12.681174. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Jae-Hwang Lee, Zhuo Ye, Kristen P. Constant and Kai-Ming Ho. "Tailorable polymer waveguides for miniaturized bio-photonic devices via two-polymer microtransfer molding" San Diego, CAProceedings of SPIE Vol. 6327 (2006) p. 63270J
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kristen_constant/35/