Using the 3D beam propagation method to model the effects of lithographic roughness on the attenuation of highly multimodal polymer waveguides

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Abstract

Waveguide sidewall surface roughness is a primary cause of attenuation in lithographically defined, multimode, polymer optical waveguides. Techniques that are currently employed to analyze the effect of roughness on highly multimode waveguides such as coupled mode theory are not easily adaptable to more complicated structures. For example, this technique cannot be used for waveguides that utilize bends, where the modal distribution can not be easily calculated. In this paper, the beam propagation method is used to find sidewall roughness losses empirically. Straight waveguides of different roughnesses are first modeled, and the modeled results are compared to the attenuation of manufactured straight waveguides. The roughness that closely matches the manufactured waveguides attenuation is then verified further by matching the attenuation of waveguides containing 90° bends. © 2013 American Vacuum Society.

Publication Title

Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics

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