Multimode step index polymer waveguides achieve high-speed, (<10 Gb/s) low bit-error-rates for onboard and
embedded circuit applications. Using several multimode waveguides in parallel enables overall capacity to reach beyond
100 Gb/s, but the intrinsic bandwidth limitations due to intermodal dispersion limit the data transmission rates within
multimode waveguides. Single mode waveguides, where intermodal dispersion is not present, have the potential to
further improve data transmission rates. Single mode waveguide size is significantly less than their multimode
counterparts allowing for greater density of channels leading to higher bandwidth capacity per layer. Challenges in
implementation of embedded single mode waveguides within printed circuit boards involves mass production fabrication
techniques to create precision dimensional waveguides, precision alignment tolerances necessary to launch a mode, and
effective coupling between adjoining waveguides and devices. An emerging need in which single mode waveguides can
be utilized is providing low loss fan out techniques and coupling between on-chip transceiver devices containing Si
waveguide structures to traditional single mode optical fiber. A polymer waveguide bridge for Si to glass optical fibers
can be implemented using silicone polymers at 1310 nm. Fabricated and measured prototype devices with modeling and
simulation analysis are reported for a 12 member 1-D tapered PWG. Recommendations and designs are generated with
performance factors such as numerical aperture and alignment tolerances.
With the ever-increasing demand for board-to-board optical data communications, the correlation between
waveguide surface end roughness and coupling losses must be thoroughly investigated. This study
measures end roughness of siloxane polymer optical waveguides in terms of optical coupling losses.
Siloxane Polymers from Dow Corning were used to fabricate 50 x 50 μm rectangular waveguides through
photolithographic processes. Edge roughness was controlled through various grades of fiber-optic polishing
films and then measured using interferometric microscopy (IFM). Controlled lab results are compared with
industrial polishing techniques that are consistent with mass-production methods. Electromagnetic
modeling revealed correlations between experimental and theoretical results.
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