Open AccessFabrication of thermally stable and cost-effective polymeric waveguide for optical printed-circuit board
Author(s) -
Do-Won Kim,
Seung Ho Ahn,
InKui Cho,
Dongmin Im,
Shirazy Md. Shorab Muslim,
HyoHoon Park
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.016798
Subject(s) - materials science , fabrication , polydimethylsiloxane , printed circuit board , epoxy , waveguide , thermal stability , polycarbonate , ultraviolet , optics , insertion loss , optoelectronics , thermal , composite material , electrical engineering , medicine , alternative medicine , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics , meteorology , engineering
A thermally stable polymeric optical waveguide has been fabricated using ultraviolet (UV)-curable epoxy resins for the core and clad materials. A simple and cost-effective fabrication method that uses reusable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) masters has been developed. The 12-channel under-clad layer of the UV-cured epoxy was prepared using a PDMS master whose embossed channels had been fabricated by a polycarbonate (PC) secondary master. The thermal stability of the fabricated waveguide was tested at 200 degrees C for one hour. The optical waveguide was not damaged physically by thermal stress. Propagation losses detected by a cut-back method were 0.16 dB/cm and 0.26 dB/cm, respectively, before and after the thermal stability test at 850 nm. Loss increase after the thermal treatment can be attributed to the formation of the absorbing and scattering sources. This waveguide can be applied for areas that require thermal stability such as an optical printed-circuit board.