Patent ID: 6608947
Filing Date: 2003-08-19
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A method of fabricating an integrated optical device comprising a structure including at least one waveguiding element, the method comprising:(i) forming a basic structure containing a substrate material carrying a buffer material layer coated with a core material layer of a higher refraction index as compared to that of the buffer layer; (ii) defining said at least one waveguiding element in a guiding layer on top of said basic structure, wherein said guiding layer is made of a material with a refractive index higher than the refractive index of said buffer layer and the core layer, and is chosen so as to minimize a height of said at least one waveguiding element and to provide effective guiding of light in the core layer; (iii) forming a cladding layer on top of a structure obtained in step (ii), wherein a height difference between a height of the cladding layer region above said at least one waveguiding element and a height of the cladding layer region outside the waveguiding element is substantially small, thereby providing a sufficient flatness of the top cladding layer to allow direct formation of a further waveguide structure thereon and prevent significant perturbation in light propagation within said further waveguide structure.