Patent ID: 6177290
Filing Date: 2001-01-23
Classification: C03C,G02B

Abstract:
A method of fabricating a planar optical waveguide in one chamber, comprising the steps of:depositing a cladding layer and a core layer on a substrate, depositing an etch mask layer on the core layer, and forming a photoresist pattern on the etch mask layer;forming an etch mask pattern by etching the etch mask layer according to the photoresist pattern using a first gas which reacts with material of the etch mask layer, and removing the first gas;forming an optical waveguide in the same chamber as the chamber where the above steps were performed by etching the core layer according to the etch mask pattern using a second gas which reacts with material of the core layer, and removing the photoresist pattern and the second gas;removing the etch mask pattern in the same chamber as the chamber where the above steps were performed using the first gas which reacts with the material of the etch mask pattern, and removing the first gas; anddepositing an upper cladding layer formed of material identical to material of the core layer on the structure resulting from the above steps;wherein the photoresist pattern is removed at the same time as the core layer is etched.