Patent ID: 11163113

Abstract:
An athermal optical waveguide structure such as an optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) or the like is fabricated by a method that includes forming a lower cladding layer on a substrate. A waveguiding core layer is formed on the lower cladding layer. An upper cladding layer is formed on the waveguiding core layer and the lower cladding layer a sol-gel material. The sol-gel material includes an organically modified siloxane and a metal oxide. A thermo-optic coefficient of the sol-gel material is adjusted by curing the sol-gel material for a selected duration of time at a selected temperature such that the thermo-optic coefficient of the sol-gel material compensates for a thermo-optic coefficient of at least the waveguiding core layer such that an effective thermo-optic coefficient of the optical waveguide structure at a specified optical wavelength and over a specified temperature range is reduced.