Patent ID: 7005245

Claim:
An optical waveguide comprising: a bottom boundary material; a precursor waveguide material deposited on the bottom boundary material, the precursor waveguide material formed from a two-component plasma reaction in a substantially air-evacuated plasma chamber, a first component of the two-component plasma reaction comprising a non-carbon containing and non-oxygenated silicon donor, and a second component of the two-component plasma reaction comprising a non-silicon containing and non-oxygenated organic precursor, the precursor waveguide material comprising (Si—H) and (Si—Si) low molecular weight fragments in the form of particles generated by modified forms of the silicon donor in the plasma reaction, the (Si—H) and (Si—Si) particles interstitially situated within a substantially non-photosensitive organic polymer matrix formed from plasma-polymerization of the organic precursor, the precursor waveguide material forming on the bottom boundary layer: a waveguide core; and a one or more side boundaries formed by selectively photo-oxidizing a region of the precursor waveguide material adjacent to the waveguide core by exposing the region of the precursor waveguide material to a radiated electromagnetic energy in the presence of oxygen, whereby primarily the silicon in the (Si—H) and (Si—Si) fragments oxidize to form the one or more side boundaries of the waveguide core; and a top boundary material formed over the precursor waveguide material.