Patent ID: 7998356

Claim:
A process for manufacturing an integrated optical device comprising: forming on a silicon substrate a silicon dioxide multilayer structure containing, in a first region, a waveguide core layer of the optical device, said core being provided with an electromagnetic radiation inlet/outlet port; forming, by an anisotropic etch, a trench in a second region of the multilayer structure adjacent said first region, said trench comprising side walls and a bottom wall spaced from said substrate; forming a protective coating layer of said side walls and said bottom wall; defining an opening in said bottom wall by at least partially removing the protective coating layer in order to expose a lower silicon dioxide portion of the multilayer structure; and performing an isotropic etch through said opening in order to remove, starting from the exposed lower silicon dioxide portion, the multilayer structure silicon dioxide until a recess is formed in the multilayer structure having a first wall provided with at least one essentially planar portion inclined relative to the substrate, such inclined portion extending at least partially in said first region and including said inlet/outlet port.