Patent ID: 6998224

Claim:
A method of forming an optical waveguide comprising the steps of: forming a bottom boundary material; forming a precursor waveguide material having (Si—H) and (Si—Si) low molecular weight fragments interstitially situated within a substantially non-photosensitive organic polymer matrix on the bottom boundary material 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; selectively exposing at least one region of the precursor waveguide material to electromagnetic energy in the presence of oxygen to form an at least one photo-oxidized region in the precursor waveguide material; and forming a top boundary layer material over the precursor waveguide material.