Synthesis of Photosensitive Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Polymers via Anhydrous Sol-Gel Process for Integrated Optics

Abstract

Photosensitive organic-inorganic hybrid polymers were synthesised for integrated optical and optoelectronic devices by a non-hydrous sol-gel process of hydrolysis/condensation of 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS), diphenyldimethoxysilane (DPhDMS), and zirconium isopropoxide (TPZ) with boric acid under anhydrous conditions. The methacryl groups of MPS are UV-polymerizable, which are suitable for low cost fabrication of waveguides with a "UV write/develop" process. The incorporation of DPhDMS and TPZ was found useful in reducing the optical loss and in enhancing the thermostability of the polymer. The refractive index of the hybrid polymer is tuneable from 1.4950 to 1.5360 by variation of the ratio among MPS, DPhDMS and TPZ. Optical characterisation showed that the material has low optical losses at the telecommunications windows (0.16 dB/cm at 1310 nm and 0.4 dB/cm at 1550nm). The hybrid polymer also showed a low birefringence (1.2×10 -4), a large thermo-optic (TO) coefficient (-2.77×10 -4), and an outstanding linearity of dn/dT in a wide range of temperature (from 25 °C to 200 °C). Waveguides forming ability for the hybrid polymer with UV imprinting was also demonstrated.