Kevin R Battell

US Patent:

7011932, Mar 14, 2006

Filed:

May 1, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/846697

Inventors:

Paul M. Ferm - Morristown NJ, US
Kevin Battell - Emerson NJ, US
Karl W. Beeson - Princeton NJ, US
Macrae Maxfield - Teaneck NJ, US
Deepti Pant - Framingham MA, US
Lawrence W. Shacklette - Maplewood NJ, US

Assignee:

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

G02B 6/10

US Classification:

430321, 385130

Abstract:

The invention relates to a process a process for forming single-mode, organic waveguides employing organic polymeric materials. The process reduces dissolved and gaseous oxygen content to very low quantities, resulting in production of waveguides having superior properties and manufacturability. Also provided is a process for preventing loss of light due to cores having flared ends. A waveguide is produced by sequentially a layer of a liquid, photosensitive buffer and clad composition to a surface of a substrate; deoxygenating under vacuum; overall exposing under an inert gas actinic radiation to partially polymerize the compositions below a full curing. Coating a photosensitive core composition to the clad composition; deoxygenating under vacuum, covering with an inert gas atmosphere; positioning a photomask above, but not in contact with the core layer; imagewise exposing the core through a photomask pattern to actinic radiation to partially polymerize the core composition; developing core; coating a photosensitive overclad composition over the image areas of the core composition; deoxygenating under vacuum; overall exposing the overclad composition, under inert gas to actinic radiation to substantially fully cure the optional buffer composition, the underclad composition, the core composition and the clad composition.

US Patent:

20020191931, Dec 19, 2002

Filed:

May 1, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/846699

Inventors:

Paul Ferm - Morristown NJ, US
Kevin Battell - Emerson NJ, US
Lawrence Shacklette - Maplewood NJ, US

International Classification:

G02B006/10

US Classification:

385/129000

Abstract:

The invention provides organic optical waveguide devices which are lithographically formed and employ polymeric materials having low propagation loss. An optical waveguide has a substrate; a polymeric buffer layer on a surface of the substrate; a thin, polymeric undercladding layer on a surface of the buffer layer; a pattern of a light-transmissive, polymeric core on the surface of the undercladding layer; and a polymeric overcladding layer on a top surface of the core and on sidewalls of the core and on a portion of the undercladding layer; the undercladding layer having a thickness of from about 10 percent to about 50 percent a thickness of the core. The core has an index of refraction nwhich is greater than an index of refraction of the overcladding layer nand also greater than an index of refraction of the undercladding layer nu; wherein n=n-n, and wherein the difference between nand the index of refraction of the buffer nis at least about 1.5 times n.