Abstract

A novel grating fabrication technique which has the capability for ease of fabrication of many very long cavity DFB lasers (>1000 μm), single substrate DFB/DBR laser arrays, single-substrate wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexers, and other optoelectronic devices has been developed. This technique utilizes a tunable pulsed dye laser for obtaining an interference grating in photoresist. The dye laser is characterized by a high peak power and uniform non-Gaussian beam. This is an advantage compared to typical cw fixed-frequency laser systems,^1-3 whose Gaussian beams provide nonuniform photoresist exposure which is acceptable only in their central regions. The high average power of the present laser also allows exposure of large areas without significant sacrifice in exposure time, and the tunability provides ease of fabrication of any desired grating periodicity.

© 1986 Optical Society of America