Abstract

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology is currently under development by the microelectronics industry. We find these SOI structures promising for uses in the area of integrated optics. These structures comprise a single-crystal silicon layer separated from a conventional silicon substrate by a thin layer of silicon dioxide. The oxide layer is formed by oxygen ion implantation, and the implantation parameters are controllable for a desired device geometry. We analyzed these structures for their optical waveguiding properties and find that the top crystalline silicon layer can support TE modes with acceptably low losses. The mode attenuation is <1 dB/cm for a wavelength of λ = 1.3 Aim even for a silicon-diode layer thickness of only a few tenths of 1 μm, which is a fraction of the oxide thickness required in other silicon-based waveguide structures. We present results for the modes supported in these structures in terms of effective mode index, attenuation, and field profiles as a function of device parameters. We also find that the TM modes in these devices with their high losses make them ideal as integrated optics polarizers.

© 1987 Optical Society of America