Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1991 · 11 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceOptical MaterialsPolymer ChemistryPolymer MaterialsOptical PolymersOptical WaveguidesPolymer CharacterizationPolymer Physical ChemistryPolymer Thin FilmsRefractive IndexEffective IndexIon Implantation EffectsIon Implantation SimulationOptical Waveguide SimulationPolymethyl MethacrylateRefractionSingle-mode WaveguidesSurface Waveguides
Poly-(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) on different substrates was implanted by He+ ions of energies between 50 keV and 250 keV as well as 1 MeV and 2 MeV. The ion doses varied between 1012/cm2 and 1015/cm2. We have studied the increase of the refractive index in the implanted surface layer, which acts as an optical waveguide, by measuring the effective index of refraction neff for different optical modes. According to the range of ions in the polymer, surface waveguides and buried waveguides can be generated. The number of modes a waveguide is carrying depends on the ion doses. For single mode waveguides low doses must be used. Waveguides with losses below 1 dB/cm were obtained. The chemical effects caused by the implantation are measured by IR spectroscopy and residual gas analysis (RGA), physical modifications of the surface were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The refractive index profiles are discussed using simulation calculations.