Planar optical waveguide assembly
View Patent ↗A planar optical waveguide assembly prepared by a method comprising the steps of (i) applying a curable polymer composition to a surface of a substrate to form a polymer film; (ii) curing the polymer film to form a lower clad layer; (iii) applying a silicone composition to the lower clad layer to form a silicone film; (iv) exposing at least one selected region of the silicone film to radiation having a wavelength of from 150 to 800 nm to produce a partially exposed film having at least one exposed region and at least one non-exposed region; (v) removing the non-exposed region of the partially exposed film with a developing solvent to form a patterned film; and (vi) heating the patterned film for an amount of time sufficient to form at least one silicone core having a refractive index of from 1.3 to 1.7 at 23° C. for light having a wavelength of 589 nm; wherein the lower clad layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the silicone core.
1. A planar optical waveguide assembly prepared by a method comprising the steps of:
(i) applying a curable polymer composition to a surface of a substrate to form a polymer film;
(ii) curing the polymer film to form a lower clad layer;
(iii) applying a silicone composition to the lower clad layer to form a silicone film, wherein the silicone composition comprises:
(A) an organopolysiloxane containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded alkenyl groups per molecule,
(B) an organosilicon compound containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule in a concentration sufficient to cure the composition, and
(C) a catalytic amount of a photoactivated hydrosilylation catalyst;
(iv) exposing at least one selected region of the silicone film to radiation having a wavelength of from 150 to 800 nm to produce a partially exposed film having at least one exposed region and at least one non-exposed region;
(v) removing the non-exposed region of the partially exposed film with a developing solvent to form a patterned film; and
(vi) heating the patterned film for an amount of time sufficient to form at least one silicone core having a refractive index of from 1.3 to 1.7 at 23° C. for light having a wavelength of 589 nm; wherein the lower clad layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the silicone core.
2. The planar optical waveguide assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the organopolysiloxane is an organopolysiloxane resin.
3. The planar optical waveguide assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises (vii) covering the lower clad layer and the silicone core with a second curable polymer composition to form a second polymer film and (viii) curing the second polymer film to form an upper clad layer, wherein the upper clad layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the silicone core.
4. A planar optical waveguide prepared by a method comprising the steps of:
(i) applying a curable polymer composition to a surface of a substrate to form a polymer film;
(ii) curing the polymer film to form a lower clad layer;
(iii) applying a silicone composition to the lower clad layer to form a silicone film, wherein the silicone composition comprises:
(A) an organopolysiloxane containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded alkenyl groups per molecule,
(B) an organosilicon compound containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule in a concentration sufficient to cure the composition, and
(C) a catalytic amount of a photoactivated hydrosilylation catalyst;
(iv) exposing at least one selected region of the silicone film to radiation having a wavelength of from 150 to 800 nm to produce a partially exposed film having at least one exposed region and at least one non-exposed region;
(v) heating the partially exposed film for an amount of time such that the exposed region is substantially insoluble in a developing solvent and the non-exposed region is soluble in the developing solvent;
(vi) removing the non-exposed region of the heated film with the developing solvent to form a patterned film; and
(vii) heating the patterned film for an amount of time sufficient to form at least one silicone core having a refractive index of from 1.3 to 1.7 at 23° C. for light having a wavelength of 589 nm; wherein the lower clad layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the silicone core.
5. The planar optical waveguide assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the organopolysiloxane is an organopolysiloxane resin.
6. The planar optical waveguide assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises (viii) covering the lower clad layer and the silicone core with a second curable polymer composition to form a second polymer film and (ix) curing the second polymer film to form an upper clad layer, wherein the upper clad layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the silicone core.