Terahertz Photonics, the Livingston, Scotland, based developer of advanced planar lightwave circuits has become the first company in the world to perfect the use of sol-gel as a cost effective method of depositing silica on silicon. The Terahertz Photonics SOLI-CA process is the first single step sol-gel deposition process. The process reduces the cost of production for PLC components such as arrayed waveguide gratings, variable optical attenuators and couplers. Benefiting from both low capital and operational costs, the SOLICA process is said to be up to 10 times cheaper than alternative methods. The process also provides a platform for a range of new devices that are both more compact and have more features, says Terahertz.
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