TELLURIUM-OXIDE-COATED SILICON NITRIDE OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES AND METHODS OF FABRICATION THEREOF

摘要

In various example embodiments, hybrid waveguide devices are disclosedbased on a silicon nitride waveguide conformally coated with a tellurium oxidelayer. A tellurium oxide layer is deposited over a silicon nitride waveguidesuchthat the tellurium oxide layer forms a conformal layer that inherits theunderlyingshape of the silicon nitride waveguide, thereby forming a conformal raisedregionabove the silicon nitride waveguide, while also forming planar regions thatextendlaterally from the silicon nitride waveguide. The present example hybridwaveguide structures enable the formation of a guided single mode that extendsfrom the raised region of the tellurium oxide layer that resides above thesiliconnitride waveguide into the silicon nitride waveguide, and the dimensions ofthestructure may be selected such that a majority of the optical mode is confinedwithin the tellurium oxide layer, at least over a portion of the infraredregion.