Deep low-loss multimode channel waveguides fabricated on glass substrates using dry silver film electromigration technique

A simple but reliable silver electromigration technique was successfully developed to fabricate deep multimode planar and channel waveguides on the SBS450 optical quality glass substrates. In contrast to earlier ion-exchange waveguides reported, a relatively high electric field (~ 440 - 545 V/mm) was applied to speed up the whole field-assisted process by supplying the silver in ionized form rather in neutral form while at the same time prevents the silver ions that were driven into the glass from reducing into silver atoms, a major contributor to waveguide loss. The waveguides thus fabricated showed no discolors or cracks, while the attenuation losses were measured to be less than 0.2dB/cm, using our 0.6328µm He-Ne laser edge-coupling setup.