title: Transparent amorphous silicon channel waveguides and high-Q resonators using a damascene process.
abstract: We demonstrate a damascene process for fabricating amorphous silicon (a-Si), single-mode optical channel waveguides and high-Q racetrack resonators. This process is compatible with thermal budget limitations for a-Si phase stability. It offers improved optical transmission and facilitates hydrogen encapsulation for process integration of a-Si waveguide cores. At 1,550 nm, the average measured transmission loss coefficient is 2.5+/-0.1 dB/cm for the TE mode, comparable with high-quality single crystalline silicon counterparts. The racetrack resonators have mid-10(4) to 10(5) quality factors (Q) and extinction ratios as high as 25 dB.
authors: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MIT Microphotonic Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. rsun@mit.edu
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Sun
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Cheng
authors: Jurgen
authors: J
authors: Michel
authors: Lionel
authors: L
authors: Kimerling