We report on the cost effective fabrication of 45° micromirror couplers within single-mode polymer waveguides for achieving fully embedded board-level optoelectronic interconnections. Compatibility with existing board manufacturing technology is achieved by making use of polymers with high thermal stability. The sol-gel polymers behave as negative photo resist and waveguides are patterned by UV exposure. Micromirrors are fabricated using excimer laser ablation, a very flexible technology that is particularly well suited for structuring of polymers because of their excellent UVabsorption properties and highly non-thermal ablation behavior. A coupling structure based on total internal reflection (TIR) is enhanced by developing a process for embedding a metal coated 45° mirror in the optical layers. The mirrors are selectively metallized using a lift-off process. Filling up the angled via without the presence of air bubbles and providing a flat surface above the mirror is only possible by enhancing the cladding deposition process with ultrasound agitation. Surface roughness of both the mirrors and the upper cladding surface above the mirrors is investigated using a non-contact optical profiler. Initial loss measurements at 1.3 µm show a propagation loss of 0.62 dB/cm and an excess mirror loss of 1.55 dB. During most recent experiments mirror roughness has been reduced from 160 nm to 20 nm, which will seriously reduce the mirror loss.
The development of integrated optical interconnections (IOIs) represents a quantum leap for the functionality of printed circuit boards (PCBs). This new technology will allow highly complex product features and hence, higher product added value. PCBs with optical interconnections will be used where applications call either for very high data streams between components, modules or functional units (e.g. backplanes or multiprocessor boards) or for a space-saving design for interconnection paths (e.g. mobile applications).We discuss the different approaches towards integrating optical waveguides into PCBs and analyze the prerequisites for a transfer to a product. Application scenarios for different markets are presented and steps proposed for required action to deliver solutions that can be driven into a market.In a second section a new and innovative concept for the integration of an optical interconnection system in PCBs is presented. This revolutionary concept is highly supporting the worldwide trend towards miniaturization of not only electronic but also optoelectronic systems in PCBs. The alignment of the optoelectronic components to the waveguides has been addressed by this concept. It is shown that the process will allow the tolerances incurred in the manufacturing processes to be dealt with in a separate process step, allowing existing standard methods for the production of electronic interconnection systems to be used.
Polymermaterialien sind häufig Hochleistungswerkstoffe, die genau festgelegten Bedingungen genügen müssen. Vielfältig wie die geforderten Eigenschaften ist die entsprechende Analytik, die sich als Querschnitt aus der gesamten Analytischen Chemie und Materialprüfung präsentiert.
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