Integration of Multi-Lithography Technologies for the Fabrication of Flexible Optical Link

Abstract

The advancement in demand for high bandwidth energy-efficient communication in the data centre and edge cloud servers needs a viable optical interconnection solution to cope with the demands. Therefore, the presented study describes the concept of flexible multi-mode waveguides (MMWGs) as an optical link for co-packaged optics. It evaluates three lithography technologies; UV-lithography, 2 photon polymerization direct laser writing process (2PP-DLW), and nano-imprint lithography (NIL) for the fabrication of flexible MM-WGs. The UV-lithography and 2PP-DLW process were evaluated for the fabrication of MM-WGs and micro-mirrors, respectively, for the master pattern of the NIL stamp. The NIL evaluates the imprinting of the MM-WGs with micro-mirrors at either end on the flexible and transparent PEN substrates with a low-loss OrmoClad lower cladding layer. There are five different crosssections from 10x10 μm2 to 50x50 μm2 of MM-WGs with micromirrors were imprinted. Additionally, it presents the importance of integrating multi-lithography technologies to fabricate flexible optical links where a 2PP-DLW process shows the best results for printing μm-scale optical components. On the other side, UV-lithography with SU-8 gives the foremost definition of the master for the polymeric MM-WGs. Furthermore, NIL offers the industrial mass-production option alongside prototyping.