Oy Nokia Ab

Ari Tervonen

Seppo Honkanen

Simo Tammela

The invention relates to a method of producing waveguides by an ion exchange technique on a glass substrate. In order to be able to alleviate the tolerances allowed for the ion exchange technique, the waveguides are formed in the invention by diffusing ions which increase the refractive index away from a waveguide formed previously on the glass substrate and being wider than the optical waveguides to be produced, by using the ion exchange technique and a positive-type ion exchange mask.

Method of producing optical waveguides by an ion exchange technique on a

The invention relates to a method of producing optical waveguides by ion exchange technique in a glass substrate (1), the ion exchange between a source of ions (such as AgNO.sub.3) and the glass substrate (1) taking place within glass substrate surface areas (6) which do not comprise any ion exchange mask. In the method of the invention, the ion exchange mask is formed by depletion areas (5A, 5B) formed in the surface of the glass substrate.

Growing community of inventors

Espoo, Finland

Ari Tervonen