University System of Maryland

Philippe Absil

Brent Everett Little

Oliver S King

John V Hryniewicz

Ping-Tong Ho

A manufacturing process is provided for fabrication of vertically coupled integrated photonic devices by projection lithographic technique. A multi-layered structure is formed which includes a pair of core waveguiding layers separated by a coupling interlayer and sandwiched between cladding layers. Prior to forming optical features in the core layers, alignment marks are etched completely through the whole multi-layered structure with the alignment marks being visible on both sides of the multi-layered structure to a conventional projection stepper. After the alignment marks are formed, a 'bottom level' optical features are made through the bottom cladding layer, bottom core layer, and portion of intervening coupling layer. The formed sample is then bonded by a polymer to a carrier and a 'top level' optical features are defined through the top cladding, top core layer, and portion of the intervening coupling layer.

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Braine l'Alleud, Belgium

Philippe Absil