Method of fabricating planar optical waveguides in one chamber

Abstract

A method of fabricating a planar optical waveguide in one chamber, comprising the steps of depositing a cladding layer and a core layer on a substrate, depositing an etch mask layer on the core layer, and forming a photoresist pattern on the etch mask layer. An etch mask pattern is formed by etching the etch mask layer according to the photoresist pattern using a first gas which reacts with the material of the etch mask layer, and removing the first gas. An optical waveguide is formed by etching the core layer according to the etch mask pattern using a second gas which reacts with the material of the core layer in the same chamber as the chamber where the above steps were performed, and removing the photoresist pattern and the second gas. The etch mask pattern is removed using the first gas which reacts with the material of the etch mask pattern in the same chamber as the chamber where the above steps were performed, and removing the first gas, and depositing an upper cladding layer formed of the same material as the core layer on the resultant structure of the above step. Accordingly, processes for fabricating an optical waveguide can be continuously performed in one chamber, thus simplifying and automating the optical waveguide fabrication method.