Vertical SiC taper with a small angle fabricated by slope transfer method. Issue 11 (1st May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xin, Yu; Pandraud, Gregory; French, Paddy J.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 55:Issue 11(2019)
• Page Start: 661
• Page End: 663
• Publication Date: 2019-05-01
• Subjects: optical couplers -- integrated optics -- silicon compounds -- optical waveguides -- optical fabrication -- silicon -- elemental semiconductors -- etching -- wide band gap semiconductors; vertical SiC taper -- slope transfer method -- vertical waveguide couplers -- dry etching selectivity -- Si master -- SiC waveguides -- wet etched Si -- coupling efficiency -- SiC‐Si; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2019.0232
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : In this Letter, a slope transfer method to fabricate vertical waveguide couplers is proposed. This method utilises wet etched Si as a mask, and takes advantage of dry etching selectivity between Si and SiC, to successfully transfer the profile from the Si master into SiC. By adopting this method, a <2° slope is achieved. Such a taper can bring the coupling efficiency in SiC waveguides to 80% (around 1 dB loss) or better from around 10% (10 dB loss) without taper. It further increases the alignment tolerance at the same time, which ensures the successful development of a plug‐and‐play solution for optical sensing. This is the first reported taper made in SiC.