Simultaneous optical/electrical interconnection of polymer planar-lightwave-circuit chip based on polymer MOEMS and replication technology

Abstract

For simultaneous optical/electrical interconnection of a polymeric planar-lightwave-circuit (PLC) chip, a polymer micro-opto-electro-mechanical system (MOEMS)-based passive alignment method was designed and realized in thermosetting polymer using a UV imprinting technique. To reduce the steps for fabricating alignment structures, waveguide cores and micro-pedestals were formed at the same time with only one step of imprinting. By inserting the electrode-patterned micro-pedestals on the polymer PLC chip into the alignment pits of the silicon optical bench, optical/electrical interconnections were accomplished simultaneously and automatically. An assembled polymeric optical device shows a coupling loss of about 1.7 dB per coupling face and a good electrical interconnection at a wavelength of 1.5 μm.