EP0358476A2 — Integrated optic components

Claim 1

Independent Claim 69 words

An integrated optic component comprising a substrate carrying on at least one surface thereof a thin film of a polymeric material having the possibility to be made electro-optic, characterised in that the polymeric material has an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting a hyperpolarizability, and that the material shows a refractive index pattern induced by irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 69 words

An integrated optic component comprising a substrate carrying on at least one surface thereof a thin film of a polymeric material having the possibility to be made electro-optic, characterised in that the polymeric material has an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting a hyperpolarizability, and that the material shows a refractive index pattern induced by irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 100 words

An integrated optic component as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the sidegroups consist of a system of the following structure: wherein ∅ i = a cyclic conjugated moiety, e.g., phenyl k = O through 4 halogen, cyano, or lower alkyl m = O through 6 0j = a cyclic conjugated moiety, e.g., phenyl 1 = O through 4 halogen, cyano, or lower alkyl n = O through 6 R 6 = - CN, - N0 2 , R 7 = alkyl R 8 = H, or - CN R 9 = H, or - CN Rio = H,or-CN

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 34 words

An integrated optic component as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the side groups comprise 4'-amino or 4'-oxy substituted 4-nitrostilbene moieties, or 4'-amino substituted 4-cyanostilbene moieties, or N-substituted 1-(4-amino-phenyl) -4-(4-nitrophenyl) buta-1, 3-diene moieties.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 19 words

An integrated optic component as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the sidegroups consist of 4'-amino substituted 4-nitrostilbene.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

An integrated optic component according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the polymeric material shows a refractive index pattern induced by irradiation having a wavelength within the range of about 230 to 650 nm.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

An integrated optic component according to claim 5, characterised in that the polymeric material shows a refractive index pattern induced by irradiation having a wavelength within the range of about 250 to 570 nm.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

An integrated optic component according to claim 6, characterised in that the polymeric material shows a refractive index pattern induced by irradiation having a wavelength within the range of about 280 to 450 nm.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 82 words

A method of manufacturing an integrated optic component comprising a substrate carrying on at least one side thereof a thin layer of a polymeric material having the possibility to be made electro-optic, characterised in that as polymeric material a material is chosen having an aliphatic or aromatic backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting hyperpolarizability, and that into said polymeric material a refractive index pattern is induced by selectively exposing said material with irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 82 words

A method of manufacturing an integrated optic component comprising a substrate carrying on at least one side thereof a thin layer of a polymeric material having the possibility to be made electro-optic, characterised in that as polymeric material a material is chosen having an aliphatic or aromatic backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting hyperpolarizability, and that into said polymeric material a refractive index pattern is induced by selectively exposing said material with irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the selective exposure occurs by means of a mask having parts which are transparent and parts which are opaque to the applied irradiation.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 124 words

A method as claimed in claim 8, characterised by the steps of successively forming on a substrate a first layer of electrode material, a first layer of buffer material, a layer of the polymeric material, a second layer of buffer material, and a second layer of electrode material, etching the second layer of electrode material to form an electrode of predetermined pattern, and directing irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups onto the exposed surface of the component to cause a change of the refractive index of those areas of the polymeric material which are not covered by the electrode of predetermined pattern, the buffer material of at least the second buffer material layer being non-opaque to the directed irradiation.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

A method as claimed in claim 10, characterised by the step of poling the polymeric material by application of a poling voltage between the first and second electrode material layers prior to said etching step, whereby to manufacture an active integrated optic component.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as claimed in claim 10, characterised by the step of locally poling the polymeric material by application of a poling voltage between the first and second electrode material layers after said etching step.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 144 words

A method of manufacturing a passive integrated optic component, characterised by the steps of forming on a substrate a layer of polymeric material having an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting a hyperpolarizability, irradiating the polymeric material partway over its thickness with irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups confined to a first predetermined pattern so as to cause a change of the refractive index of those areas of the polymeric material which are so exposed, applying a thin film of said polymeric material dissolved in a solvent to the surface of the polymeric material exposed to said irradiation for a measured time interval so as to dissolve the exposed area of index-changed material, and thereafter washing off the thin film to leave a relief surface structure which is free of index-changed material on the polymeric material.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 144 words

A method of manufacturing a passive integrated optic component, characterised by the steps of forming on a substrate a layer of polymeric material having an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting a hyperpolarizability, irradiating the polymeric material partway over its thickness with irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups confined to a first predetermined pattern so as to cause a change of the refractive index of those areas of the polymeric material which are so exposed, applying a thin film of said polymeric material dissolved in a solvent to the surface of the polymeric material exposed to said irradiation for a measured time interval so as to dissolve the exposed area of index-changed material, and thereafter washing off the thin film to leave a relief surface structure which is free of index-changed material on the polymeric material.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 194 words

A method of manufacturing an active integrated optic component, characterised by the steps of successively, forming on a substrate a first layer of electrode material, a first layer of buffer material, a layer of polymeric material having an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting hyperpolarizability, irradiating the polymeric material partway over its thickness with irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups confined to a first predetermined pattern so as to cause a change of the refractive index of those areas of the polymeric material which are so exposed, applying a thin film of said polymeric material dissolved in a solvent to the surface of the polymeric material exposed to said irradiation for a measured time interval so as to dissolve the exposed area of index-changed material, and thereafter washing off the thin film to leave a relief surface structure which is free of index-changed material on the polymeric material, forming on said relief surface structure a second layer of buffer material, a second layer of electrode material, and poling the polymeric material by application of a poling voltage between the first and second layers of electrode material.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 194 words

A method of manufacturing an active integrated optic component, characterised by the steps of successively, forming on a substrate a first layer of electrode material, a first layer of buffer material, a layer of polymeric material having an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting hyperpolarizability, irradiating the polymeric material partway over its thickness with irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups confined to a first predetermined pattern so as to cause a change of the refractive index of those areas of the polymeric material which are so exposed, applying a thin film of said polymeric material dissolved in a solvent to the surface of the polymeric material exposed to said irradiation for a measured time interval so as to dissolve the exposed area of index-changed material, and thereafter washing off the thin film to leave a relief surface structure which is free of index-changed material on the polymeric material, forming on said relief surface structure a second layer of buffer material, a second layer of electrode material, and poling the polymeric material by application of a poling voltage between the first and second layers of electrode material.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method as claimed in claim 14, characterised by the step of etching the second layer of electrode material in a second predetermined pattern related to the first predetermined pattern prior to the poling.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 63 words

A method of manufacturing an array of integrated optic components, said method being characterised by the steps of performing the method of claim 8 whereby the selective exposure defines the component array, testing the characteristics of individual components in the array to identify those components with undesired characteristics and tuning such components to provide the desired characteristics by local application of further irradiation.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method as claimed in claim 16, characterised in that the selective exposure occurs by means of a mask having parts which are transparent and parts which are opaque to the applied irradiation.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 29 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 17, wherein the irradiation is applied to the polymeric material when the latter is at an elevated temperature.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 118 words

A method as claimed in any one of the claims 8 to 18, characterised in that the sidegroups consist of a system of the following structure: wherein R 1 =-O-, - S-, or 0 1 = a cyclic conjugated moiety, e.g., phenyl k = 0 throuqh 4 or N R = hydrogen, halogen, cyano, or lower alkyl m = O through 6 0 j = a cyclic conjugated moiety, e.g., phenyl ℓ = 0 through 4 halogen, cyano, or lower alkyl n = O through 6 R 6 = - CN, - N0 2 , or R 7 = alkyl R 8 = H, or - CN R 9 = H, or - CN R 10 = H,or-CN

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as claimed in claim 19, characterised in that the sidegroups comprise 4'-amino or 4'-oxy substituted 4-nitrostilbene moieties, or 4'-amino substituted 4-cyanostilbene moieties, or N-substituted 1-(4-aminophenyl)-4-(4-nitrophenyl) buta-1, 3-diene moieties.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 29 words

A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 20, characterised in that the irradiation has a wavelength within the range of about 230 to 650 nm.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as claimed in claim 21, characterised in that the irradiation has a wavelength within the range of about 250 to 570 nm.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as claimed in claim 22, characterised in that the irradiation has a wavelength within the range of about 280 to 450 nm.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 20 words

An integrated optic component when manufactured by the method as claimed in any one of the claims 8 to 23.

Integrated optic components

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