US4838634A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Organic optical waveguides and method of fabricating waveguide structures
Assignee: GEC-MARONI Ltd
•
Filing: 1987-04-24
•
Granted: 1989-06-13
•
Expires: 2007-04-24
Abstract
Abstract PCT No. PCT/GB87/00275 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 28, 1987 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 28, 1987 PCT Filed Apr. 24, 1987 PCT Pub. No. WO87/06715 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 5, 1987.An optical waveguide and method of fabricating waveguide structures is disclosed. More specifically, a method of producing an organic waveguide which comprises treating a transparent plastic substrate with a solution in a inert solvent of an organic dopant which is absorbed into the surface of the substrate, under conditions such that a surface layer is formed having a refractive index which is greater than that of the substrate. Said dopant has a higher affinity for the plastic's substrate than for the solvent.
Inventors
- 👤 Ian Bennion
- 👤 Clive Trundle
- 👤 Jack Brettle
- 👤 Martin J. Goodwin
- 👤 Robert Glenn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 09:55
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/122; G02B6/125; G02B6/13; G02B6/134; G02B6/1342; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/061; G02F1/065
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
An organic channel waveguide which comprises a transparent, cured polymer substrate having surface portions defining one or more channels in a surface layer thereof, said one or more channels having a higher refractive index than that of the bulk polymer substrate and being formed by diffusing an organic dopant into predetermined areas of said surface layer, said organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
An organic channel waveguide which comprises a transparent, cured polymer substrate having surface portions defining one or more channels in a surface layer thereof, said one or more channels having a higher refractive index than that of the bulk polymer substrate and being formed by diffusing an organic dopant into predetermined areas of said surface layer, said organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
An organic waveguide which comprises a transparent cured polymer substrate having a doped surface layer having a refractive index which differs from that of the bulk polymer substrate and contains an organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties, said dopant having been solvent-indiffused into said surface layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
An organic waveguide which comprises a transparent cured polymer substrate having a doped surface layer having a refractive index which differs from that of the bulk polymer substrate and contains an organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties, said dopant having been solvent-indiffused into said surface layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A non-linear organic waveguide according to claim 2 wherein the surface layer exhibits incident intensity dependent birefringence.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A waveguide according to claim 2 which is in the form of a lamnate, the plastics substrate being an element in the laminate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A waveguide according to claim 4 in which a material which is impermeable to the organic dopant is used to form a layer which defines the depth of the doped layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A waveguide according to claim 2 in which the plastics substrate comprises a polycarbonate, a polyester, a vinylidene difluoride polymer a polyalkylacrylate or methacrylate or polystyrene.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A waveguide according to claim 6 in which the plastics substrate comprises a polymer of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A Fabry-Perot resonator which contains within its cavity a waveguide structure as claimed in claim 2.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of producing an organic waveguide which comprises treating a transparent plastics substrate with a solution of an organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties in an inert solvent, under conditions such that said dopant diffuses into said substrate and forms a surface layer having a refractive index which is greater than that of the bulk substrate, said dopant having a higher affinity for the plastics substrate than for said solvent.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of producing an organic waveguide which comprises treating a transparent plastics substrate with a solution of an organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties in an inert solvent, under conditions such that said dopant diffuses into said substrate and forms a surface layer having a refractive index which is greater than that of the bulk substrate, said dopant having a higher affinity for the plastics substrate than for said solvent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 9 in which the organic dopant is selected from compounds exhibiting large dipole moments.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 9 in which the organic dopant is an aryl compound having amino, hydroxy, nitro and/or methoxy substituents.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 11 in which the organic dopant is a nitroaniline or a derivative thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 9 in which the organic dopant includes a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring having aromatic character.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 9 in which the solvent is one or more per fluorinated hydrocarbons.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 9 which includes the step of masking the surface of the plastics substrate prior to contacting the surface of the substrate with the solution of the dopant, thereby defining a pattern of doped areas in the surface of said substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 9 in which the substrate is formed with a metallic mask and an electrical field is applied to areas between sad metallic mask portions during treatment of said substrate with said solution of the organic dopant.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
84 words
A method of producing an organic waveguide which comprises treating a transparent plastics substrate with a solution in an inert organic solvent of an organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties, under conditions such that said dopant diffuses into said substrate and forms a surface layer having a refractive index which is greater than that of the bulk substrate; said dopant having a low solubility product in said solvent and a high affinity for the substrate without causing the substrate to dissolve or swell.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
84 words
A method of producing an organic waveguide which comprises treating a transparent plastics substrate with a solution in an inert organic solvent of an organic dopant having intrinsically non-linear optical properties, under conditions such that said dopant diffuses into said substrate and forms a surface layer having a refractive index which is greater than that of the bulk substrate; said dopant having a low solubility product in said solvent and a high affinity for the substrate without causing the substrate to dissolve or swell.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 17 in which the solvent is a high boiling inert solvent which does not swell the plastics substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 17 in which the substrate is immersed in a refluxing, substantially saturated solution of the dopant in said solvent.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1362757A
Cited
US3955015A
Cited
US3809732A
Cited
US3953620A
Cited
JPS54119939A
Cited
US4431263A
Cited
GB2102145A
Cited
JPS59220704A
Cited
US4749245A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-06-12 | 1992-12-12 | 1993-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-12 | 1996-12-12 | 1997-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-12 | 2000-12-12 | 2001-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |