Abstract

Sensing using silicon integrated optics exploits the advantages of both optics and integrated circuit technologies: the high bandwidth and electromagnetic noise immunity of optical sensing systems as well as the small size, durability, low cost and consistent reliability of established silicon technology. Sensor structures based on silicon integrated optics have, hitherto, been realized using low doped regions as waveguide cores, with either a combination of diffused and epitaxial regions of highly doped (N⁺) material as the cladding [1]. Rib structures for light confinement have also been realized using anisotropic etching techniques [1]. These types of structures have two drawbacks. Coupling of light to and from such devices is difficult because of the mismatch of refractive indices of the optical fiber and silicon. In addition, silicon is lossy at the standard wavelengths used with the fiber. The ARROW (Anti-Resonant Reflecting Optical Waveguide) [2] structure overcomes this problem.

© 1992 Optical Society of America