The reliability of high speed polymer electro-optic (EO) modulators is the most critical milestone for the use of these
materials in commercial applications. We present recent thermal stability data at material and device level that proves
the stability at 85 °C for 25 years of GigOptix' polymer modulators. Fundamentally, the reliability of the device
materials lays the foundation for stable final devices, thus the EO materials properties was monitored from batch to
batch after synthesis and during wafer fabrication. Key parameters at chip level were analyzed to show the performance
distribution on a 6" wafer. Thermal study performed at chip level fitted using Jonscher model was used to determine
the isothermal aging stability of EO coefficient for 25 years and the EO materials' activation energy. M3 EO material
shows <10 % change in EO coefficient while operating at 85 °C for 25 years.
Poly(methyl methacrylate-co-9-anthrylmethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-AMA) LP-136 with various AMA contents was
prepared. The polymer was modified via Diels-Alder (D-A) type "click chemistry". In one approach, the side-chain was
grafted stepwise with maleimide-containing chromophore AJL-04 followed with N-phenylmaleimide (PI) to form LP-160. LP-160 was doped with 30 wt % of chromophore AJLS-102 to give electro-optic (EO) core polymer AJ-415. In the
other approach, all the pending AMA groups were modified with PI in one step to yield LP-165. Doping 33.7 wt %
AJLS-102 in LP-165 gives another core polymer AJ-416. The EO and material properties of both polymers were
systematically studied. Via careful selection of bottom and top cladding materials with proper optical and electrical
properties, Mach-Zehnder type modulators were fabricated based on both core materials. At the operational wavelength
of 1550 nm, modulator with AJ-415 core has half-wave driving voltage (Vπ) of 0.95 V and insertion loss of 19.1 dB,
while the best results from modulators with AJ-416 core are 0.75 V of Vπ and 17.1 dB of insertion loss. AJ-416 also has
the advantage over AJ-415 for building EO modulator with better processibility and long-term stability.
The optical and material properties of AJ309 electro-optic (EO) polymer were systematically studied with the objective
to fabricate an optimized integrated device. Both bottom and top cladding materials were developed at Lumera to
match the processibility of AJ309, and sustain high poling voltage needed for an effective poling process. A device
fabrication process is developed. The degree of crosslinking of the EO polymer before poling is minimized by
processing the top clad polymer at room-temperature. The UV-curable top clad has shown no detectable chemical
damage to the EO polymer after the deposition process of the top clad, thus maintaining the integrity of the interface
between top clad and AJ309 core. A 2.1 cm long active length Mach-Zehnder modulator with low half-wave voltage
(Vπ) of 1.1 V @1550 nm was fabricated using the AJ309 EO polymer and in-house cladding materials. Other device
parameters are also reported.
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