Integrated photonics including waveguiding material

• US 10,571,631 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: Coolbaugh, Douglas, Adam, Thomas, Leake, Gerald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Page, Dale E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jefferson, Quovaunda
• Application Number:
  US14/987,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20160223749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12061 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/121 Channel; buried or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12123 Diode
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12169 Annealing
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12002 Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/13 Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1347 using ion implantation ion implantation in glass C03C23/0055; ion implantation in general C23C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0245 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02505 consisting of more than two layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02573 Conductivity type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02639 Preparation of substrate for selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14629 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022408 : for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0232 : Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device H01L31/0236 takes precedence; for photovoltaic cells H01L31/054; for photovoltaic modules H02S40/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02327 : the optical elements being integrated or being directly associated to the device, e.g. back reflectors optical coatings H01L31/0216
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/028 : including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/105 : the potential barrier being of the PIN type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1808 : including only Ge
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 : PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 : Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

A photonic structure can include in one aspect one or more waveguides formed by patterning of waveguiding material adapted to propagate light energy. Such waveguiding material may include one or more of silicon (single-, poly-, or non-crystalline) and silicon nitride.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

depositing a layer formed of nitride waveguiding material;

patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define photonic features, wherein the depositing includes using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; and

wherein the patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define photonic features includes patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define a waveguide, the method further comprising depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio gap-filling dielectric material over the waveguide, wherein the method includes planarizing a dielectric layer defined by the dielectric material to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and to provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment is selected from the group consisting of thermal annealing and exposure to radiation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the treatment includes thermal annealing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the treatment includes exposure to radiation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes planarizing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing dielectric material over the waveguide.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing gap-filling dielectric material over the waveguide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define photonic features includes patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define a waveguide.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment is selected from the group consisting of thermal annealing and exposure to radiation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment is selected from the group consisting of thermal annealing and exposure to radiation, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material includes depositing dielectric material to encapsulate the waveguide, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material is performed so that the dielectric material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces of the waveguide with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surfaces of the waveguide proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment is selected from the group consisting of thermal annealing and exposure to radiation, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material includes depositing dielectric material to encapsulate the waveguide, wherein the waveguide has vertical surfaces, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material is performed so that the dielectric material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces of the waveguide with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surfaces of the waveguide proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer that is deposited on the second dielectric layer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment includes exposure to radiation, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material includes depositing dielectric material to encapsulate the waveguide, wherein the waveguide has vertical surfaces, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material is performed so that the dielectric material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces of the waveguide with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surfaces of the waveguide proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer defined by the dielectric material includes using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the planarizing the second dielectric layer includes using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer wherein the method includes subjecting the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to line edge roughness mitigating treatment, the line edge roughness mitigating treatment including oxidation treatment, wherein as a result of the oxidation treatment outermost portions of the nitride waveguiding material are converted to oxide, and wherein the method includes removing the converted to oxide portions using an aqueous hydrofluoric acid solution.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define photonic features includes patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define a waveguide, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment includes exposure to radiation, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material includes depositing dielectric material to encapsulate the waveguide, wherein the waveguide is a rectangular geometry waveguide, wherein the depositing a non-conformal high-aspect-ratio material is performed so that the dielectric material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces of the waveguide with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surface proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer defined by the dielectric material includes using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the planarizing the second dielectric layer includes using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer that is encapsulated by dielectric material and is of a different material than the waveguide, wherein the method includes subjecting the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to line edge roughness mitigating treatment, the line edge roughness mitigating treatment including oxidation treatment, wherein as a result of the oxidation treatment outermost portions of the nitride waveguiding material are converted to oxide, and wherein the method includes removing the converted to oxide portions using an aqueous hydrofluoric acid solution.

17. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of a first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the forming includes forming plasma-enhanced oxide material over the first photonic layer so that the plasma-enhanced oxide material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surface proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, wherein the forming includes planarizing the dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and to provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the first waveguiding material is single-crystalline silicon.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the forming includes applying process conditions for deposition of non-conformal oxide material deposition in a manner to provide void-minimized filling of minimum feature size gaps.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the method includes planarizing the dielectric layer to provide processing planarity for further layers.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer, and wherein the forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features includes forming a dielectric layer about the waveguide.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the forming includes applying process conditions for deposition of non-conformal oxide material deposition in a manner to provide void-minimized filling of minimum feature size gaps.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the method includes planarizing the dielectric layer to provide processing planarity for further layers.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in a single-crystalline layer of silicon on insulator wafer.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer, and wherein the forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features includes forming a dielectric layer about the waveguide, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer, wherein the forming includes applying process conditions for deposition of non-conformal oxide material in a manner to provide filling of feature size gaps, wherein the method includes planarizing the second dielectric layer using chemical mechanical polishing to provide processing planarity for the additional waveguiding layer and depositing the additional waveguiding layer, and wherein the method includes performing treatment of waveguiding material of the additional waveguiding layer for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment includes exposure to radiation.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer includes using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the planarizing the second dielectric layer includes using chemical mechanical polishing, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer deposited on the second dielectric layer.

32. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

depositing a layer formed of nitride waveguiding material;

patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define photonic features, wherein the depositing includes using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; and

wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the method includes forming a dielectric layer about the photonic features to encapsulate the photonic features, wherein the forming includes planarizing the dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and to provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer deposited on the second dielectric layer.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the planarizing the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material includes using chemical mechanical polishing.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment is selected from the group consisting of thermal annealing and exposure to radiation.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material for correction of non-stoichiometries.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the treatment includes thermal annealing.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the method includes performing treatment of the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material, wherein the treatment includes exposure to radiation.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the forming includes depositing a dielectric layer depositing gap-filling dielectric material over the photonic features.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define photonic features includes patterning the layer formed of nitride waveguiding material to define a waveguide.

40. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the method includes planarizing the dielectric layer to provide processing planarity for further layers, wherein the method further includes planarizing and smoothing the layer formed of first waveguiding material, wherein the first waveguiding material is single crystalline silicon, wherein the planarizing the layer formed of first waveguiding material includes using chemical mechanical polishing, and wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer includes using chemical mechanical polishing.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the forming includes forming plasma-enhanced oxide material over the first photonic layer so that the plasma-enhanced oxide material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surface proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer includes using chemical mechanical polishing.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the method includes depositing a second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the forming includes applying process conditions for deposition of non-conformal oxide material deposition in a manner to provide void-minimized filling of minimum feature size gaps.

47. The method of claim 40, wherein the method includes planarizing the dielectric layer to provide processing planarity for further layers.

48. The method of claim 40, wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

49. The method of claim 40, wherein the method includes depositing a second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer.

50. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of a first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the forming includes forming plasma-enhanced oxide material over the first photonic layer so that the plasma-enhanced oxide material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces with suppressed deposition rates on right angle extending surfaces proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, the right angle extending surfaces extending at right angles with respect to the horizontal extending surface, wherein the forming includes initially depositing the dielectric layer so that a bottom elevation of the dielectric layer is at a higher elevation of than a top elevation of the first photonics layer and planarizing the dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the additional waveguiding layer is of a second waveguiding material different than the first waveguiding material, and wherein the additional waveguiding layer is deposited on the second dielectric layer, wherein the first waveguiding material is monocrystalline silicon and the second waveguiding material is silicon nitride.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer, the first photonic layer being a monocrystalline silicon layer of a silicon on insulator wafer, wherein the additional waveguiding layer is of a second waveguiding material different than the first waveguiding material, and wherein the additional waveguiding layer is deposited on the second dielectric layer, wherein the first waveguiding material is monocrystalline silicon and the second waveguiding material is silicon nitride.

53. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of a first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the forming includes initially depositing the dielectric layer so that a bottom elevation of the dielectric layer is at a higher elevation of than a top elevation of the first photonics layer and planarizing the dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer, the first photonic layer being a monocrystalline silicon layer of a silicon on insulator wafer, wherein the additional waveguiding layer is of a second waveguiding material different than the first waveguiding material, and wherein the additional waveguiding layer is deposited on the second dielectric layer, wherein the first waveguiding material is monocrystalline silicon and the second waveguiding material is silicon nitride.

54. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of a first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the forming includes initially depositing the dielectric layer so that a bottom elevation of the dielectric layer is at a higher elevation of than a top elevation of the first photonics layer and planarizing the dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to an additional waveguiding layer, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer to include a horizontal surface and a right angle extending surface extending at a right angle with respect to the horizontal surface, the first photonic layer being a monocrystalline silicon layer of a silicon on insulator wafer, wherein the additional waveguiding layer is of a second waveguiding material different than the first waveguiding material, and wherein the additional waveguiding layer is deposited on the second dielectric layer, wherein the first waveguiding material is monocrystalline silicon and the second waveguiding material is silicon nitride.

55. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of a first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the forming includes initially depositing the dielectric layer so that a bottom elevation of the dielectric layer is at a higher elevation of than a top elevation of the first photonics layer and planarizing the dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the dielectric layer and provide processing planarity for a second dielectric layer, wherein the method includes depositing the second dielectric layer on the dielectric layer and planarizing the second dielectric layer to reduce an elevation of the second dielectric layer, wherein the planarizing the dielectric layer and the planarizing the second dielectric layer are performed to provide optical isolation between the first photonic layer and the additional waveguiding layer, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer to include a horizontal surface and a right angle extending surface extending at a right angle with respect to the horizontal surface, the first photonic layer being a monocrystalline silicon layer of a silicon on insulator wafer, wherein the additional waveguiding layer is of a second waveguiding material different than the first waveguiding material, and wherein the additional waveguiding layer is deposited on the second dielectric layer, wherein the first waveguiding material is monocrystalline silicon and the second waveguiding material is silicon nitride.

56. A method of fabricating a photonic structure comprising:

patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer, the first photonic layer formed of a first waveguiding material;

forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features, wherein dielectric material of the dielectric layer includes a plasma-enhanced oxide; and

wherein the forming includes forming plasma-enhanced oxide material over the first photonic layer so that the plasma-enhanced oxide material preferentially deposits on horizontal surfaces with suppressed deposition rates on vertical surface proximate feature edges, resulting in an overall non-conformal film topography, wherein the patterning a first set of photonic features in a first photonic layer includes patterning a waveguide in the first photonic layer, and wherein the forming a dielectric layer about the first set of photonic features includes forming a dielectric layer about the waveguide, wherein the forming includes using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and wherein the method includes forming a second dielectric layer above the dielectric layer to provide corrected dielectric separation distance to one or more additional waveguiding layer, wherein the forming includes applying process conditions for deposition of non-conformal oxide material in a manner to provide filling of feature size gaps, wherein the method includes planarizing the dielectric layer using chemical mechanical polishing to provide processing planarity for further layers, and wherein the method includes performing treatment of nitride waveguiding material of the one or more additional waveguiding layer for correction of one or more of contamination, inclusions, voids, or non-stoichiometries, wherein the treatment includes exposure to radiation.