METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE, OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE, AND SENSOR ARRANGEMENT

• US 20110112769A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STRATEC Consumables GmbH (Stratec SE)
• Original Assignee: Sony DADC Austria AG (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Niederberger, Hans-Peter, Reiter, Gottfried, Schuller, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7783 Transmission, loss
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide, in which a waveguide structure including a waveguide layer of ZnS—SiO₂ is deposited on a first layer, wherein a first refractive index of the first layer is lower than the refractive index of the waveguide layer. A sensor arrangement includes a planar optical waveguide, a light source, a sensor, an application unit for applying an analyte on top of the planar waveguide and a processor connected to the sensor.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An optical waveguide, comprising:

a first layer with a first refractive index; and

a waveguide structure on top of the first layer, wherein the waveguide structure includes a waveguide layer which includes ZnS—

SiO₂, the waveguide layer having a higher refractive index than the first refractive index.

20. An optical waveguide according to claim 19, further comprising:

a substrate, wherein the first layer is sandwiched between the substrate and the waveguide structure and the substrate is made of glass, of a polymer, or of a semiconductor material.

21. An optical waveguide according to claim 19, wherein said first layer is made of glass, of SiO₂, of a semiconductor material, or of a polymer.

22. An optical waveguide according to claim 19, further comprising:

a cladding layer with a second refractive index, wherein the waveguide structure is sandwiched between the cladding layer and the first layer and the second refractive index is lower than the refractive index of the waveguide layer.

23. An optical waveguide according to claim 19, wherein the waveguide structure includes an intermediate layer formed between the waveguide layer and the first layer.

24. An optical waveguide according to claim 19, wherein the waveguide structure includes a further layer formed on top of the waveguide layer.

25. A sensor arrangement, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide including;

a first layer with a first refractive index, and

a planar waveguide structure on top of the first layer, wherein said waveguide structure includes a waveguide layer which includes ZnS—

SiO₂ and which has a higher refractive index than the first refractive index;

a light source configured to provide light to be coupled into the planar optical waveguide;

a sensor configured to detect an auxiliary signal based on said light; and

a processor connected to said sensor, said processor being configured to determine predetermined parameters of an analyte applied on top of the planar optical waveguide from evaluating said auxiliary signal.

26. A method for manufacturing an optical waveguide, comprising:

providing a first layer with a first refractive index; and

depositing a waveguide structure on the first layer, wherein the waveguide structure includes a waveguide layer of ZnS—

SiO₂ and the first refractive index is lower than the refractive index of the waveguide layer.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein during the depositing the waveguide structure a first intermediate layer is deposited on the first layer before the waveguide layer is deposited on the intermediate layer.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the first layer is a substrate made of glass, of a polymer, or of a semiconductor material.

29. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

depositing the first layer on a substrate before the depositing the waveguide structure.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the substrate is made of glass, a polymer, or a semiconductor material.

31. A method according to claim 26, wherein the first layer is made of SiO₂.

32. A method according to claim 26, wherein the depositing the waveguide structure is performed by a process from the group of a physical vapor deposition process, an ion plating process, an evaporation process, a chemical vapor deposition process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process, and a sputtering process.

33. A method according to claim 26, wherein the depositing the waveguide structure is performed by a sputtering process wherein a ZnS-target or a ZnS—

SiO₂-target is used during the sputtering process.

34. A method according to claim 26, wherein the content of ZnS in the waveguide layer is between 70% and 90%.

35. A method according to claim 26, wherein during the depositing the waveguide structure a further layer is deposited on the waveguide layer.

36. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

depositing a cladding layer of a second material with a second refractive index on top of the waveguide structure, wherein the second refractive index is lower than the refractive index of the waveguide layer.