Single-crystal silicon: a new material for 1.3 and 1.6 μm integrated-optical components

The first all-silicon integrated-optical components for 1.3/1.6 μm have been demonstrated. An optical power divider with end-fire coupling was constructed from intersecting channel waveguides. Guides were fabricated by plasma-etching of an intrinsic Si layer grown epitaxially on a heavily doped Si substrate (n on n⁺ or p on p⁺). Active components are proposed.